Title: Home Truths by Susan Lewis
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 455 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
International bestselling author Susan Lewis’s riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman determined to protect her children—at all costs.
A mother’s worst nightmare becomes a reality…
Angie Watts once had what seemed like an idyllic life: a house in a small town in the English countryside with her beloved husband Steve and their three adored children. She never could have predicted how her life would one day turn out.
When her oldest son, Liam, grows from a sweet-natured boy to a troubled teen, Angie’s world begins to crumble. Expelled from school and disappearing from home for days on end, Liam falls in with a notorious local gang. After arriving home one day to find their 5-year-old son with a syringe Liam has left lying around, Steve makes a rash decision that will have lasting repercussions on their family.
Two years later, Steve is gone, Liam is missing, and with money running out, Angie and her other two children are on the brink of eviction. Then Angie is called into the police station and informed that there’s been a murder—and Liam is a suspect. As Angie’s desperation to save her family leads her to take drastic measures, her daughter secretly devises her own plan to save the family…which could put everyone in danger.
Alternating between Angie’s blissful life as a young mother and her present-day nightmare, Home Truths is a searing exploration of the lengths one mother will go to survive and protect her children.
Review:
Home Truths by Susan Lewis is a poignant and sometimes bleak novel about a mother’s financial struggles following a tragedy.
In her early forties, Angie Watts is a widow who is trying to keep her family afloat following the murder of her beloved husband, Steve. She is also very worried about her oldest son, Liam, whose involvement in gangs and drug use tore their family apart. Angie deeply regrets lashing out at her son while angry and grieving. Liam left and never returned home but she continues searching for him. Currently, her search for him takes a backseat to her fruitless attempts to prevent her landlord from evicting her, thirteen year old Grace and seven year old Zac. Angie is also swimming in a sea of debt and despite juggling numerous jobs, she is becoming more desperate with each passing day. With the help of her sister Emma, Angie is hanging on by a thread when their precarious situation begins to collapse. And unbeknownst to Angie, troubling is brewing with Grace as she tries to help her mum. Will Angie’s efforts to save her family be successful?
Angie is shocked at how quickly her financial situation spiraled out of control. But her reaction to the crisis is not exactly healthy as she ignores her increasingly fraught circumstances. She is very lucky to have Emma to count on for moral support and help with Zac and Grace. Unfortunately Emma is not able to provide much financial assistance since she is a single mum of two sons. Angie has managed to hide just how dire her circumstances have become, but it soon becomes impossible to keep her secrets.
Grace is well aware of their financial difficulties and she desperately wants to help. She is mature for her age, but she does not fully comprehend the risks she is taking on social media. Grace and her best friend Lois brainstorm ideas to raise money and when a solution presents itself, they keep their plans to themselves. With Angie distracted, Grace makes a decision that could culminate with tragic results.
Home Truths is a hard-hitting novel that deals with real life topics such as gang activity, homelessness, human trafficking, debt and poverty. The storyline is sometimes heavy and occasionally depressing, but it is impossible not to become invested in Angie’s efforts to provide for her family. Susan Lewis brings this thought-provoking and engrossing novel to a surprisingly uplifting and heartwarming conclusion. A true to life, realistic portrayal of topical issues that I recommend to readers of the genre.
