The Truthful Story

by Helen Stine

When ten-year-old Genevieve Donovan's Nannie dies mysteriously in the Lowcountry river she's loved and lived near all her life, Genny and her family are heartbroken.

In 1960s South Carolina, new industry is encroaching on old country, and Genny fears her grandmother may have gotten in the way of so-called progress. Even Daduh, Nannie's dearest friend and longtime housekeeper, doesn't know what to make of Nannie's death. Was it an accident, or did the drunkard son of a local businessman play a role? What's more, ever since Nannie passed, Genny has been hearing and seeing things she's not sure she can share with anyone except her mother, whose own grief is making it harder and harder to get through to her.

Seeking answers, longing for guidance, and unsure if Mama will ever be the same again, Genny gingerly forges a path out of childhood and into adolescence. As Genny struggles to understand justice, healing, and a world in which Nannie is gone but still present, The Truthful Story traces a family's difficult journey through the pain of loss and the survival of love.

Genres: Fiction

220 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2016

About the author

Helen Stine grew up in Charleston, SC and received her undergraduate degree in English from the College of Charleston, where she gained inspiration from Southern writers such as Carson McCullers and Harper Lee. After college, she received her MA in Education/Counseling. Her life as a military spouse, raising two children, traveling, and her career in early childhood education kept her away from her home state for much of the next three decades, but her deep roots and devotion to the Lowcountry compelled her to return for visits whenever possible. It was her childhood memories of family and friends and the hauntingly beautiful landscape of coastal South Carolina that provided her with everything she needed to craft her first novel. Since publication, The Truthful Story has received numerous awards, to include the 2025 North Street Book Prize, 2025 American Legacy Book Awards Finalist for Literary Fiction, International Book Awards for Best New Fiction, the IPPY Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction, Bookvana Award for Literary Fiction, Grand Prize Mill City Press Author Award, NIEA Winner Regional Fiction, Grand Prize for Great Southeast Book Festival, and Best Book Awards Finalist for Best Cover Design. The Truthful Story was also a semi-Finalist for Kindle Book Award for Literary Fiction, NIEA finalist for Best New Fiction, and a Southern Book Prize Nominee. In 2010, Helen teamed up with her husband and son to form an independent film production company, and together they have produced four award-winning films. Helen lives in Villa Rica, Georgia with her husband. http://www.helenstine.com/about/

Reviews

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

lately, I only give books a five star review if it moves me to tears or if I can't stop thinking about the characters even days later. this book made me cry THREE times, two of which I was in a cafe so I'm sure I looked like a weirdo trying to hold it together in public. such a great story and very suspenseful, so so well-written!

[Jill Billeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truthful Story is a deliciously worded tale of a young girl and her mysterious ability to connect to the beyond. Set in the mid sixties in South Carolina, it is the perfect read for a cold day and a hot cup of tea. Stine brings her characters to life with her artful descriptions and careful plot development. This is a warm, intriguing book that leaves the reader full and satisfied.

[Stephanie Baldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has crafted a well-written story filled with colorful characters that jump from the page right into your heart. The story transports us to a different time and place in the South. Beautiful prose and Genevieve, the captivating main character pull you along in search of the truth behind Nannie's death.. You will find yourself reading late into the night.

[Abby Welker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot to review this book as soon as I finished it, so the story is not fresh in my mind, but I really liked how the author paints a beautiful picture of the lowcountry of South Carolina. The story was clean and I loved the various characters.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Helen Swain! Well done! Full disclosure- I went to high school with the author. The Truthful Story took me back to the Low Country, not just the setting, but the smells, the food and the flavor. Loved Genevieve as well as her supporting characters. Highly recommend

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audible version

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story of importance of family and community love and support and the lasting legacy and meaning one’s life can leave for others to embrace.

[Hari Z Hutahayan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just not thick enough. Just that.

[Ursula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very similar to To Kill a Mocking bird

[Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've lived in South Carolina for 12 years now and while I'd never claim to feel the place in my bones as a native like Stine must, I can say she absolutely captures the life of it, especially, for me, in the trees, which are so unlike those I knew in the Midwest. This book breathes Charleston air. You can taste it and smell it and almost touch it.

Stine also sketches mother-daughter relationships with beauty and believability. "Truthful Story" is full of them - far more than just the centerpiece connections between Genny and her mom and her Nannie. I especially loved the relationship between Daduh and Ruby, which skipped a generation and wasn't even woven by blood, but was among the strongest and sweetest in the story.

