Necessary Lies: A Novel

by Janice Daugharty

Set in the poverty-ridden backwoods of south Georgia, this novel tells the story of Cliffie Flowers, a courageous seventeen-year-old girl who becomes pregnant. Cliffie fears the rage and disappointment of her defeated father, but secretly hopes that her pregnancy might represent an escape from the oppressive, tight-knit community in which she is trapped. Those hopes are shattered when violence erupts and Cliffie is accused of murders she did not commit. In order to keep hidden the shameful secrets of her father's past, she is forced to hide her own innocence and stand by the necessary lies that will torment her. Despite the poverty and despair of her life, Cliffie refuses to succumb to the overwhelming bleakness as she faces her fate with a courage and hope that make her one of the most remarkable heroines in recent fiction. Written in a distinctive voice that captures the tone and texture of rural Georgia and full of remarkably human characters, Necessary Lies marks the emergence of an important new voice in Southern literature.

A powerful and poignant coming-of-age novel marks the emergence of an importantand critically acclaimednew voice in Southern literature.

Genres: Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 31, 2014

About the author

Back on Goodreads and back to writing, and hopefully publishing.
I need my fans, old and new, to boost my confidence, as I start over again.
The reason for my long absence can be chalked up to...well, life!
I have a large family and most live on our property, in South Georgia, Cow Creek Farm. No, we don't farm, and no, we no longer have cows. The name is derived from a creek called "Cow" that flows through our property.
OK, enough about me. I want to hear about you--what you're reading, maybe writing. Or just what you are doing nowadays.
Love, Janice

Reviews

[Brianne Voelp · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just not my thing. I never could get into it and DNF. This is not to say it isn’t a good book, but just not my style.

[Sharon Vecchione · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one surprised me; starts off slow, a character study of a young girl in impoverished South Georgia. But it suddenly explodes into a powerful and moving last chapter.

[ck live laugh love · Rating 3 out of 5]

so, no. and then again, no. not even a little bit yes.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moving novel, complicated by a deep-Southern dialect. It started out slowly, taking almost 2/3 of the book for the meat to kick in. Since it was such a short story (160 pages) it was worth the wait.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book but very powerful. I could not put it down.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

[Dorothy Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it, especially all the biblical similes, so humorous and well fitted to the context. It was easy to relate to the typical South Georgia characters and scenery. It also felt good to read about familiar towns and landmarks (Valdosta and Alapaha River). It felt like I could ride up the road to the fictional Cornerville. Even though the action was slow in spots, I was filled with suspense during the climatic part of the story, and I was surprised, which is not easy to achieve with me. Good job, Ms. Daugharty. I want to--and intend to--read more of your work.