The Lies They Told
In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement—when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove imprisonment and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin—in this tragic and uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, and hope for listeners of Susan Meissner, Kristin Hannah, and Christina Baker Kline.
When Lena Conti—a young, unwed mother—sees immigrant families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, she vows not to let the officers take her two-year-old daughter. But the inspection process is more rigorous than she imagined, and she is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she finds herself facing a future unlike anything she had envisioned.
Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children. Though the hills around Wolfe Hollow remind Lena of her homeland, she struggles to adjust. Worse, she is stunned to learn the children in her care have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around. As Lena meets their neighbors, she realizes the community is vibrant and tight knit, but also senses growing unease. The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”
After a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness, her own worst fears come true. Sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, Lena face impossible choices in hopes of reuniting with her daughter—and protecting the people, and the land, she has grown to love.
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In rural 1930s Virginia, a young immigrant mother fights for her dignity and those she loves against America’s rising eugenics movement—when widespread support for policies of prejudice drove imprisonment and forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin—in this tragic and uplifting novel of social injustice, survival, and hope for listeners of Susan Meissner, Kristin Hannah, and Christina Baker Kline.
When Lena Conti—a young, unwed mother—sees immigrant families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, she vows not to let the officers take her two-year-old daughter. But the inspection process is more rigorous than she imagined, and she is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she finds herself facing a future unlike anything she had envisioned.
Silas Wolfe, a widowed family relative, reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children. Though the hills around Wolfe Hollow remind Lena of her homeland, she struggles to adjust. Worse, she is stunned to learn the children in her care have been taught to hide when the sheriff comes around. As Lena meets their neighbors, she realizes the community is vibrant and tight knit, but also senses growing unease. The State of Virginia is scheming to paint them as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”
After a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness, her own worst fears come true. Sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, Lena face impossible choices in hopes of reuniting with her daughter—and protecting the people, and the land, she has grown to love.
teachlz –
A Powerful and Thought-Provoking Historical Fiction Novel
Ellen Marie Wiseman, the Author of “The Lies They Told” has written a powerful, memorable, heartfelt, emotional and captivating novel. Kudos to Ellen Marie Wiseman for the hours of research in this significant well written Historical Fiction novel. The author vividly captures visit to Ellis Island, Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Virginia State colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded, and the dramatic, complex and complicated characters. The timeline is set around 1930, and goes to the past and future when it pertains to the characters or events. This novel is based on America’s Eugenics Movement.This is such a thought-provoking novel that I discussed this with my 18 year old grandson who was visiting. It is unbelievable to think that Eugenics was a movement in America, before it became part of Hitler’s plan of extermination. My grandson couldn’t understand why this subject wasn’t discussed in High School. It is so frightening that this concept exists at all.Ellen Marie Wiseman sets the stage for this book when the female protagonist, Lena Conti, and her baby daughter, mother and brother arrive to Ellis Island from Germany. The family is excited to be coming to America. A cousin, Silas Wolfe, a widower will be sponsoring Lena’s mother and brother. Unfortunately, Lena witnesses many unfair practices. Both her mother and brother are sent back to Germany, since they didn’t “pass” the qualifications. At Ellis Island there are many discriminating practices used to determine who should be sent back.Lena convinces Silas Wolfe to take her and her baby with him to the Blue Ridge Mountains where he lives. Silas has a daughter and son that do many chores around their home. Lena is shocked that the daughter and son have to hide from visitors. The lot and home of Silas are valuable to the government, and they would love to see Silas and other neighbors be forced out. The Eugenics Office has been around to check on who is “feebleminded” “unstable” or “immoral” people. Lena and her two cousins are taken away, and tested. She is separated from them and her daughter. Lena is considered to be “feebleminded” and finds herself sent to the Virginia State Colony for the feebleminded. Many women and men are sterilized to prevent passing on these genes.Ellen Marie Wiseman discusses the tragic consequences and of the Eugenics movement, and discrimination, cruelty, and inhumanity. The author also mentions the importance of dignity, courage, family, friends, love and hope. I highly recommend this significant and important book.
Marie B –
Heart grabbing….
This book was very engaging and I learned about some terrible things that went on in our country (US) that surprisingly I was not as aware of as I should be. Spoiler alert….I love a happy ending that has me running for the tissue box! I was tempted to rate 5 but I am very stingy with my 5’s. Definitely a 4.5!
lyni –
We need a history lesson
WOW this book was a history lesson, got me researching eugenics in the USA, the fact this occurred out rages me. I loved the book, character development and story line.
DB –
A must read!
My first introduction to Ellen Marie Wisemen’s books was The Lost Girls of Willowbrook which I thought was awful. Being attracted by the beautiful covers of her books, I decided to give The Lies They Told a chance and was glad I did! This is a fantastic book; well written, characters are well developed and the author has an amazing ability that lets the reader experience the character’s feelings and her descriptions of scenes transport the reader to a different time and place. I appreciate the vast amount of research that is evident throughout the book. This book would have been fantastic as simply a novel but the fact that it’s based on history makes this book so important. Personally, I had no knowledge of this period in our history as it was never talked about in either my high school or college education and it should have been. It should be now and hopefully will be thank you to this wonderful author.
