Published on 20 July 2023

 Joan, once a singing star of the 1940s and 1950s, now ekes out a lonely, impoverished existence – until a chance encounter promises a comeback concert and an album.

Her sister Kathleen is a successful medical researcher who has been offered the directorship of a prestige institute in Los Angeles in her retirement as she contemplates the recent break up with the love of her life.

In their old age, Joan and Kathleen draw closer together. Until a figure from Joan’s past threatens everything they’ve built. As the sisters excavate the lies that bound them together, a more profound truth threatens to drive them apart.

Spanning women’s lives in the last half of the twentieth century and set in East Anglia, London and America,The Lie is a story of hope and despair, and of love, loss, loyalty and betrayal. Who can we trust when the truth is treacherous, and lies are the only thing of substance?  And what happens when both are exposed?

REVIEWS:

Praise for The Lie

‘A deftly written and executed novel, interesting and provoking. It demonstrates the challenges facing women who wanted to make their way in a word where the rules and conventions were drawn up by men.’ The Historical Novel Society

I galloped through this beautifully written epic tale, unable to put it down. The Lie is full of tension and twists, but it’s also a poignant portrait of what it means to be a mother.  We follow the plights of two sisters from WW2 until the 2000’s, very different women, both struggling to survive in a world that refuses or begrudges them power and agency because of their sex. The Lie is a fascinating look at women’s evolving role in history, and an emotional, heart-stopping read. Saskia Sarginson, author of The Twins

‘In The Lie, Mary Chamberlain expertly weaves together the different timelines, whilst simultaneously unpicking the nature of women’s relationships. Chamberlain is a brilliant storyteller and this tightly-plotted tale of tough choices and hard truths doesn’t disappoint.’ Sonia Velton, author of Blackberry and Wild Rose

No-one honours the hidden stories of women who’ve lived through wartime like Mary Chamberlain. The Lie is a testament to all those who’ve had to hide their truth – a compelling, poignant and heartfelt tale about the quiet devastation that is caused when the secrets of the past surface in the present. Lianne Dillsworth, author of Theatre of Marvels.

‘A gripping, absorbing mystery about the true meaning of family, and a fascinating exploration into the huge social changes that impacted ordinary lives, particularly those of women, during the 20^th century.’ Sarah Day, author of Mussolini’s Island

‘Not only is The Lie a fascinating and deftly-written novel of sisterhood and secrets exploring women’s untold stories, but it’s the first book I’ve read in which Rick Astley is thanked in the Acknowledgements.’ Anna Mazzola, author of The Clockwork Girl