The Lies We Told by Diane Chamberlain

Genre: General Fiction
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 400
Book Source: Borrowed from Alaine

Maya and Rebecca Ward are both accomplished physicians, but that's where the sisters' similarities end. As teenagers, they witnessed their parents' murder, but it was Rebecca who saved Maya from becoming another of the gunman's victims. The tragedy left Maya cautious and timid, settling for a sedate medical practice with her husband, Adam, while Rebecca became the risk taker.

After a devastating hurricane hits the coast of North Carolina, Rebecca and Adam urge Maya to join them in the relief effort. To please her husband, Maya finally agrees. She loses herself in the care and transport of victims, but when her helicopter crashes into raging floodwaters, there appear to be no survivors.

Forced to accept Maya is gone, Rebecca and Adam turn to one another—first for comfort, then in passion—unaware that, miles from civilization, Maya is injured and trapped with strangers she's not certain she can trust. Away from the sister who has always been there to save her, now Maya must find the courage to save herself—unaware that the life she knew has changed forever.

Review:

My intial reaction when I finished The Lies We Told - love the story, but the ending ... as if! Writing this review with the benefit of distance, I still think, what a fantastic story and the ending, hmm still disappointing but I understand what the author was getting at - "Now the triangle has become a circle, and a circle can encompass so much more."

This was quite an emotional page-turner, suspenseful with fabulous character development but maybe that in itself contributed to my disappointment in the ending. When the author does such a believable job portraying the complex dynamics between sisters Maya and Rebecca I just didn't buy the "too pat" epilogue.

I identified with Maya; the heartache of infertility, the multifaceted relationship with her sister and her journey of self discovery; it all rang true. While I admired Rebecca's career success and committment I think her moral compass needed some adjustment, I didn't like her much, but that's ok.

I'd still recommend The Lies We Told, I love Diane Chamberlain's writing style and this really was an intriguing blend of suspense, family drama,secrets and forgiveness. Who knows, maybe the ending won't bother you, if you've read this one I'd love to know what you thought.

Want to know more about Diane Chamberlain and her work? - visit her website

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