Lena immigrates from Germany with her daughter, Ella. She describes the undignified, horrifying process of entering Ellis Island and the medical examinations many endured to enter the US. Her family is denied entry and deported. Lena has to convince Silas, who had paid for her brothers’ voyage, to employ her. She travels to rural Harrisonburg, Virginia, and assists him with his two children, Bonnie and Jack Henry. Bonnie is precocious and wise beyond her years. Country living is an adjustment for Lena, but she cares for the children dearly. When the sheriff and a social worker show up at the door, Lena and the children are taken to the Virginia State colony for the Feebleminded.

I recommend this book for historical fiction readers. It is a devastating and tragic look at the history of eugenics in Virginia, with sterilization of women and children without their consent or knowledge. The state took land from over 500 families for the creation of the Shenandoah National Park. History is doomed to repeat itself if we do not educate ourselves of the impact of the decisions of yesterday. This is a book of terrifying realities for the people of Virginia in the 1930s, but it is also a novel of hope and enduring love.

Thank you, Kensington Publishing, Netgalley, and Ellen Marie Wiseman for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you @kensingtonbooks #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

I am truly convinced that Ellen Marie Wiseman cannot write a bad book. Every time I pick up one of her stories, I know I’m about to be taken on an emotional, eye-opening journey — and The Lies They Told was no exception.

Once again, Ellen Marie delivers a story filled with so much heart, rich history, and a topic I knew little about, beautifully written and laid out for my very happy (and sometimes tearful) eyeballs. In this one, we follow immigrants making their way into the U.S. through Ellis Island. Of course, it’s anything but smooth, and we watch as young Lena and her daughter are heartbreakingly separated from her mother and brother.

What follows is a powerful, deeply moving story about Lena’s new life in America — one that was promised to be easier, brighter, and filled with opportunity… but was it really? Along the way, Wiseman weaves in the horrifying reality of the Eugenics movement in the U.S. — something I was barely familiar with, and honestly, it left me chilled to my core. The idea that people once thought they could “control” human traits and decide who was “desirable” is beyond horrifying. And yet, it’s a part of our history we need to remember.

This book is a journey in every sense of the word — emotional, heartwarming, gut-wrenching, and hopeful all at once. I loved every single beautiful word written in this book. I love learning through fiction, and Ellen Marie Wiseman has a rare gift for educating while telling an unforgettable, human story.

5 glowing stars. If you’re a historical fiction fan, or just someone who appreciates beautifully told, impactful stories about resilience, love, and survival — this one is an absolute must-read.

This is a heavy book on a heavy subject (eugenics). What a difficult read! I would only recommend this to people who want to rip their hearts out of their chests. Sad and anger inducing, to say the least. Well written.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was such a beautiful book. Full of love, family bonds, courage, and even tragedy, I was so swept away by the characters and worrying about their fates. Lena was so brave coming to a new country and making her way with her new “family” and the way she didn’t give up hope no matter what horrors she faced. I gasped at the end of this book. Bravo to Ellen Wiseman!

I have read almost all of Ellen Marie Wiseman's novels, so reading The Lies They Told was a no-brainer for me. That being said, this wasn't one of my favorites, though it was still an engaging read! Let's start with the good. The setting, particularly the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, was so well written. I felt like I was there! I really loved how connected I felt to Lena, her daughter Ella, and all the people she gets to know in that close-knit community. I also really appreciated how the author wove together a variety of topics -- immigration, war, grief, shame, eugenics, family, and more -- in one compelling story.

Some parts of this novel I had difficulty with though can be summarized in this: I felt that there was too much going on. Maybe that was the point, but the book flowed from a coming of age story to a "let's connect with long lost family" story to a lite mystery to a tragic exploration of eugenics to finally, some hope and resolution in the end. Just when I felt settled and connected to the characters and their experiences, things changed. I wish there was more exploration of the effects of eugenics on Lena and on some of the folks she gets to know, particularly "the mountain people" and not just her experience as a white immigrant.

All that being said, I really had a hard time putting this novel down. It was well written and (unfortunately) felt very applicable for today's society as it was when the novel was set roughly 100 years ago. Yikes. It's appalling to see how things played out historically and to see the parallels with the present day. Parts of the novel are hard to read due to the extreme sadness and trauma experienced by the characters, but the tough subject matter is treated as respectfully as possible by the author. It is well worth the read!

3.5 stars

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

How do I begin to describe The Lies They Told?

I’ll start by saying that the subject matter is tough and emotional, but the execution made it hard to put down.

The Lies They Told begins with 19 year old, Lena Conti, fleeing Germany, for America in the hopes of a better life. Being an unwed mother doesn’t make it easy for her when she’s taken to Ellis island before being allowed to stay in America. It’s here, while she clutches her 2 year old Ella to her chest that we begin to see her struggles, and her fears, creating some real empathy for her situation. It sets us up for a story filled with tragedy and emotion.

When Lena finally arrives at her distant cousin, Sila’s farm, we feel a glimmer of hope for Lena and Ella. Their relationships with Silas’s two children grows, and the new found family in the “Mountain folk” was heartwarming to read, even if it made for more heartbreak later on. I loved all the characters and they provided a beautiful sense of community, I only wish that we got to see a nicer side to Silas.

