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    The Truth According to Us: A Novel
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    The Truth According to Us: A Novel
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    The Truth According to Us: A Novel
    Audiobook18 hours

    The Truth According to Us: A Novel

    Written by Annie Barrows

    Narrated by Ann Marie Lee, Tara Sands and Julia Whelan

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    From the co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society comes a wise, witty, and exuberant novel, perfect for fans of Lee Smith, that illuminates the power of loyalty and forgiveness, memory and truth, and the courage it takes to do what's right. 

    Annie Barrows once again evokes the charm and eccentricity of a small town filled with extraordinary characters. Her new novel, The Truth According to Us, brings to life an inquisitive young girl, her beloved aunt, and the alluring visitor who changes the course of their destiny forever.

    In the summer of 1938, Layla Beck's father, a United States senator, cuts off her allowance and demands that she find employment on the Federal Writers' Project, a New Deal jobs program. Within days, Layla finds herself far from her accustomed social whirl, assigned to cover the history of the remote mill town of Macedonia, West Virginia, and destined, in her opinion, to go completely mad with boredom. But once she secures a room in the home of the unconventional Romeyn family, she is drawn into their complex world and soon discovers that the truth of the town is entangled in the thorny past of the Romeyn dynasty.

    At the Romeyn house, twelve-year-old Willa is desperate to learn everything in her quest to acquire her favorite virtues of ferocity and devotion-a search that leads her into a thicket of mysteries, including the questionable business that occupies her charismatic father and the reason her adored aunt Jottie remains unmarried. Layla's arrival strikes a match to the family veneer, bringing to light buried secrets that will tell a new tale about the Romeyns. As Willa peels back the layers of her family's past, and Layla delves deeper into town legend, everyone involved is transformed-and their personal histories completely rewritten.

    Read by Ann Marie Lee, Tara Sands, and Julia Whelan, with additional readings by Cassandra Campbell, Danny Campbell, Mark Deakins, Kimberly Farr, Kirby Heyborne, Lincoln Hoppe, Paul Michael, Linda Montana, and Arthur Morey.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJun 9, 2015
    ISBN9781101889930
    Unavailable
    The Truth According to Us: A Novel
    Author

    Annie Barrows

    Annie Barrows is the author of the Ivy + Bean series, among other bestsellers. She lives in Northern California.

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    Reviews for The Truth According to Us

    4/5

    280 ratings67 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Is it possible to have a higher rating than 5 stars, because that just doesn't seem sufficient enough praise for this book by Annie Barrows. This book was just so readable, so engaging, that I actually stayed up way into the wee hours of the morning to finish it.
      Of course it's my kind of book, set in a small town, with engaging characters and an excellent story to tie all the elements together. What set this novel apart from so many other similar tales, is just plain excellent writing and a darn good plot!
    • 4/5
      Before I review THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US, you should know my attitude going in: I resisted reading it. I had read the THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY and did not like it. So I did not want to read another book written by Annie Barrows. But Barrows had really been a co-author of GUERNSEY, whereas she is the sole author of THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US. And what a difference that makes!It's 1938 and Layla has come to the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia, to write a book on the history of that town. She rents a room from a once prominent family in Macedonia, including 12-year-old Willa. Willa adores her father and wants to learn everything about him.So while Layla investigates and discovers Macedonia and writes her book, Willa sneaks.I read THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO US only because my bookclub was reading it. It's sweet and it's predictable, the type of story that doesn't normally appeal to me. But it won me over with its snappy dialogue and its different perspectives on what Layla and Willa learn.
    • 5/5
      Set in 1938 in a small southern town and filled with eccentric characters. A young girl, her beloved aunt, mysterious but loved father and a stranger arrived to write a WPA history of the town.
    • 4/5
      A great book filled with characters I came to love.Laya, banished by her rich father who appears useless but isn't, Jottie with a sad past but a strong characterr with a great sense of humor, Felix, the womanizer, Willa, 12 years old and wanting to know everything about everything. These are characters described with warm and humor ina small town filled with small town stories,I loved "The Guernsey Literary Peel Pie Society" and this novel is much like it.
    • 5/5
      Set the 1930's, this is a story of love, loss and family secrets. Having grown up in a small town in rural Ohio, I recognized the stock characters in this story and loved the attention to detail about town layout, architecture, local politics, farming, and the lethargy of the high humid summer heat when ladies napped in the afternoon. I especially enjoyed the brief appearance of the town librarian who lets a smart young reader take out two books a day instead of the usual two books a week. It took me home (thank-you Bookmobile ladies!) Borrows does a masterful job structuring her tale doling out the mystery at the emotional center of the story in dribs and drabs, taking the reader from vague awareness of a past tragedy to consuming desire to get to the heart of things, all the time cautioning, "Don't ask questions if you can't live with the answers." She creates a cast of complicated sympathetic core characters using first person narrative (twelve-year-old Willa), third person narrative (her aunt Jottie), and letters to and from a stranger (Layla, a senator's daughter "on relief") writing a history of the town of Macedonia for the WPA. The only thing that kept this from being a 5-star read is the nagging impression (to me) that Willa was too wise and insightful for her years. Others might disagree. Overall, I found this a satisfying and engaging read. Highly recommended. I received an advance reading copy of this book from the publisher, but that did not affect my review.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable
    • 3/5
      Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It is 1938 and Ms. Layla Beck, the daughter of Delaware's Senator Grayson Beck, finds herself cut off due to her refusal to wed the man of her father's choosing. She finds herself on relief and is given a job with the Federal Writer's Project compiling a history of Macedonia, West Virginia which is to be completed before its' sesquicentennial.

