Available on Amazon

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to Wanda Luthman’s Children’s & Christian Book Blog!

Today, I have a YA book to share with you all. I read it and could not put it down. I read it from start to finish. It tells a tale of a time not so long ago when the South didn’t tolerate African Americans. But, this young girl and her Dad looked at things differently. Through journalistic-inspired detective work, this young white girl named Kate and an African American servant girl named Lillian discovered a hidden truth about their past that tied their families together.

My review…

I felt this book was very well written. It is written in first person which sometimes can be hard to pull off, but this author, Carol Baldwin, did an excellent job. I felt what the young girl felt and saw what she saw. I was invested from the beginning to see what was going to happen and to figure out her family’s secret.

I didn’t grow up in North Carolina but I was born there and have family who live there. In fact, at the time of this reading, I was sitting inside my sister’s house looking out over the beautiful rolling hills and tall trees of a North Carolina small town situated in the foothills of the Appalachians. It was as though I was pulled back into time through this story since it took place in a small town in North Carolina. I could feel the fear of the African American family as the KKK drove through town. I could feel the quandry of this Kate as she tried to make sense of why the grown up white men felt such a hatred for the African American people.

It feels a lot like today…so much suspicion on each side. Neither side trust the other. Nobody really talks about it. They just perpetuate their one-sided view. This book brings the past to life and allows the reader to think critically about what happened and why and how to, hopefully, move forward with more sensitivity and acceptance. I highly recommend this book.

Here’s the description of the book from Amazon

It is 1950, and 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore wants to become a journalist. But, her tobacco-farming father can’t afford to send her to college. She devises a plan to move from rural North Carolina to her wealthy grandparents’ home in Charlotte in hopes of gaining their financial support. Now she has a new set of problems. How can she please her society-conscious grandmother and conform to her new classmates’ lifestyles? She meets Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid, and in spite of their racial differences, they form a tentative friendship. While exploring her grandmother’s attic, Kate unearths a secret that rocks her world and Lillian’s too. The shocking discovery reveals half-truths that threaten the girls’ friendship. What will Kate do when she must choose between Lillian and her new society friends? Through a mentorship with a newspaper editor, Kate realizes that journalism requires honesty. But, the risks of truth-telling make Kate question herself. If she reveals what she has learned, what price will she pay?

Content Rating for Half-Truths – Young Adult

Half-Truths is a historical fiction novel for young adult readers (13+), set in the 1950s American South. It contains themes that reflect the realities of the time period, including:

Racial discrimination and segregation – Includes historically accurate language and depictions of segregation.The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and racial violence – References to the KKK’s presence, intimidation, and racial injustice.Historical language – The terms colored and Negro are used within the story to maintain historical accuracy.Themes of prejudice and injustice – Explores societal norms and the impact of racism in the 1950s.Mention of a slave having a child by a slave owner – This is an integral part of the generational trauma explored in the book.

This book is written with sensitivity and historical accuracy, aiming to encourage critical thinking, empathy, and discussions about past and present social issues. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

If you have a Young Adult looking for an excellent summer read…please consider this one! It will give them an understanding of our past. As a special thank you to the FIRST reader who posts a comment, the author has graciously offered a FREE hard copy of this book. US Addresses only.

I want to thank Carol Baldwin for allowing me to share her book here on my blog and for offering a FREE copy to one lucky reader!

I want to thank my loyal blog followers for stopping by today.

As always, likes, COMMENTS, and shares are appreciated.

God Bless You, Everyone