What I Saw and How I Lied

I've been meaning to read this book for months. I can't quite explain why, but whenever I passed it at the bookstore or the library, the title and photo of the girl with her furtive eyes and lips stained strawberry-red just pulled me in. Yes, I judged Judy Blundell's book by its cover, but I didn't regret it.

The story begins in New York, the year 1947. The end of the war has brought home fathers brothers and cousins, and the United States is enjoying relative prosperity. Rations on sugar and nylon hav eceased, and Victory gardens have been replaced with grassy green lawns.

Fifteen-year-old Evie Spooner feels these changes too, but the war ended two years ago. While at first she and her mother were delighted to have Joe (Evie's stepfather) home, tensions have begun to develop in their small apartment. In a seeming effort to bring excitement or at least harmony, Joe proposes an impromptu vacation to Florida.

It is during this "vacation" (that extends into the fall) that Evie comes of age, not just in dress and demeanor but by learning dark secrets about her parents and confronting blatant discrimination. The world Evie thought she knew collapses as lies build around her. She must decide who she can trust and where she can place her loyalties.

I really enjoyed this book. Blundell beautifully captures the poswar era and creates strong, believeable characters. The tone is suspenseful and as the book progresses, seemingly unimportant events obtain significance in the grand puzzle of deception Blundell constructs. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of mystery, romance and suspense.

P.S. You can check out the website for What I Saw and How I Lied here, or put it on hold at the Palatine Public Library here.

Also, Judy Blundell has written a lot of books under the pseudonym Jude Watson. Check those out here.

>>Michelle