There's a mystery at the center of the story, in the most traditional sense, but it isn't the key and it's resolved long before the book itself. The real mystery left to the reader is to figure out to what is mystical and what is a beloved memory. And this is a key point where I struggled with this book. The influence and memory of a loved one I can understand, as a driver of healing and courage and life. But I felt like the story kept pushing me to a more literal, almost ghostly version. And, for me, this book was too grounded in very rich, real life to make room for the loved one literally being seen and heard after she was gone.

Another struggle for me: the relationship between the white employers and the African-American household help. This story paints it in a pretty glowing light, on both sides, with deep bonds forged, shared history going back decades, and mutual care flowing back and forth as needed. I wish I didn't feel cynical or skeptical about this depiction. But I can't entirely shove those feelings aside. Take that for what it's worth, coming from someone who didn't grow up here.

Amidst the drama, I loved the sweet moments of Genny's play and her tentative steps toward growing up. The shows she put on with her brothers and friends, day trips with her dad, her worries when she catches her parents speaking in low tones - they all craft so beautifully a portrait of a creative, curious girl.

Maybe I've misread Stine's intent with the appearances and voices. Maybe she's symbolizing the power of a loved voice to shape us even from the grave. In any case, she tells a lovely story of healing in a family you almost think you know in a world that's sepia-tinged and makes you long for simpler days. A book could do far worse.

[Mystica]

Nannie's death affects many people. Her daughter who cannot express her grief openly, and particularly her grand daughter who needs her mother to be warmer and more expressive and finds the vacuum particularly hard. Genevieve shared an uncommon bond with her grandmother and this continues after her death. There is no one whom Genevieve can share this knowledge with. That she feels her grandmother's presence and even her voice speaking to her, guiding her in what she should or shouldn't do and being a very comforting shoulder to lean on.

Not wanting to be judged fanciful Genevieve keeps this to herself and her sorrow spirals as she feels so alone. Her grandmother's death was deemed an accident but there are signs that it is anything but. No one wants to delve deeper into issues which were contentious and most people seem to be happy to let things lie.

Combing Southern characteristics and the unusual almost magical touch that marked the relationship of Genevieve and her grandmother, this debut novel was certainly different. A family's very survival depends on unraveling this mystery and unravel it they certainly do.

[Joyce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pleasant coming-of-age story set in South Carolina's Lowcountry in the 1960s--nice sense of time and place. Ten-year-old Genny Donovan's grandmother is missing and found dead--an accident or murder? Life is changing there and industry threatens a leisurely lifestyle and the environment, but that danger is less than a rogue murderer who will do anything to get ahead. Leisurely paced story with time/date stamps at the head of chapters to move the story forward; story told through perspective of Genny, so comparisons to To Kill a Mockingbird and Scout's perceptive observations are inevitable; gentle, coming of age story but there are issues, and Genny's parents set her a good example standing up for what's right; elaborate lowcountry frame; descriptive, engaging prose and often homespun dialog; nostalgic, heartwarming tone with gentle humor. Possibly better audio than book, as Jenna Lamia's reading elevates prose and captures youthful protagonist.

[Marsha Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful touching "truthful" story! Reading it made me feel as if I'd met and knew every character. Loved it!!

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut novel is set in the South Carolina Lowcountry during the mid-1960's. Eleven-year-old Gennie has always been close to her grandmother, and when Nannie dies suddenly, Gennie begins to see and hear her as the family gift of second sight awakens. Although sometimes uneven, this is a lovely story of a girl and a family coming to terms with loss, sprinkled with a little magical realism and a lot of Southern charm. 3.5

[Lynn Fullerton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a book that will take me to another time and place. Great characters, especially Genevieve. Loved the relationship between her and her Nannie.

[Helga Nel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing truthful story. I absolutely loved all the characters especially Genevieve and Nanny as well as the bond of family. Very well written a story for all age groups.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poor plot development, story wanders and then just ends.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

10 year old Gienevieve Donovan has a very special relationship with her Grandmother - before her Grandmother's death and even after. This is the sweet story of her coming of age in 1960's South Carolina.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about Genevieve, an 11 year-old who has the "gift" of communicating with her deceased grandmother. It is really the story of a southern family and the love they share. There is also murder and attempted murder to add mystery. The book reveals real bonds between not only the family members and their employees, but the members of the community. There is a real sense of "looking out for each other". I recommend this book as it was an enjoyable read.

[Paul J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very poetic and insightful novel with real feelings about growing up in the South. Being from the Deep South, I can identify with characters so married to their background that they come back to that place of so many emotional ties later in life. It's always with you. Loved the book. Characters are real, plot is enticing, execution was enthralling. Will read it again.