The Lies We Told

Excellent read, realistic and excitement. The resilience of the human spirit.

Two sisters on different paths in life find out a lot of things about each other that they never knew.

"The Lies We Told" was a book I could not put down. It tells the story of two sisters, Maya and Rebecca, who are both physicians. Maya is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon--shy and withdrawn ever since her parents were murdered in front of her. Rebecca is brash and brave and works for an organization which sounds a lot like Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Both sisters believe that they hold the blame for their parents' murder--even though it occurred when they were both quite young. Rebecca and Maya's husband Adam, also a physician, volunteer to help North Caroline after two hurricanes hit--and convince Maya to volunteer as well due to the need for anybody with pediatric training. Maya's subsequent helicopter crash and rescue causes her to reexamine her priorities and find a strength she never knew she had. This was a rare book in that I didn't find any "slow" parts... or parts where I was waiting for things to engage me. I was involved form the get-go. There's a side-story of Maya's infidelity--so for readers who may have gone through their own losses--this might be important to know. There's also a bunch of interesting characters that Maya meets after her helicopter crash--which will introduce many readers to some Americans that they probably never have the chance to meet. Highly highly recommended.

I only finished the book last night and was so grateful it had an ending I could deal with. I have just moved from a city to a coastal resort and changing my life tremendously. This book saw me through, probably, the worst of it. Why? I can't really say except that Diane Chamberlain deals with the human side of life. The ugly situations are there but in acceptable tones. Although we journey, with the characters, to disaster areas to assist victims, medically, under very difficult circumstances,to me the book was about "change" and choices that have to be made to be who you really are, and not how people want you to be. Be true to yourself and everything else falls neatly into place, well almost. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. My apologies to all of you who look for every detail of the book in a review, I'm afraid I'm not fond of taking away the mystery you need to find in a book for yourselves. Thank you Diane for yet another 'can't put down' book. The Lies We Told

"The Lies We Told" is a great choice for a book club or a pleasure-read. Diane Chamberlain writes of families and relationships, but places them in the larger world, in this case, twin hurricanes hitting North Carolina. The main characters, Rebecca and Maya, are both doctors. They suffered traumatic psychological injury in their youth when their parents were murdered. Now, each deals with that trauma by the work of doctoring. But Rebecca chooses the danger zone of an emergency response doctor, while Maya has gone in for a controlled atmosphere, the orthopedic pediatric surgeon. Maya is married to a doctor, Adam, a man of fresh optimism and romantic good looks. Their world comes crashing down as Maya suffers a fourth miscarriage. Rebecca and Adam join the emergency team of physicians in their home state. When Maya is challenged to join them, everything changes. Maya is put into a dangerous situation, Rebecca begins to question her own motives for the vagabond life, and Adam continues to be the charmer. Like Kristin Hannah and Anita Shreve, Diane Chamberlain cuts to the heart of these characters' secrets. She also uses plot twists and villains in such a way as to tantalize us to read just one more chapter, even when time is pressing us to do something else. "The Lies We Told" shimmers with familial truths.

"The Lies We Told" is another great read from Diane Chamberlain, whose books always entertain and surprise the reader with their intriguing story lines, complex characters and unexpected twists and turns. Chamberlain likes to explore what happens to ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances, and in this book tells the story of two sisters whose lives have been torn apart by a terrible childhood tragedy, and who are suddenly forced to confront the guilt and lies they have lived with since then when they work together as volunteer doctors during a devastating hurricane that hits the North Carolina coast. It's a very moving and compassionate story, beautifully told.

I loved this book! Chamberlain never let's me down. I finally had to go to sleep after 125 pages but I didn't want to. The best part was being able to jump right back in the next morning. simmee reminded me of the Jodie Foster character in "Nel" in her simplicity, and in the setting, both eerie and claustrophobic and finally downright horrifying. How does the author draw such realism in the trauma settings, the chaos around which such skill is brought to bear. Seems to me I remember reading that Chsmberlain has some hospital experience in her background because she paints such clear pictures of the patients and the medical help they're given. When the boy has the asthma attack I could hear him gasping for air and feel the Dr's desperation to help. Maya and Rebecca's relationship as sisters rings so true: unquestionable love but underneath an inkling of jealousy that.sneaks it's ugly head out. When I read for pleasure I don't try to figure out ahead of time what's happening next or a character's ulterior motive. And the autor never disappoints me. The twists and turns in this one kept me surprised and then re-surprised. All-in-all a great read.