      Layla Buck finds a room with the Romeyn Family.The book shifts between Willa Romeyn, a 12 year old admitted sneak,who desperately loves her family and is trying to learn everything she can about her father who is often absent and most elusive and letters written by Layla Beck to her friends and family regarding her current situation.

      The storyline, character development and dialog worked for me. The emotional fracturing, while perhaps understandable, was overdone. I thought the ending was abbreviated and disappointing.
    • 4/5
      Don't you know this little ole transplanted Yankee jumped right on this book by author, Annie Barrows as soon I heard about it. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ranked pretty high on my favorite list of titles. Set in a slow moving West Virginia town during the throes of the Great Depression, folks struggle to carry on with a happy face covering a heavy heart.

      I must say that The Truth According to Us has a powerful message about love that proves it does take a village and a darn good extended family to raise a child. This coming of age story, as seen through the eyes of Willa Romeyn, will remind everyone of the trials and travails of tweens to teen's life. It is a powerful view of a dysfunctional family revealed like the layers of an onion to Willa as she learns that life isn't always what it seems.

      We experience her first love and the inevitable heartbreak. We feel her loneliness for parental love despite surrounded by those who love and shield her from the truth about her womanizing scheming bootlegger father. Felix.

      As Willa wakes from her childhood and begins to see the real world, she sets out to learn everyone's secrets and to pull the scab off everyone's secret truths. She learns that finding out the truth can hurt deeply; forever.

      Suffused around Willa's story are the stories of her Aunt Jottie and the exile socialite, Layla Beck. Their stories aren't as fully developed as Willa's but are still entertaining and well crafted. Uncle Emmett always seems to appear just when the three women, Willa, Jottie an Layla, need him.

      The story isn't slap stick and laughs a minute but it will hold you right through the pages. The ending was a little flat and expected but non-the-less didn't stop me from smiling and thanking the author for another good read. Highly recommended.

