Did you agree with Karo's decision not to tell Leila the whole truth about the incident with Chia until much later? What about Leila's frequent dishonesty with her parents? Are times in which lying is necessary?

At the end of the novel, Karo and Leila discuss instances in which they lied to protect themselves or other people. Did you agree with Karo's decision not to tell Leila the whole truth about the incident with Chia until much later? What about Leila's frequent dishonesty with her parents? Do you think there are times in which lying is necessary?

I'm not sure about Karo's decision not to tell Leila. If she'd known, she would have not had such a negative attitude. But, also, if she'd known and been tortured, the real truth might have been revealed. I think Leila not telling her parents about Chia was acceptable and it kept them from coming and being involved. Sometimes lying is the best option, as long as it doesn't hurt others.

I thought Karo should have told her about Chia sooner than he did, as it may have prevented her anger toward him. I do agree with her decision not to tell her parents.

I wasnt sure if Karo was actually lying to Leila, or if he really thought that she would assume the truth about the situation due to Karo and Chias personalities. It certainly would have made things easier for both of them, had the truth been brought to light earlier. Leila was so bitter for so long, I think it would have definitely brightened her outlook when coming to Canada. And I think the lies that she told her parents about Chia, were fine, considering their personalities and how they reacted towards her. I don't blame her for not wanting to tell them the truth.

Both Karo and Leila lied to protect someone they cared about. Does that justify a lie? The truth eventually emerged.

Spoiler alert! It’s a Complicated situation as both told lies to protect people they cared about. In some ways I feel Karo’s lie caused more harm than good. Leila was tortured over her feelings for him because she felt Karo was responsible for chias death, had she known the truth she might have been better equipped to grieve her brothers death knowing it was his own choice. As far as Leilas lie to her parents……hummm Her parents treated her horribly so I cannot blame her for limiting what they knew until she understood the situation better, and once her brother was gone, well I personally feel she had the right to grieve him in peace without her overbearing mother and a father who had really never been their for her or her brother. I guess if you look at the parents point of view it would be horrible to find out second hand about a child’s death.
like I said It’s complicated!

Exactly what I was thinking, it was so complicated! I didn't think about the torture angle, Marcia. He could have told her when she made it to Canada. I feel like their relationship had to evolve organically, but telling the truth sooner could have sped that up.

This is a culture and a time where telling the truth could get you killed. Even if Karo had told Leila the truth sooner, would she have believed him? She was still very much into protecting her brother and seeing him as a hero. It could have ended the relationship for good. Keeping quiet enable him to help her move on. He told her when he felt the time was right.
As to her parents, I felt Leila needed the time to try to free her brother without the meddling of her parents and once he died, she needed a little time to grieve him in her own way. Sooner or later the truth always does come out.

It did seem that hiding the truth was a common theme in this culture and time. The situation that Karo and Leila and Shiler and Joanna and all found themselves in required some lies at times to preserve life and dignity for themselves and to spare others.