I constantly felt a sense of dread that Lena would be separated from her beautiful Ella. Especially when they were all made to hide the moment anyone showed up on the property. It’s all the emotions and the sense of dread that made it so gripping. So much so, that I got through the last half of this book in one sitting!

It’s truly awful knowing that due to the Eugenics Movement, this actually happened to many people, and that there’s nothing that can make it right for those who lived through this.

The idea of forced sterilisation and ripping children from their parents makes me feel sick to my stomach, and Ellen Marie Wiseman wrote this so perfectly, making this an intensely emotional story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was disturbing to read if only because it was based on actual historical events in the United States. It was disturbing to read that the United States was actually one of the early forerunners of a Eugenics program, even before the Nazis in World War II. While it was extremely sad to read, I think it is an important read as people need to be informed of our history. Books like this are exactly why I enjoy reading historical fiction.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have read all of Wiseman’s books and enjoyed them, though not all to the same degree. In this case, while a lot of the historical context was newer to me, it wasn’t until after the end of the novel where discussion questions were provided with significant historical context that I really locked in on the history, which was astonishing to say the least! I think the story might have been more impactful with greater attention paid to the real history and how it could be woven in to the existing story. The historical context of the eugenics craze that swept the country was very eye opening. Keep them coming Ellen!

“The Lies They Told” is an unmissable read that highlights an event in history that shames those who engineered it.

It’s the early 1930’s, and Lena Conti, an unmarried mother with a two year old daughter, arrives at Ellis Island from Germany. With her are her mother and teenage brother. All of them hoping for a better life after the poverty and suffering of post war Germany. Their plans are to work for a distant cousin of Lena’s mother, Silas Wolfe.

After much questioning and endless medical examinations at Ellis Island, Lena and her two year old daughter are allowed to stay in the United States, but her mother and brother are refused entry. The reason for her brother’s deportation? Feeble mindedness, which was far from the truth. His mother had to accompany her son back to Germany as he wasn’t an adult.This won’t be the last time Lena hears the words feeble mindedness!

She finds herself living on Silas’s farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Her job is to help around the farm and look after widower Silas’s two children. Silas is unhappy to say the least. He was only expecting Lena’s mother and brother, not Lena and her daughter. He really needed the help of Lena’s brother to carry out the heavy work around the farm.

It’s a hard life and Lena has much to learn about running this busy household and farm, and it doesn’t help that Silas is hostile towards her, but as we’re about to find out, Silas has an awful lot to worry about!

Though Lena desperately misses her mother and brother, she begins to settle into her new life, and develops a close and loving bond with Silas’s children, and also with other families in this tight knit mountain community. It’s a good life with food aplenty and friendly get together’s with their neighbours on long hot summer’s days.

However, when a social worker from the Eugenics Office accuses Lena of promiscuity and feeblemindedness (there’s that word again), her fear is overwhelming, she can’t bear to be parted from her daughter, nor Silas’s children, who by this time feel like her own kin.

Sadly, the authorities care nothing for one’s feelings and Lena is placed in the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics, where she faces a life altering decision.

I really don’t know what I can say that hasn’t already been said about this wonderful book. The author has brought to life a part of history that I knew nothing about, especially as I live here in the UK. It involved forced sterilizations based on class, race, disability, education, and country of origin. This is a profoundly moving story that not only left me in tears, but also left me with an anger that was hard to quash at times.
“The Lies They Told “ is brutal, joyful, painful and heartbreaking, but it’s also about survival and resistance against oppression, finally though, it’s about hope, for without that a person has nothing. This thought provoking novel comes highly recommended.

Wow—this one hit hard. Lena and her daughter arrive in 1930s America hoping for a better life, but things unravel fast. What follows is a heartbreaking, eye-opening dive into the dark history of eugenics in the U.S. It’s raw, emotional, and at times tough to read—but so worth it. The author’s note at the end? Chilling. This story lingers long after the last page.

This was not at all what I expected when I decided to read this book. Shock, heartbreak, and anger are all emotions I felt. Lena had overcome so much to get to America, just to be treated abhorrently. Immigrants were treated horribly by the government and by Americans. On top of being an immigrant, Lena also had to worry about eugenics and the government "stealing" land from people. I honestly had no idea that these events occurred in the 1930s. Such a crooked government!!!

I can not say enough good things about this amazing book. If you only read one historical fiction book this year, make sure it's this one!!!

BRAVO!!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This book completely drew me in from beginning to end. I could envision how Lena (the main character) was feeling through her well described emotions and found myself holding my breath during some of the most intense moments. The author captured love, grief, resilience, and the struggle to do what’s right. It’s a story that’s both heartbreaking and hopeful. I didn’t want it to end! But when it did, I closed the book with a smile on my face.

