It sounds too good to be true, of course. If, per Jameson’s request, as expressed in his will, Morgan is willing to help Lisa with a major art restoration project, Morgan will immediately be released from prison. That dream is on indefinite hold until one day when Lisa Williams, the daughter of Jesse Jameson, one of Morgan’s favorite artists, visits her in prison and presents her with an offer she can’t refuse. Prior to her arrest, Morgan was in school pursuing her dream of a career in art. When we meet Morgan, she is serving a three-year prison sentence. All opinions are my own.ĭiane Chamberlain’s latest novel, Big Lies in a Small Town, follows two protagonists, Morgan Christopher and Anna Dale. Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, MysteryĪmazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book DepositoryįTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I cut them up and then filled my (freshly cleaned) sink with water and the leaves.Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain I chose to remove the stems, for the most part - though when I’ve had them in collards in the past, it hasn’t bothered me.

Both had excellent ratings so I knew I couldn’t go wrong.įirst, I cut and washed my greens.

I sort of combined a couple of recipes, one that used a ham hock (which I didn’t readily have) but had a longer stewing process with one that used bacon and took less time. Lots to discuss! And, perhaps, you can check out the party posts and find something yummy to share at your meeting 🙂 I made collard greens, which made a standout appearance during a meal Anna, the painting’s original artist, has with a student artist’s family while she’s in town.Īnna initially describes them as 'a bowl of some sort of greens' and later regrets taking so many as she had 'never eaten them before and hoped never to eat them again.' Well, I’m sorry, Anna, but I love collards! Until now, I’d never made them myself, though, typically ordering them when out at restaurants. This would be an excellent book club book. And though the story was compelling and a bit suspenseful, I don’t think the title necessarily accurately reflects the story, which is about more than 'big lies.' It covers several heavy themes, including race, prejudice and discrimination the inequality of women privilege and abuse. The element of mystery hinted at in the title is real - the painting’s artist did disappear under mysterious circumstances.

I didn’t necessarily like one timeline better than the other, which is so often the case in books like this I found something worthwhile in both stories. Chamberlain does an excellent job weaving both stories together and keeping the reader interested throughout.

Big lies little town