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The Truth According to Us

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The Truth According to Us

By: Annie Barrows
Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee, Julia Whelan, Tara Sands
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About this listen

From the co-author of the international best-seller, THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY.



'I can't stand this poky little town any more. How can I bear it for three more months? Today alone has lasted years...'

Disinherited by her father, the debutante Miss Layla Beck is forced to spend the hot summer of 1938 in Macedonia, West Virginia, and is tasked with recording the small town's history. She arrives with one goal: to get out as quickly as possible.

Macedonia's history seems simple enough - brief and uneventful. Then Layla meets the Romeyns: Jottie, Willa, Felix, Emmett, a family at once entertaining, eccentric, seductive, and inextricably bound up in Macedonia's biggest secret.

It's a secret all the townsfolk have a stake in, and as Layla delves into town legend, hidden truths emerge that reveal an altogether different history, one that has left hearts and lives broken.

Layla soon realises that some secrets should stay hidden forever.

"Annie Barrows leaves no doubt that she is a storyteller of rare caliber, with wisdom and insight to spare. She is at her best here. Every page rings like a bell." - Paula McLain, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife.

 20th Century Historical Historical Fiction Romance Fiction Heartfelt Small Town

Critic reviews

A beguiling novel of small-town friendship and finding yourself.
The perfect read
In The Truth According to Us, Annie Barrows leaves no doubt that she is a storyteller of rare caliber, with wisdom and insight to spare. As she subtly unpacks the emotional intricacies of the Romeyn family and their small West Virginia town in the wake of the Great Depression, we’re struck by the slipperiness of history—how the stories we tell each other and ourselves often demand to be interrogated; how the things we’re driven to know about our families, our towns, our closest intimates, will always change us, sometimes over and over. Barrows is at her best here. Every page rings like a bell.
An epic but intimate family novel with richly imagined characters, an intriguing plot and the social sensibilities you would expect of a story set in the South ... sizzling.
Barrows, who co-wrote the surprise bestseller The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2008), takes a similarly panoramic approach to the insular hamlet of Macedonia, West Virginia, using multiple points of view with epistolary interludes…[T]his unique corner of Americana—a mélange of Yankee and Southern cultures—is re-created as vividly as the very different Anglo-European milieu of Guernsey. Undeniably entertaining.
The Truth According to Us is an irresistible novel, a sly charmer of a story about a small town in Depression-era West Virginia whose history is rewritten by a debutante on the run. Family histories, too, are unraveled, but mended by the fierce, strong women who dominate this delightful page turner, a tribute to the power of love and forgiveness to heal even the most heartbreaking betrayals.
Lovers of Southern family sagas will appreciate this beautifully written novel.
An utterly enthralling, evocative story of loyalty and love, trust and truth.
The heat shimmers off the pages.
You will not be disappointed ... I loved it.
All stars
Most relevant
A subtle and complicated story centreing on a family once respected but by 1938, rather looked down on. We hear stories from all the family members, including the wonderful 12 year old Willa and historic letters. Loved the cast.

Shame and secrets in West Virginia

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I found this book very slow... a shame as much of the writing is excellent.

A potentially good book that needed a good edit.

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Any additional comments?

What I liked about the book:

The story revolves around interesting and well developed female characters. They are well drawn, have complicated inner lives and experience real dilemmas you can identify with. The relationships between female and male protagonists are well thought of and often manage to avoid the common cliches.

The book features good descriptions of America in the Great Depression. The historical atmosphere is really well captured and well integrated into the story. The author has done a lot of research, but she does not wave it in your face. Rather, all the historical details are blending seamlessly into the story.

What I didn't like about the book:

The major plot twist wasn't really a twist and could be spotted from miles ahead. Three quarters of the book build up to this dramatic moment, but you know it's coming and you know what the "big secret" is, way before it is finally "revealed."

The voice that narrates Willa, one of the main protagonist, is one of the most annoying voices in the world and the poorest attempt ever to impersonate a child. Willa is supposed to be a likeable and sympathetic character, but the narration pretty much ruined this and turned me against her. Same goes for the voice that narrates Felix.

A nice book

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