Synopses & Reviews
Alone in an empty house, Lucy tries to imagine the lives of her two young children. They have been gone for seven years, and she is tormented by the role she played in that heartbreaking loss. You can hardly see a glimpse of the sexy, edgy woman she used to be. Back then, she was a magnet for men like Matt, who loved her beyond reason, and Griffin, who wouldn't let go but always left her wanting more.
With shattering, unthinkable turns that will wrench every mother's heart, this suspenseful story probes the issue of how well you know the person you married. How much can you trust them with your heart — and with your future?
Review
"A haunting piece of fiction...Whitfield Thomson's anguishing tale is told so thoughtfully that it leaves readers in the unusual place of trying to determine right from wrong." Shelf Awareness
Review
"An unequal attraction has devastating repercussions in this delightful, assured debut novel" People
Review
"Thomson poignantly depicts [his characters'] humanity and readers cannot help but feel empathetic." The Brooklyn Eagle
Review
"A great piece of fiction....The book is filled with such tart takes on the human condition, along with more gentle illuminating moments. It has a sense of fullness and urgency that perhaps only a 67-year-old first time writer can impart." Concord Monitor
Review
"A remarkable, readable novel that's sure to provoke animated debate." Portland Daily Sun
Review
"A spellbinding stunner of a debut....Lies You Wanted to Hear is a novel of intensely lifelike characters and chilling choices and consequences that is utterly satisfying from start to finish." Redbook Magazine
Review
"Quite an achievement...confident and eminently readable." New York Journal of Books
Review
"A satisfying twist on the theme of why good love can go bad and what redemption can cost." Library Journal
Review
"[An] effective debut...Thomson lays out the moral complexities underlying acrimonious divorces, taking care to make each side credible." Booklist
Synopsis
An intense debut novel that's "compulsively readable and stunningly written," (Jodi Picoult), Lies You Wanted to Hear is hard-hitting story about a family torn apart from the inside out, and what happens when the mistakes you make cost more than anyone would expect.
Alone in an empty house, Lucy tries to imagine the lives of her two young children. They have been gone for seven years, and she is tormented by the role she played in that heartbreaking loss. You can hardly see a glimpse of the sexy, edgy woman she used to be. Back then, she was a magnet for men like Matt, who loved her beyond reason, and Griffin, who wouldn't let go but always left her wanting more. Now the lies they told and the choices they made have come to haunt all three of them.
With shattering turns, Lies You Wanted to Hear explores the way good people talk themselves into doing terrible, unthinkable things. What happens when we come to believe our own lies? And what price must we pay for our mistakes?
A searing story that will leave you wondering what choices you would make, Lies You Wanted to Hear is a stunning debut.
About the Author
James Whitfield Thomson is a former sales executive and U.S. Navy navigator in Vietnam. Along with Elizabeth Berg, George Packer, Christopher Tilghman, and Dennis Lehane, he was an early member of the late Andre Dubus's writers' workshop. He lives in Natick, Massachusetts. This is his first novel.