      In full disclosure, I received an advanced reader's copy from Random House Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
    • 3/5
      I was given a digital ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you.This novel about family relationships, lost love, writing history, and redemption is set in the late 1930's during the Depression in West Virginia. It was just okay for me. At time, it was a struggle to keep reading because it was too long. Also, it was repetitious and I grew tired of reading about how hot it was in West Virginia. There was plenty going on in the story but it took too long to get to the interesting parts. If many of the minor characters were better developed, it would have helped keep my attention and added immensely to the novel.The changing in the narration from first person (12-year-old Willa) to third person (everyone else) just didn't work for me. I really liked Willa but one of the other protagonists, Layla, was boring. Many of the quirky residents in the town were fun, but not fun enough to give this novel more than 3 Stars.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable book. Interesting story
    • 3/5
      Annie Barrows is the well-loved author of the children's IVY & BEAN series. She also received rave reviews after writing one of my all-time-favorite books, THE GUERNSEY AND LITERARY POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY. That made me extremely excited for her newest book. Unfortunately, it didn't interest me as much as I had hoped.Layla Beck is the spoiled daughter of a US Senator. When the Senator has had enough of his daughter's spending and ungracious attitude, he cuts her off. During the hot summer of 1938, he gets his brother to give her a job with the Federal Writers' Project in the small town of Macedonia, West Virginia. Layla, who hasn't written more than a letter to her friends, is charged with interviewing and writing the stories about the history of the Macedonia. Little does she know that the family she has moved in with has their own secrets to add to the town's history. The Romeyn family is wary of Layla, especially twelve-year-old Willa. She is desperate for her father's attention and on the rare occasion when Felix is actually home, he seems to give all his attention to Layla. Willa becomes determined to find out what her father is up to on his long absences and Layla is determined to find out the secrets of the town. The two end up colliding on the same story and only one of them knows the real truth.Barrows story ebbs and flows for me. What I loved about Barrows previous novel was the epistolary style of writing and was hoping for that again. There were several letters in the book, but it wasn't enough to make it a main part of story. Since the story is told from Willa's point of view, I found it hard at times to follow along. At over five hundred pages, I feel like the story has to move along at a quick pace to keep me reading and this one did not. I put it down several times and came back to it after reading something else. If the middle of the book would have been as interesting as the first and last third, I would have had it finished in no time.Barrows created some pretty uniquely interesting characters including mysterious Felix, Willa's sister, Bird, their aunt Jottie who has raised them while giving up her dreams to do so, and the funny Aunts, Mae and Minerva. But with so many characters and various story lines, it was hard to focus and the secrets dragged out too long in the novel. While charming and historically compelling, it just didn't invest me into the characters or their stories.
    • 3/5
      This book needed some serious editing. It is way too wordy. Should have shaved off 100+ pages.
    • 4/5
      On the surface this book is absolutely charming. The characters are quirky, the town is small and very odd, but completely lovable. Just the descriptions of the period and place are priceless. But on a deeper level, this book really is a story of some very universal truths about lies and how not only they can change your version of history, but the lasting effects they have on everyone surrounding you. Great story!
    • 3/5
      Reminded me of the style of Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird. Written from several viewpoints, but primarily young Willa. Life of the family unraveled piece by piece. Enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      A family in West Virginia during the depression, falls on hard times in more ways than one. Their family sock factory is burned to the ground and the family is edged out. The oldest son becomes a bootlegger who controls the family, despite the fact that they are all aware that he is a user and preys on women. The oldest daughter in the family has lost her love and starts to fall in love with someone else, who her brother disapproves of. Another story of dysfunction but told in an interesting manner and with colorful characters.
    • 2/5
      I was really disappointed in this big, slow, lumbering story. Based on the author's previous work, I expected to enjoy the novel. Instead, I found myself struggling for over a month to get anywhere close to finishing it. Perhaps Barrows was trying to give the reader the experience of life in slower times.Based on the publisher's blurb, I thought we'd get more of the flavor of the effects of the Great Depression on a small town in West Virginia. The publisher says that Layla Beck, main character imagined that she "was destined, in her own opinion, to go mad with boredom". I'm not sure if she did, because before I could find out if Layla did, I certainly came close to that state myself.Too many characters with too many agenda, and nothing spinning anyplace but around in circles. Probably would have been a good story if an editor had helped tighten it up, but I gave up about 3/4 of the way through. Even a good ending isn't going to save this one.
    • 4/5
      I loved this book! It was extremely well written and the story pulled me in right from the start. The author was so descriptive - I could easily picture Macedonia and it's cast of characters in my head. The characters were all interesting and I enjoyed that the story was told from the point of view of Jottie, Willa and Layla. I would definitely recommend this book - it would make a great book club selection.
    • 4/5
      Pretty good engaging story of a spoiled daughter of a Senator, disowned because she won't marry the Senator's choice, sent to work in Depression-era south, boarding with a family, and reported on by the precocious 12 y/o daughter of the family...
    • 5/5
