The Lies They Told
by Ellen Marie Wiseman
Narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers
Why Listen to This Audiobook?
Elisabeth Rodgers makes Lena's terror so visceral you'll find yourself holding your breath at a 90-year-old injustice.
- Great if you want: historical fiction that confronts America's darkest forgotten chapters
- Listening experience: emotionally heavy and slow-burning, with moments of real gut-punch dread
- Narration: Rodgers carries the immigrant vulnerability and maternal desperation convincingly
- Skip if: forced sterilization and eugenics themes would be too distressing
About This Audiobook
Set against the backdrop of 1930s rural Virginia, this powerful historical novel follows Lena Conti, a young immigrant mother who arrives in America seeking refuge only to discover a nation gripped by the eugenics movement. After being separated from her family at Ellis Island, Lena finds herself caring for the children of a widowed relative in the remote Blue Ridge Mountains. As she settles into this isolated community, she uncovers disturbing truths about the systematic targeting of immigrants, the poor, and those deemed "undesirable" by society. When local authorities begin threatening the very people she has come to love, Lena must summon extraordinary courage to protect her makeshift family.
Elisabeth Rodgers delivers a masterful narration that captures both the vulnerability and fierce determination of Lena's character. Her nuanced performance brings depth to the diverse cast of mountain dwellers, seamlessly shifting between accents and emotional registers while maintaining the story's intimate, personal tone. Rodgers' measured pacing allows listeners to fully absorb the weight of the historical injustices depicted, while her sensitive handling of the more harrowing scenes prevents the narrative from becoming overwhelming. The audio format particularly enhances the novel's emotional impact, as Rodgers' expressive delivery transforms this tale of resilience into an immersive listening experience.