historical fiction
It’s 2018 and Morgan has spent the past year in jail for a
crime she didn’t commit. She is released in a miraculous parole deal that
requires her to restore a historical mural in Edenton, NC. While she doesn’t
feel qualified for the task, she’ll attempt anything in order to gain her
freedom. The story is told from two viewpoints/timeframes—Morgan’s and Anna’s.
Anna is the original artist of the mural which was painted in 1940. During
Morgan’s restoration work, her interest in learning more about the original
artist grows.
As an art appreciator, I was immediately pulled in by the
art storyline. I quickly fell in love with the characters.
What would Morgan discover? Why hadn’t Anna’s mural ever been hung and what
happened to her?
Despite their different stories and backgrounds, both Anna
and Morgan had been sent to Edenton, a town with which they were unfamiliar, to
work on the same mural. Both were running from a disturbing past and knew no
one in town before arriving. Both had to come to terms with their own
self-doubts and learn to forgive themselves. Both came to love the mural and
the people of Edenton who helped them in their efforts.
I loved the way the book was structured. Diane Chamberlain's storytelling
was terrific and the momentum was never lost. Both women’s storylines
interested me equally and I was interested to know what was going to happen to
both of them. I really enjoyed Big Lies in a Small Town a lot!
The audiobook narrator, Susan Bennett, did a fantastic job.
She had a great voice repertoire and I thought her acting was spot on. I give
her an A. I’m only docking her from a “+” because I would’ve liked a little
more differentiation between Morgan's and Oliver’s voices during their dialogues.
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