Discuss The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

The threat of police violence is a constant throughout the novel. How does that impact Black and white characters differently?

Mar. 03, 2022
by djcminor

Do you think Ruth is to blame for walking away from her child? Did she have a choice or was she robbed of it?

Mar. 03, 2022
by djcminor

Eli tells Ruth, "One thing I learned a long time ago is that you can't live your life looking back." What do you think he means, and do you agree?

Mar. 03, 2022
by djcminor

Overall, what do you think?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Eli and Butch are both victims of the economic downturn. How does toxic masculinity infect Black and white men under this type of pressure?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Ruth thinks, "A lie could be kind to you if you wanted it to be, if you let it." What do you think she means? Do you agree?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Ruth's long-held secret from her past threatens to upend the upscale life she's created. What do you feel this reveals about being Black in America?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Ruth believes Mama loves her, but "as much as folks refused to admit it, mothers loved their children differently." Do you agree that's true here? Is it universally true?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Ruth faces legal hurdles when trying to find information about her son's adoption. Do you think the barriers put in place to limit access to this information are beneficial? How has this changed in recent years?

Mar. 03, 2022
by Marcia S

Does Butch have any redeeming qualities? How does Midnight's attachment to his father inform his own understanding of race?

Feb. 25, 2022
by juliaa

Is Midnight guilty of cultural appropriation? Do you think his behavior could be interpreted as offensive?

Feb. 25, 2022
by juliaa

Midnight is white but trapped in poverty with an unstable home life; Corey is Black but raised in a middle-class two-parent household. How do these dynamics impact the trajectory of these characters' lives and how they view each other?

Feb. 25, 2022
by taking.mytime

The Kindest Lie examines the sacrifices and complexities of motherhood. What do Ruth, Mama, Lena, Verna, and Natasha reveal about what it means to be a mother in contemporary America?

Feb. 25, 2022
by taking.mytime

The novel begins in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama. Why do you think Johnson chooses to open the story at this pivotal moment in history?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Discuss the relationship between Ruth and Midnight

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Why do you think Mama didn't tell Ruth the truth? How might Ruth's life have been different if she had?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

What do you think went into the timing of Ruth’s decision to look for her son? Why was this a good or bad choice in your opinion?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

"[A] little girl needed a daddy: the first man she would ever try to impress...one who would set the bar so high that no other man could reach it." What do you think of this statement?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Corey and Midnight process their run-in with Dale at the convenience store very differently. How do their racial identities shape their reactions?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Are the choices Mama makes to protect Ruth and Eli understandable and forgivable?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Does Ruth suffer from internal racial bias or selective classism?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

The novel is set in 2008. Do you think things have changed for gay couples since then, and if so, how? In what ways have they not changed?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

Ruth ponders, "What did a wife owe her husband? How much retroactive truth-telling could be expected?" How would you answer her question?

Feb. 24, 2022
by taking.mytime

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The Kindest Lie

Discuss The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

The threat of police violence is a constant throughout the novel. How does that impact Black and white characters differently?

Do you think Ruth is to blame for walking away from her child? Did she have a choice or was she robbed of it?

Eli tells Ruth, "One thing I learned a long time ago is that you can't live your life looking back." What do you think he means, and do you agree?

Overall, what do you think?

Eli and Butch are both victims of the economic downturn. How does toxic masculinity infect Black and white men under this type of pressure?

Ruth thinks, "A lie could be kind to you if you wanted it to be, if you let it." What do you think she means? Do you agree?

Ruth's long-held secret from her past threatens to upend the upscale life she's created. What do you feel this reveals about being Black in America?

Ruth believes Mama loves her, but "as much as folks refused to admit it, mothers loved their children differently." Do you agree that's true here? Is it universally true?

Ruth faces legal hurdles when trying to find information about her son's adoption. Do you think the barriers put in place to limit access to this information are beneficial? How has this changed in recent years?

Does Butch have any redeeming qualities? How does Midnight's attachment to his father inform his own understanding of race?

Is Midnight guilty of cultural appropriation? Do you think his behavior could be interpreted as offensive?

Midnight is white but trapped in poverty with an unstable home life; Corey is Black but raised in a middle-class two-parent household. How do these dynamics impact the trajectory of these characters' lives and how they view each other?

The Kindest Lie examines the sacrifices and complexities of motherhood. What do Ruth, Mama, Lena, Verna, and Natasha reveal about what it means to be a mother in contemporary America?

The novel begins in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama. Why do you think Johnson chooses to open the story at this pivotal moment in history?

Discuss the relationship between Ruth and Midnight

Why do you think Mama didn't tell Ruth the truth? How might Ruth's life have been different if she had?

What do you think went into the timing of Ruth’s decision to look for her son? Why was this a good or bad choice in your opinion?

"[A] little girl needed a daddy: the first man she would ever try to impress...one who would set the bar so high that no other man could reach it." What do you think of this statement?

Corey and Midnight process their run-in with Dale at the convenience store very differently. How do their racial identities shape their reactions?

Are the choices Mama makes to protect Ruth and Eli understandable and forgivable?

Does Ruth suffer from internal racial bias or selective classism?

The novel is set in 2008. Do you think things have changed for gay couples since then, and if so, how? In what ways have they not changed?

Ruth ponders, "What did a wife owe her husband? How much retroactive truth-telling could be expected?" How would you answer her question?

Sorry, The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is closed for new posts.
Please go to bookbrowse.com/onlinebookclub for a full list of conversations.

We have migrated to a new forum for book club discussions, please join us for our latest discussions on the BookBrowse Community Forum.

Discuss The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson

Sorry, The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is closed for new posts.Please go to bookbrowse.com/onlinebookclub for a full list of conversations.

Sorry, The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson is closed for new posts.
Please go to bookbrowse.com/onlinebookclub for a full list of conversations.