This is one of the best books that I have read in a while. It tells the story that so many people in the United States have never known and should know--how eugenics was used in the Appalachian mountains to destroy lives and whole families. It is a heartbreaking but frightening story of what can happen when beliefs based on bad reasoning and a feeling of superiority are allowed to run rampant with no checks and balances. It is a well-written and compelling read with sympathetic characters. Readers will easily see the part that the United States played in the Nazi's plans. I recommend it to everyone not just loves of historical fiction.

Ellen Marie Wiseman’s stories always engross me and this was no exception. This book was a horrifying example of eugenics in motion. I like to pretend that things like this didn’t actually happen here, but they did. Loved the characters in the book and I didn’t want to put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was an education for me...the harsh and brutal use of eugenics by some state and federal employees for what they thought of as the betterment of society. The characters were well-developed, and empathy for their plights was effectively conveyed. The storyline was a bit predictable, but overall, an enjoyable read.

The horrifying events of the 1920s eugenics movement in Virginia are experienced firsthand by Lena, a German immigrant who has come to America for a better life for herself and her young daughter, Ella. When Lena’s worst nightmare happens, and Ella is taken from her, we see her fall to her lowest point, but her determination to find her daughter keeps her from giving up. You will be amazed at Lena’s tenacity to overcome the worst and continue on. While I was shocked by the events that she fell victim to, I found it impossible to put down this book until I saw Lena’s journey through to the end. While your heart will break for Lena at times, you will find yourself amazed at her strength and will to continue on her journey. This is a story that needs to be read and shared so we can be reminded of the struggles and sacrifices that those who came here before us went through for us to have the lives we have today. Thanks so much to the publisher for the ARC--Highly Recommend!

Lena made the awful boat trip from Germany to the United States for a better life for her family and especially her daughter.

When she arrived, she realized it wasn’t that much better.

She arrived in the 1930’s during a time when eugenics was a prime topic, and her brother who couldn’t speak English was sent back because they said he was feeble minded.

Her sponsor who is a distant cousin lived in the mountains in West Virginia with two children who always had to hide when the authorities arrived.

A social worker arrived one day and accused Lena of being promiscuous because she is living with her cousin and says that she is an unfit mother to her daughter.

The unthinkable happens and Lena‘s worst nightmare comes true.

THE LIES THEY TOLD is heartbreaking and upsetting and a piece of history that I really wasn’t aware of how widespread it was and how other countries adopted this.

An excellent read and history lesson. 5/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Gripping, raw, thought provoking, emotion evoking, heart breaking, and hard to put down! With her book, The Lies They Told, Ellen Marie Wiseman tackles sad and horrific time in American history. This work of historical fiction tackles the immigrant experience during the 1930's, poverty, prejudice, the Eugenics program, forced sterilizations, seizure of land, and loss to name a few. Let me tell you, it can be difficult to read with tears in your eyes and that is what I did at various times in this book.

Lena Conti, a young unwed mother from Germany has crossed the ocean and entered the United States through Ellis Island where she and her mother and brother are examined and only Lena and her baby are allowed to stay. Silas Wolfe, a widowed father, who was expecting Lena's mother, begrudgingly agrees to take on Lena and her baby to his cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his two children and his home.

I thought the author did a tremendous job of depicting both time and place in this book. She vividly described the cabin and mountains while introducing reader to Silas and his children. I felt for Lena and all that she went through. I could imagine her fear of leaving Germany in search of a better life in a new country. Her shock at being subjected to a very through exam only to be separated from her brother and mother. Imagine being a young woman in a new country with a young child, with nowhere to go, no money and facing starvation and prejudice. Luckily, she was taken in by Silas but the culture shock of being in a cabin, having to learn how to adapt to living with his family and learning how to care for his household. Just when I thought thing were going to be fine and Lena begins to meet and enjoy her neighbors, a woman from the State of Virginia's Eugenics Office stops pays them a visit......

Oh, how this book pulled on my heartstrings. I rooted for all the characters in this book. Bonnie, one of Silas's children stole every scene she was in. I loved her spunk and tenacity. My heart broke many times while reading this beautifully written book. I went from concern, to happy, to hopeful, to devastated, to angry, to hopeful, to heartbroken and back to hopeful again. This book put me and the characters through the ringer.

The author did a great job with her research and showing the plight of poor, rural, and down on their luck individuals. She showed how those who lived in the mountains had a strong sense of community and depicted their ways of supporting each other. She also showed how those in power abused it and took advantage of poor people who they viewed as uneducated, lacking in morals, unable to care for their children, their land, and. themselves.

Ellen Marie Wiseman has delivered another gripping and moving historical fiction book. She continues to wow me with her wonderful writing.

This was amazing historical fiction. It evoked such huge feelings and put the reader right into the story. The challenges faced at Ellis Island are highlighted at the start, but there’s so much more that came after for these immigrants. The trials and the heartbreaks and the complete unfairness were absolutely beyond what I could have imagined.

Thank you to Ellen Marie Wiseman, NetGalley, and Kensington for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t think Ellen Marie Wiseman knows how to write a book that’s less than 5 stars. She only writes 5 star books! Her characters are well developed and storyline strong! This book was just…wow! Ellen hit me right in the heart. While it’s a heart wrenching book, it also had heartwarming moments. Trust me when I say this book needs to be on your TBR!