Lies My Mother Never Told Me - by Kaylie Jones Paperback

About the Book

In her riveting memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me, "Kaylie Jones the daughter of author James Jones (From Here to Eternity") and an acclaimed author in her own right (A Soldier s Daughter Never Cries; Celeste Ascending; As Soon As It Rains") tells the poignant story of her relationship with her famous father and her alcoholic mother, and of her own struggles with the disease. A true story of privilege, loss, self-discovery, and redemption, Lies My Mother Never Told Me "is Jones s unforgettable account of a not-quite-fairy-tale childhood and adulthood defined by two constants: literature and alcohol."

Book Synopsis

In her riveting memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me, Kaylie Jones--the daughter of author James Jones (From Here to Eternity) and an acclaimed author in her own right (A Soldier's Daughter Never Cries; Celeste Ascending; As Soon As It Rains)--tells the poignant story of her relationship with her famous father and her alcoholic mother, and of her own struggles with the disease. A true story of privilege, loss, self-discovery, and redemption, Lies My Mother Never Told Me is Jones's unforgettable account of a not-quite-fairy-tale childhood and adulthood defined by two constants: literature and alcohol.

From the Back Cover

Her mother, Gloria, was a brainy knockout whose fierce wit could shock an audience into hilarity or silence. Her father was James Jones, the award-winning author of From Here to Eternity and other acclaimed novels of World War II . Kaylie Jones grew up amid such family friends as William Styron, Irwin Shaw, James Baldwin, and Willie Morris, and socialized with the likes of Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, and Kurt Vonnegut. When her father died from heart failure complicated by years of drinking, sixteen-year-old Kaylie was broken and lost, which in turn left her powerless to withstand her mother's withering barbs and shattering criticism, or to halt Gloria's further descent into the bottle--or that of her own.

Lies My Mother Never Told Me is a beautifully written tale of personal evolution, family secrets, second chances, and one determined woman's journey to find her own voice.

Review Quotes

"Kaylie Jones, who has already proved herself a first-rate novelist, shines in this memoir as well. She has the goods, thus writes with restraint. Her talent is different from her father's, but she has his gift for artful straight-shooting. The result, this beautiful story, not unlike From Here to Eternity, brings you to your knees, then hoists you up and dries your eyes." - Roger Rosenblatt, author of Lapham Rising and Beet
"Unadorned, poignant and honest to the core, Kaylie Jones' memoir is a light emerging from the shadows of a writing life." - Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin
"LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME contains juicy celebrity anecdotes (oh, Frank Sinatra!), but its poignancy comes from the journey of a talented woman wrestling not just with her own demons, but with those of her parents, and discovering a strength she once thought unattainable." - The Observer Very Short List
"A bright, fast-paced memoir with an inviting spirit. There is real immediacy to the family portraits here....There's also great daughterly love for James Jones, as his daughter sometimes insists on referring to him, and palpable pride in his achievements. " - Janet Maslin, New York Times
"Searing, brutally honest....What makes Lies My Mother Never Told Me such an uplifting book despite all the pain and turmoil it recounts is its revelation of how Kaylie Jones has matured as a person in dealing with her twin legacies, literary and alcoholic, and also as a writer." - Washington Times
"A tough, unflinching memoir." - Scott Eyman, Palm Beach Post
"Shattering, totally scary, yet beautiful....A splendid, splendid book...completely gripping from start to finish, and written with grace and zest....What a fine book." - Tim O'Brien, author The Things They Carried and Going After Cacciato
"Brilliant, touching.... Absolutely addictive, this story of struggle and triumph is a joy to read, thanks to Jones's gift for handling dark material with humor and grace. A rare child of privilege capable of looking on herself and her family objectively, Jones has produced a memoir that will be a treasure for fans of literature and literary memoirs, as well as anyone who's coped with alcoholics in the family." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Brilliant, touching.... Absolutely addictive, this story of struggle and triumph is a joy to read, thanks to Jones's gift for handling dark material with humor and grace.... a treasure for fans of literature and literary memoirs, as well as anyone who's coped with alcoholics in the family." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)