Half-Truths by Carol Baldwin

 We're going to take a step back into history with today's read. Scheduled to hit the shelves around the beginning of April (next month), this book heads back into the 1950's and peeks at the social imbalance between blacks and whites. According to the blurb, it will build in tension and mystery as well to up the stakes. I'm hoping it will be a grabbing read and want to be swept away into the time period.

Will it accomplish that? Well, let's find out!

HALF-TRUTHS

by Carol Baldwin

Monarch Educational Service

YA Historical

300 pages

COMING...

APRIL 2nd!!!

It is 1950, and 15-year-old Kate Dinsmore wants to become a journalist. But, her tobacco-farming father can’t afford to send her to college. She devises a plan to move from rural North Carolina to her wealthy grandparents’ home in Charlotte in hopes of gaining their financial support. Now she has a new set of problems. How can she please her society-conscious grandmother and conform to her new classmates’ lifestyles?

She meets Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid, and in spite of their racial differences, they form a tentative friendship. While exploring her grandmother’s attic, Kate unearths a secret that rocks her world and Lillian’s too. The shocking discovery reveals half-truths that threaten the girls’ friendship. What will Kate do when she must choose between Lillian and her new society friends?

Through a mentorship with a newspaper editor, Kate realizes that journalism requires honesty. But, the risks of truth-telling make Kate question herself. If she reveals what she has learned, what price will she pay?

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

The dangers of standing up for the truth hits with heart and tension in a tale, which takes the reader back to the 1950's with a character to root for.

Kate dreams of going to college to become a journalist...something her parents, who run a tobacco farm, aren't completely convinced is the right path. When the KKK comes into their small town and starts to stoke anger and fear, she's more convinced than ever that she needs to report what she sees. So, she moves to live with her wealthy grandparents in the city, who her father, for some unknown reason, avoids. Once there, her grandmother begins to mold her into society and she attends school. It's difficult, but Kate is willing to pay the cost since it means that her grandparents might help pay for her further education. That is until she discovers a tea cup in the attic, and long-buried secrets about her grandmother's past begin to come to light. 

The author does a wonderful job at transporting the reader back in time, settling into the life and streets of the 1950s. The scenes are rich without being overly descriptive, and the worries and concerns of the characters are understandable, even when they aren't always right. Thankfully, Kate has a curious personality with a good moral compass. Her determination and bravery make her easy to root for, while her hesitations and desire not to upset those, whom she holds dear, make her easy to sympathize with. She's a little spunky and has some interesting quirks to give her personality and let her shine but without going overboard. It's a nice balance, which fits to the time and situations with natural flow.

There are several themes and messages in these pages, which lead to thought. While some aspects might seem straight-forward (and often are), the situations open up a degree of understanding for both sides. Not everything in life is black and white or easy, and these pages allow enough food for thought to reach into some of the grayer areas to let the message dig in and sit. It's inspiring, encouraging, and even teaches a bit of history along the way.

Fans of history and wonderful characters are going to enjoy this one quite a bit.

You can learn more about Carol Baldwin here.