In the bestselling tradition of The Secret Life of Bees, Liar's Bench is an atmospheric, compulsively readable tale full of heart and history, set in 1970s Kentucky and exploring civil rights and family secrets.
In 1972 on Mudas Summers' seventeenth birthday, her beloved mama, Ella, is found hanging from the rafters of their home. Most people in Peckinpaw, Kentucky, assume that Ella's no-good husband did the deed. Others think Ella grew tired of his abuse and did it herself. Muddy is determined to find out for sure either way, especially once she finds strange papers hidden among her mama's possessions.
But Peckinpaw keeps its secrets buried deep. Muddy's almost-more-than-friend, Bobby Marshall, knows that better than most. Though he passes for white, one of his ancestors was Frannie Crow, a slave hanged a century ago on nearby Hark Hill Plantation. Adorning the town square is a seat built from Frannie's gallows; a tribute, a relic—and a caution—it's known as Liar's Bench. The answers Muddy seeks soon lead back to Hark Hill, to hatred and corruption that have echoed through the years, and to lies she must be brave enough to confront at last.
Kim Michele Richardson's lush, beautifully written debut is set against a southern backdrop passing uneasily from bigotry and brutality to hope. With its compelling mystery and complex yet relatable heroine, Liar's Bench is a story of first love, raw courage, and truths that won't be denied.
GenreMystery and Thriller, General Fiction, Dystopia
Length8 hrs 57 mins
Narrated byJorjeana Marie
FormatAudiobook
Publish dateApr 28, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1#1
16#16
2#2
17#17
3#3
18#18
4#4
19#19
5#5
20#20
Show all chaptersShow less
6#6
21#21
7#7
22#22
8#8
23#23
9#9
24#24
10#10
25#25
11#11
26#26
12#12
27#27
13#13
28#28
14#14
29#29
15#15
About the author
Kim Michele Richardson
Kim Michele Richardson is a New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and USA Today bestselling author. She has won multiple awards, written five works of historical fiction, and a bestselling memoir. Kim Michele was born and raised in Kentucky and lives there with her family and beloved dogs. She is also the founder of Shy Rabbit, a writers residency and scholarship implemented for low-income writers. To learn more visit her website at KimMicheleRichardson.com.View all by Kim Michele Richardson