Shanna Jordan –
Good and informative but…
I did learn things from this book and enjoyed the author’s exposure of the use of eugenics in American history to marginalize groups of people.However I was puzzled by Ms Wiseman’s interpretation of the dialect and the use of y’all. It is frustrating when people from the northeast assume that southerners use the word y’all to talk to a singular person. You would think an editor would have corrected it. Y’all is used to refer to a group of people. It was just an irritation that it was used so much in this book the wrong way. Other than that although the story was rushed a bit at end to get to a happier ending, I did enjoy the read. I just wish people who are not from south would not dumb down the southern dialect. But it’s ok. I’m sure I don’t know all of the phrases used in the northeast where the author lives.
Mark C. –
slow read
Too many details, but needed much more substance, such as the English tests, job skills, health review times upon entry at Ellis Island. More description of the trip over and the risks they survived
Maria M. –
Breathtaking, and a heartbreaking well written book. It was a shock for me to learn about this true tragedy happening. I will carry this story with me for a very long time.
Erin Michelle Ross –
A heartbreaking but very important historical fiction about the American Eugenics program. It’s not the first book I have read regarding the topic but it is a book that I will always remember. Should be required reading.
Claire louise –
Where to start with this masterpiece of historical fiction, that doesnt feel so much like fiction? It is incredibly accurate, citing passages from the Eugenics program in 1930s America and more explained in the authors note at the end.What a dark, dark time in American history.Forced icarceration, forced sterilisation, children and land being stolen by the government. Sadly not something that just befell the Indigenous peoples of America.Each sentence drew you in, each character played such an important role in the story. It built up such a cohesive, vivid picture of what Blue Ridge, Virginia was like.Bonnie for me stole the show in every page she was on, she was such a resilient, bright, fiery young lady. Lena was intelligent, capable, strong and stood up against adversity time and time again, disillusioned by the ” American Dream” after fleeing from Germany.I was in my feels the whole book, ranging from happy, to sad, to enraged, to on edge and then hopefull, to go through it over and over.This feels so timely with what is happening with ICE agents ripping families apart. Honestly such an important read, highlighting how history has a habit of repeating itself.
sue –
Absolutely amazing book.Heartbreaking, what happened.Part of history, I wasn’t familiar with.Finished reading today.So hard to put down, absolutely shocking to the core the atrocities that unfolded between the pages, so many mixed emotions reading this book.Glad I’ve read this amazing book, it’s one I will never forget, as I’m disabled and found it absolutely heart wrenching how they treated disabled.Feeble minded is a word that I will never forget.Highly recommended.This book has a special place in my heart always.Definitely going on to read more books by Ellen Marie Wiseman.Shocking this behaviour took place, and in some parts of the world still does today.
Nilton C. Teixeira –
“The Lies They Told”, by Ellen Marie Wiseman4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️TW: eugenics & forced sterilization, family separation, forced Institutionalization, death & grief, physical violence, emotional abuse, police brutality, severe bullying, racism & xenophobia, suicide & self-Harm, alcoholism & alcohol Abuse, misogyny, infertility…Settings: late 1920’s, early 1030’s and 1948, Virginia, USA.The story focuses heavily on the injustice faced by rural Appalachian communities and immigrants in the 1930s, but here the story is centralized in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia.Lately I have been reading too many books written in first person, and when I find one written in 3rd person I find it refreshing. I have always preferred books written in third person (but I also appreciate books written in first and second person).This was my first book by this author and I was quite pleased with the experience.I purchased a copy because I loved the cover, plus it’s my favourite genre.It’s a historical fiction, and as a such, I do not look for historical accuracy. Just plausibility makes me happy.The story was gripping, upsetting, heartbreaking and thought provoking.There is a lot of drama in this story.Some scenes were infuriating and frustrating because I was so emotionally invested that I felt helpless. Some scenes were hard to believe. And sometimes I had to calm myself by reminding me that it’s just a work of fiction.Anyways… I did appreciate the writing and storytelling, and I do think the author did a lot of research (she began learning about eugenics while writing her debut novel, “The Plum Tree”, when she discovered that the United States was the first country in the world to undertake forced sterilization programs) and that the Nazi party in Germany took many of its policies, procedures, and theories from American eugenicists.I was shocked to learn that such movement (eugenics) initiated in the USA, in the late 19th century, with the Immigration Restriction League founded in 1894.As for the conclusion, it felt rushed. I needed a lot more, but then this book would have been too big for some readers.I do recommend reading the author’s acknowledgements, as she provides several links for other materials related to this dark episode in the USA history.I did think that some parts were overly emotional or dramatic, but I couldn’t help feeling anger with the situation.It wasn’t an easy read. There was no joy, only gloom. But at least the conclusion wasn’t so gloomy.I simultaneously listened to the audiobook, while reading the ebook, so perhaps my ratings and positive reviews were a bit influenced by the experience, because the audiobook narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers was really good, and brought everyone to life.From author’s notes: “I have taken some liberties with the timing of certain historical events for the purpose of plot.”“During the writing of The Lies They Told, I relied on the following books:War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race by Edwin Black;Pure America: Eugenics and the Making of Modern Virginia by Elizabeth Catte;A Century of Eugenics in America edited by Paul A. Lombardo;Forgotten Ellis Island by Lorie Conway;Island of Hope, Island of Tears by David M. Brownstone, Irene M. Franck, and Douglass L. Brownstone;Shenandoah: A Story of Conservation and Betrayal by Sue Eisenfeld; The Undying Past of Shenandoah National Park by Darwin