Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between

As a presidency unravels and the fight for women's rights intensifies, a teen girl's future will be determined by her willingness to seek the truth.

Patty Appleton is making history. As one of the Senate's first female Congressional Pages, she's not only paving the way for other politically minded girls, she has a front-row seat to debates dividing the nation, especially around women's rights and roles. The battle between the old ways and the new polarizes the women in Patty's life, and she finds herself torn between traditional expectations-to be anobedient daughter aspiring to become a perfect wife-and questions new friends like fiercely feminist Simone encourage her to ask.But the questions don't stop at women's rights: The Watergate scandal is intensifying. As evidence mounts that the White House engaged in crimes, smears, and cover-ups to manipulate an election, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. Determining truth from lies becomes ever more essential for the nation's future-and for Patty's as well.

Illustrated throughout with remarkable real-life images and headlines, this timely exploration of 1973-the year of Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment, and Roe v. Wade-unfolds through the story of a young woman driven to question everything as she learns to think for, and rely on, herself.

"The likable characters will charm and engage readers.... A compelling work grounded in historical facts with allusions to present-day concerns."--Kirkus

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"In Truth, Lies, and the Questions in Between, L. M. Elliott uses the pen of a journalist and the heart of a storyteller to create a masterful, page-turning, razor-sharp commentary on a past that looks eerily like our present. A book that made me feel, think, and most importantly, hope." --Sharon Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of The Light in Hidden Places

"This creatively layered, thoughtfully crafted novel showcases the fight for women's rights both through Patty's experience as one of the first female Congressional pages and more broadly through the movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment. Fans of politics and complex moments in American history will be sucked into this fresh and compelling book." --Kelly Jensen, author of Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World and Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy
"This expansive historical novel immerses readers in life on the Hill...the well-paced narrative thoughtfully showcases Patty's personal conflict in choosing which role models to follow."--Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR L. M. ELLIOTT'S PREVIOUS NOVELS

"Immersive . . . An expertly crafted, evocative time capsule." --Publishers Weekly, starred review (Walls)

"Elliott both fills in the historical background--mixing period photos, contemporary news, and pop-culture notes--and crafts a tale of rising tensions that culminates in a suspenseful climax." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review (Walls)

"The portrayal of events is first-rate, creating a poignant yet lighthearted read." --Booklist (Walls)

"A tense, engrossing story that effectively captures the suspicion and paranoia that prevailed during American history's darkest chapters." --Kirkus Reviews (Suspect Red)

"Elliott combines a flair for fiction with masterly research to create a dense yet eminently readable story." --Publishers Weekly, starred review (Hamilton and Peggy!)

"Packed with action, intrigue, and suspense." --Booklist (Under a War-Torn Sky)

L. M. Elliott was an award-winning magazine journalist in Washington, DC, before becoming a New York Times bestselling author of historical and biographical young adult novels. Her works include Under a War-Torn Sky, Suspect Red, Hamilton and Peggy!, Walls, and Bea and the New Deal Horse, have won the Scott O'Dell, the VLA Cardinal Cup, and the Grateful American Book Prize for historical fiction, and been named NCSS/CBC Notables, Bank Street College of Ed. Bests, and Kirkus Bests. Visit her online at lmelliott.com.

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