Day 9 of the Book-a-Day Countdown to 2026! This one was heartbreaking but beautiful. (For all prompts, view this post)
The Prompt: Outside My Comfort Zone
The Definition: A genre or topic I normally skip…and I actually loved this one.
The Book:
The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman
My Rating:
Moving from cozy mysteries to a book about the eugenics movement and family separation is a huge pivot for me.
I usually gravitate toward mysteries or lighter reads to unwind. This book is the opposite. It dives deep into the horrific reality of the eugenics movement in 1930s Virginia: forced sterilization, the separation of immigrant families, and the terrifying power the state had to label women “feebleminded.” It is heavy, heavy stuff.
Despite the darkness of the history, the writing is absolutely beautiful. Lena’s fight for her daughter and her dignity broke my heart. It’s a story about resilience and the lengths a mother will go to for her child.