Liar's Bench by Kim Michele Richardson

Synopsis: 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 amongst 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. Now, the answers Muddy seeks soon lead back to Hark Hill, to hatred and corruption that have echoed through the years--and 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.

Thoughts: 

A fascinating story with lots of historical relevance. There is family drama, domestic violence, racism, coming of age, blossoming romance, cock fighting...a whole spectrum of events and relationships. There are lies and secrets which need to be uncovered, and somehow it falls to 17 yr old Mudas Summers to set things right.

The novel's plot runs from 1860 to 1972, and has several stories which eventually tie together in Mudas and her boyfriend, Bobby Marshall. The author does a fabulous job of describing the settings and events, and of making us feel something for all the characters, whether positive or negative.

I would highly recommend this book to pretty much everyone.

**I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

My rating: Four stars