With a narrator who is a champion fibber and a title that includes the word "Secret," you know that secrecy and lying are going to be big topics when you crack this one open. Lying is kind of a double-edged sword for the characters. Sometimes, it's portrayed as negative—for example, when Lily just starts spouting off fibs before she's had a chance to think about them (or at least keep track of them). Other times, people lie to protect or ensure privacy, as when Rosaleen and August avoid admitting all they know about Lily's mother to protect Lily from information she's not ready to have. Lily seems to believe that secrecy can be a special, wondrous thing, likening the complex secret life of bees, which is cool, to her own secrets and private life. The take home? It's definitely a gray area . . .
Questions About Lies and Deceit
- How are the themes of lies/deceit and storytelling linked?
- Do you think the way Lily thinks about secrecy evolves throughout the course of the novel? Why or why not?
- Do you think that Lily has finally gotten the full story about her mother's death when the novel ends? Why or why not?
Chew on This
Lying is the long-lost twin sister of storytelling in this novel.
Ironically, Lily's journey toward becoming a good storyteller coincides with her development into a more truthful individual.