Winner of the prestigious American National Book Award

Utterly gripping and beautifully told, this is a stunning rite of passage novel, set just after WW2, full of powerful and conflicting emotions, which captures the dramatic shift from child to adult in pinpoint sharp, painful detail.

Excited at the thought of the new opportunities that the family will benefit from when her stepfather returns from the war, Evie’s life is turned upside down when the family suddenly take off for Palm Springs. Here Evie meets a young ex-GI who served with her stepfather with whom she falls head over heals in love. But her simple romance is played out against a backdrop of dangerous adult secrets, racism and intrigues. When tragedy strikes, Evie has to reconsider all the adults in her life and her story will determine their future.

The author amplifies the darkness and anxiety of the post-war mood whilst the storyline addresses the complexities of a society that challenged anti-semitism at the end of a war, only to find it still rife at home.  Reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, What I saw and How I Lied is set to become a future classic.

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Synopsis

Summer's ending, Evie's step-father is finally home from the Second World War, and Evie is tired of her glamorous mother treating her like a little girl. Then a mysterious stranger appears; a handsome ex-GI who served with Evie's step-father. Slowly, Evie realizes that she is falling in love with him - but he has dark secrets, and a strange control over her parents. When he is found dead, Evie's world is shattered. Torn between her family and the man he loved, Evie must betray someone. The question is ...who?

Reviews

‘An atmospheric, coming-of-age novel set in post-war Florida, dealing with first love, anti-semitism and adultery’ - The Bookseller

‘A stylish, addictive brew’ - Publishers Weekly

'An extraordinary story...gripping' Wall Street Journal

'What I saw and How I Lied is an addictive read unlike any other.  Evie's character undergoes such a journey that the reader can truly feel her struggles.' TeensReadToo.com

‘Blundell has crafted a suspenseful, historical mystery that not only subtly explores issues of post World Warr two racism, sexism and socio-economic class, but also realistically captures the headiness of first love and the crushing realisation that adults are not all powerful.’ - Booklist

About the Author

Judy Blundell was awarded the prestigious National Book Award for her novel What I Saw and how I Lied, which was fantastically received by readers and reviewers in the US when it was first published in 2009.  It's now available in six foreign language editions.  This is her first novel under her real name of Judy Blundell and her first novel for teens. Under the pen name Jude Watson, she is the author of several New York Times bestselling and award-winning series and media tie-in novels.  She has written more than 100 books over 20 years, under various pen names.   Judy Blundell once dreamed of a girl sitting in a deserted lobby in Florida, and this image turned into the character of Evie in What I saw and How I Lied.  She used many original source materials for research including a collection of newspapers her mother saved from December 1941 until the end of the war.   Author photo © Paul Llewellyn More books by this author Author 'Like for Like' recommendation