Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley tells the story of two girls, one Black, one white, in a newly desegregated school. Taking place in 1950’s Virginia, the dual narrative of the book gives insight into both lives, that of Sarah, one of the few Black students choosing to participate in integration, and Linda, a white student who comes from a family that firmly opposes integration, their views having passed onto her. The girls are forced together when assigned a group project and consequently become closer than they would’ve ever believed possible, breaking more than just one major societal norm of the time.

The novel depicts the awful treatment that Sarah faced at the hands of her white, extremely racist counterparts, but also depicts how people can see the error of their ways and change. It gives readers insight into just how terrible the segregation issue was. It also gives them a flicker of hope shown in this relationship between two of the most unlikely people, even in the face of all the dangers surrounding them. However, the novel also gets into more than just their lives surrounding each other, but their individual lives and how they’re affected by their circumstances. Readers will find themselves hurting for Sarah and all that she must witness and push through, rooting for her victories and when she shows how truly brave she can be, as well as Linda’s eventual display of bravery when it counts.

It’s certainly a page-turner with much heavier themes involved, but an incredible mix of fiction and nonfiction that informs readers while telling a great story.

Review by: Alanah C.

Alanah is a sophomore at Palisades Charter High School.

—Ruth Chung, Young Adult Librarian, Westwood Branch Library