Two friends thrown together in an unusual set of
circumstances, Ali Mather and Jeanne Cross find themselves
paying the price for living a life full of lies. Together,
they find solace in the tranquility of their relationship
which turns out to be the only stable part of their
turbulent lives. Then all too soon, it regretfully starts
to unravel at the seams.
Jeanne Cross is the epitome of the perfect wife. Married to
a doctor who is well-loved and respected in the community,
her life is as picturesque as a fairy tale romance.
Choosing to work outside the home at the local high school
is Jeanne's only vice for dealing with the demons that she
faces daily at home. A son who falls short of his father's
expectations and a husband who chooses to ignore the needs
of his wife, Jeanne is all alone in a desperate world that
she has unfortunately created for herself.
Ali Mather is a charismatic art teacher who transcends on a
sleepy community as if she were a spirit from up above. The
students gravitate towards her charm and enthusiasm as if
she were the authority on what life should be like, care-
free and harmonious. As her co-workers turn their nose down
at her for the marital problems she has brought upon
herself, Ali chooses to live by her own set of rules
despite the pain and hurt she may inflict on others.
As these two women create a bond of what turns out to be an
unusual type of friendship, they come to realize how
intertwined their separate lives have become and how
interdependent they really are. Whether they acknowledge it
or not, to save themselves, they will be forced to face the
cold reality of the naked truth, despite how horrible that
may be.
THE LIAR'S DIARY is a fascinating novel that keeps the
reader guessing. From the very beginning, Francis draws the
reader in with her eccentric characters whose lives twist
and turn with each page. Unpredictable, well-written, and
at times spell-binding. Patry Francis is well on her way to
making a name for herself as the newest star in the world
of fiction.
An accomplished
poet with a keen eye for detail and the written word, Patry
Francis has
written a riveting debut novel that will thrill fans of Jodi
Picoult
and Sue Miller.
Answering the question of
what is more powerful--family or friendship? this
debut novel unforgettably shows how far one woman would go
to protect either.
They couldn't be more different, but they form a friendship
that will
alter both their fates. When Ali Mather blows into town,
breaking all
the rules and breaking hearts (despite the fact that she is
pushing
forty), she also makes a mark on an unlikely family. Almost
against her
will, Jeanne Cross feels drawn to this strangely vibrant
woman, a
fascination that begins to infect Jeanne's "perfect"
husband
as well as
their teenaged son.
At the heart of the friendship
between Ali
and Jeanne are deep-seated emotional needs, vulnerabilities
they have
each been recording in their diaries. Ali also senses
another kind of
vulnerability; she believes someone has been entering her
house when
she is not at home...and not with the usual intentions. What
this burglar
wants is nothing less than a piece of Ali's soul.
When a
murderer strikes and Jeanne's son is arrested, we learn that
the key to
the crime lies in the diaries of two very different women .
. . but
only one of them is telling the truth. A chilling tour of
troubled
minds, The Liar's Diary signals the launch of an
immensely talented new novelist who knows just how to keep
her readers guessing.