Book Review: The Liar’s Daughter by Megan Cooley Peterson

Publisher’s Book Description

Piper was raised in a cult. 
She just doesn’t know it. 

Seventeen-year-old Piper knows that Father is a Prophet. Infallible. The chosen one.

She would do anything for Father. That’s why she takes care of all her little sisters. That’s why she runs end-of-the-world drills. That’s why she never asks questions. Because Father knows best.

Until the day he doesn’t. Until the day the government raids the compound and separates Piper from her siblings, from Mother, from the Aunts, from all of Father’s followers–even from Caspian, the boy she loves.

Now Piper is living Outside. Among Them.

With a woman They claim is her real mother–a woman They say Father stole her from.

But Piper knows better. And Piper is going to escape.

Karen’s Thoughts

Piper is scared and alone in a room, separated from her family and thrust into a world that she has always been told is dangerous and deranged. She’s angry. She’s alone. And she’s truly home. What Piper doesn’t know is that everything she knows about her life has been a lie, and the story is about unraveling that lie and dealing with the long term psychological complications of being brainwashed and manipulated. It’s an eerily accurate look at the who, what, why and how of cults.

The Liar’s Daughter is a deeply nuanced psychological study that asks us all to imagine what it is like to have grown up in a cult. And it is in the psychology that this book truly excels. Eventually, Piper begins visiting a counselor and the evolution of this relationship, the slow building of trust, the respect this counselor gives to this psychologically injured young woman, and the wisdom that he shares with her about free will and responsibility are truly profound. These are some of the best counseling sessions I have seen presented in YA literature. These are some of the best parts of the book.

As a reader, you also have to give props to the mother and father in this book. They too are an injured party who lost their child years ago and have to live with that fear, guilt and uncertainty only to discover that their child has been raised by a cult leader who has erased their child’s memory and distorted her sense of self and family. They are aching and longing, but they are patient and kind as they try to follow the wisdom of others and allow their daughter to slowly unpack all that has happened to her. They are by no means perfect in the process, as no family would be, but they are truly loving and compassionate in the process.

Piper is an unreliable narrator for a major chunk of this story and it is fascinating to read. She’s justifiably angry and confused and struggling to get back to the place and the people that she thinks are her true family. It’s frustrating to read at time because as an outside reader, your alarm bells are going off from the very first page. But Piper doesn’t have the knowledge that you do and the ways in which that dynamic works are well crafted.

There is a lot of good stuff to read in this book; it’s intriguing and well crafted. It has a slower pace because it is so focused on character as opposed to action, but the psychological aspect is often profound and deeply engaging. It’s not a psychological thriller per se, but it’s close enough to keep readers turning the page and rooting for Piper. The Liar’s Daughter clearly demonstrates that even in the most traumatic of experiences, with good support and access to resources, you can step on a road to recovery and begin a journey to a healthy self. The Liar’s Daughter is a compassionate and engaging exploration of the psychological trauma of being raised in a cult. Recommended.

Publishes September 10th, 2019 from Holiday House

Filed under: Book Reviews