A powerful and emotionally charged Southern novel about secrets, choice, and the courage to speak the truth.
In Necessary Lies, Diane Chamberlain delivers a hauntingly beautiful story inspired by North Carolina’s real-life eugenics program — a dark chapter in American history.
 
Set in rural North Carolina in the early 1960s, Ivy Hart, a young tenant farmer, struggles to care for her family while dreaming of a better life. When Jane Forrester, a newly hired social worker, enters her world, she discovers a community steeped in poverty, prejudice, and government control. What begins as an act of compassion soon becomes a fight for justice that will change both women’s lives forever.
 
Told from alternating perspectives, the novel explores the complex relationship between two women separated by class but united by empathy and conviction. As Jane becomes entangled in the lives of Ivy and her family, she must confront the moral and emotional cost of doing what is right versus following the rules.
 
With masterful storytelling and deep compassion, Chamberlain brings to life a forgotten era, revealing how the quietest voices can spark the greatest change. Both heart-wrenching and hopeful, Necessary Lies is Southern fiction at its most profound — exploring justice, loyalty, and the human capacity for grace.
 
💖 Why You’ll Love It
Powerful, character-driven story rooted in historical truth.
Rich Southern setting and emotional depth.
Explores moral courage and compassion under impossible circumstances.
For readers who love ethical dilemmas and redemptive storytelling.
Diane Chamberlain’s writing blends history, heart, and hope perfectly.
 
🌟 Perfect For
Fans of The Help and Before We Were Yours.
Readers who love Southern historical and emotional fiction.
Book clubs exploring truth, justice, and humanity.
Anyone drawn to stories of resilience and redemption.
 
❤️ Fans Also Liked
If you enjoyed Necessary Lies, you might also like:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett — courage and compassion in the segregated South.
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate — family secrets and historical injustice.
Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons — Southern resilience and a young girl’s determination.