      For me, the elements of this story all aligned into a nearly perfect book. Both the time and place were draws for me. Anything that brings to life the 30's which was the decade when both my parents were born seems to attract me. I also like books that take place in the south. The main characters in this book were also attractive in different ways. I loved the Romeyn children, Willa and Bird, and all of their quirky and outspoken aunts, particularly Jottie, who was more of a surrogate mother. There were characters who surprised me as well. Felix, the children's father was a bit of a romantic at first as he waltzed in and out, charming everyone he met. Gradually along with his oldest daughter, Willa, I started to see that there were quite a few flaws that belied his carefree style. Layla is introduced as a spoiled and privileged daughter of a Senator who is sent off to this "hick" town in West Virginia by her father as a way to make her pay for not marrying his selected choice of spouse. Her introduction into the world of Macedonia, West Virginia as a writer of the town's history for the Federal Writer's Project is where the book begins. She takes a room with the Romeyn family and breaks the uneasy balance that has up to this time held between Felix and his sister, Jottie. Throughout this complex story, many truths and lies are brought out, which is what creates much of the tension that makes it such a good story.Willa is the largest narrator and reminds me a little of Scout in "To Kill A Mockingbird". She is at that tipping point between child and youth and as such has a unique outlook on the world. She is determined to be more observant of the people and events around her, but she is sensitive and fragile, which made me worry about her. Things that were black and white, suddenly take on shades of gray as she begins to experience the effects of emotions on herself and others. She is without a doubt my favorite character.This is a long book, but after finishing it, I understand the lack of further editing. Each page gives a closer look into the people of this small town and makes the story come alive. By the end, I really didn't want to leave these characters. The book was one that I was able to climb into and experience, which is my gauge of a great story.I thank the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I loved it and hope to pass this title on to my friends who also enjoy wonderful historic fiction. Kudos to the author for doing such a spectacular job of bringing this era and family to life.
    • 3/5
      I was between books when I received this title so I enjoyed the time it took read this rather long novel.The story is set in Macedonia, a small town in West Virginia in the late 1930s. The tale revolves around the Romeyn family and the boarder, Layla, a senator's daughter who has been sent to write for the WPA. With the exception of Felix Romeyn, the narrator's father, all of the characters were likable. Even at the end of the book I was not real sure what this character did..he was always leaving and coming back with money and then toward the end of the story he was often coming back beaten up. All of the other characters' lives seemed to revolve around him and I thought he was just a low-life with no redeeming qualities.
    • 4/5
      Many thanks to librarything.com for sending me an advanced copy of The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows in exchange for my honest review.There was just something about this story that really touched me. The cast of characters were charming, quirky and Southern. I loved Willa, the twelve year old narrator, her younger sister Bird, and their devoted Aunt Jottie, who raised them. It is a historical novel with the backdrop of the ending Depression, the Federal Writing Project, and unionization, but it is the characters that are at the heart of the story, and the reader becomes instantly invested in them. It is a book about family, flaws and all, but also joy, protectiveness, and of course, unconditional love. There are secrets about to be uncovered by Layla Beck, sent to West Virgina as part of the Federal Writing Project to write the history of Macedonia, but actually sent as punishment for disobeying her Senator father's plans for her marriage.I did have a few problems with the book. As much as I liked it, the novel was too long, unnecessarily so. I enjoyed the letters that were included throughout, but it was too reminiscent of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Additionally, spoiled Miss Layla Beck who came from a wealthy, prominent family seemed to adapt too seamlessly to her new status. That being said though, it was definitely an enjoyable, worthwhile and recommended read.
    • 5/5
      I have recently read several novels and memoirs about the impact of family secrets and the destruction and ruin that follow as they worm there way through the generations. The Truth According To Us is one of those books. The Romeyn siblings, Jottie and Felix and his children, Willa and Bird, live together in the same house, while their other siblings live in the same small West Virginia town as them. Their secrets are buried and their lives are constricted until Layla Beck, a spoiled rich woman who is forced by her family to work for the WPA, moves into their house as a boarder to write a history of their town. As she does this she unearths all that is hidden and repressed and hurt. Layla Beck may be the catalyst for the change but in some ways she is the least developed character. I couldn't quite grasp how she so quickly changed her beliefs, her socialization and standing. While I understand the forces that could lead her there it happened so quickly in the book it didn't feel believable to me for a long time. And then there is Jottie and Willa, who I adored. Willa, the 12 year old hurt, smart, perceptive girl who longs for a mother, who is wildly protective of her Aunt Jottie and who is at the age where she starts to understand how little she understood when she was younger and though she wants to know she is afraid. Annie Barrows really knows her way around girls like Willa and Willa is so real I expected her to be in my room when I closed my book. Jottie is the sibling who has borne the brunt of the secrets and lies in the family. I wanted to be friends with her, I wanted to care for her, I wanted to laugh and talk to her and give this tender, tough woman the biggest break she could ever have. Luckily, she learns how to do this herself and comes to some peace about the ways that she was betrayed and fights for what she wants.Some readers have talked about how long the book is and I understand. In some ways I felt that Layla's plot could really tighten up. I also, however, loved the slowness of the book, the every dayness of it, the long, languid feel of a hot summer burning. It felt like the right pace in the right town where you sit on your porch and just cool down as the day unwinds. In either case, this is a family whose story will not be forgotten by me nor would I want it any other way.Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this story, this was one of those kind of books, perfect for a long summer weekend, that takes place during a long hot summer in West Virginia. There are really three points of view meandering throughout the story. Miss Layla Beck heads to Macedonia, West Virginia as a writer for the WPA's Federal Writer's Project. Her senator father has had enough and in this post-Depression world, sends Layla Beck to find work. In Macedonia, Layla is to board with the Romeyn family, whose father used to run the American Everlasting Hosiery Company. Miss Jottie has become the de facto guardian of her nieces Willa and Bird, their father Felix absent much of the time. And then there's twelve year old Willa, anxious to grow up this summer, make her father notice her and embody the traits of Macedonia, ferocity and devotion. When Layla heads to West Virginia she fears she'll find bumpkins, but instead, a town full of stories about secrets, the war (between the States), the company and the people of Macedonia. A lot of things change and are revealed in this summer, a sort of coming of age tale for more than just Willa.
    • 5/5
      First, this book is pretty long, so buckle up and get ready for a 486 page journey. One thing that I love about Barrows writing is that is is filled with such heart, emotion and various points of view which adds such depth to the story. She can take a reader anywhere because she has the gift of writing in such vivid detail. The Truth According to Us (is a title I adore by the way) she takes us to the summer of 1938 in West Virginia. This book is one of those reads that will stick in my head like a great Thanksgiving dinner sticks to your ribs. It become a bit of who you are after you read it. It is filled with promise...it is filled with the voice we have grown to expect after Barrows other wonderful book The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. 4.5 stars
    • 5/5
      Having adored "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", I was worried that this novel might not live up to my expectations. Maybe the things I loved about TGL&PPPS were mostly Mary Ann Shaffer. I was finally brave enough to dive in, and then I had to wonder why I waited so long. This isn't TGL&PPPS. In many ways, it's better. Ms. Barrow does such a wonderful job of creating a time and place that I often felt as if I needed to sit on the porch to cool down. Her characters are richly crafted and so well written that nothing felt stilted or contrived. It all just felt real.
    • 4/5
      I am a huge fan of Annie Barrows. I love her quirky characters and this book did not disappoint. This book gives you a real feel for life in a small town during the depression. I only had one complaint and it's just a small one, I thought the book could have been a bit shorter in places. I enjoyed some of Layla's letters but some of them didn't add much to the story. All in all, I would highly recommend this book if you loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
    • 5/5
      Annie Barrows' novel transports readers to the small, depression-era town of Macedonia, West Virginia. I don't choose the word transports lightly, for that is exactly what happens when you read this delightful book. You almost feel that you are a resident of the town preparing for the 150th Anniversary and that you know Willa and Layla personally. You don't just know them, you genuinely like them and that is saying something from a reader that doesn't usually care for novels told from the viewpoint of a 12-year-old. The best parts of the novel though are from Layla's point of view as she unravels the secrets of Macedonia. Layla is a young woman assigned by Roosevelt's Writer project to research and write the history of Macedonia. Through her research we learn all of the secrets and agendas of this small town. Reading this book felt like you are on the front porch, sipping sweet iced tea, and gossiping about the neighbors (only in a loving way). A perfect read for summer - you will fall right in as soon as you begin the first chapter.
    • 4/5
      I loved "Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society", so I was excited to win and read this book. It did not disappoint! Great characters, great story, great slice of life from the depression era. It's one of those rare books that makes you laugh out loud in places, and makes you tear up in others.
    • 5/5
      I just loved reading this new novel by Annie Barrows! Set in 1938, young, spoiled Layla Beck is sent to Macedonia, West Virginia by the Federal Writers Project to write a history of the town. There, she boards with the Romeyn family. Macedonia and the Romeyns have secrets that intertwine. The story is mainly told through three characters; Layla, twelve-year-old Willa Romeyn, and Willa's Aunt Jottie. I enjoyed all the quirky residents of the town. A fun and delightful book!
    • 4/5
      Read from March 20 to April 01, 2015I like stories set in small-towns. I like historical fiction. I like family secrets. I like books that use letters (or other documents) to tell a story.I should have devoured this book and demanded more at the end, but no. I liked it, but I really wanted to love it.3.5 starsIt's summer 1938 in Macedonia, West Virginia. Willa Romeyn lives with her smart Aunt Jottie, quirky twin Aunts Mae and Minerva, her little sister Bird, and her there-one-minute-gone-the-next father Felix. She's an excellent spy and an avid reader -- part of the book is told from Willa's 1st person POV. At the beginning of the summer, Layla Beck -- daughter of a Senator -- is exiled to Macedonia as part of her (new) job with the Writers' Project. That's what happens when you defy your powerful father.... Parts of the story unfold through Layla's letters and the history she is writing of the town. Then there's the 3rd person POV about Jottie. Willa wants to know Layla's secrets. Jottie wants to be more independent. Layla wants to prove her father wrong. The different POVs didn't work well for me. There's a lot going on in this little town, but more focus would've been nice. By the time I got to the end, I felt like most of the story could have just been told by Willa and Jottie. Layla seemed like extra fluff and I found myself skimming her letters. A good read, but not great. Definitely has lots of potential for good book group discussions.