A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie has been listening to Alix's podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life. Revisit the scene where Josie confronts and physically confronts Walter. Given the story’s conclusion, how does this scene shed light on their relationship dynamics? She currently lives in Swiss Cottage, London with her husband Jascha, and daughters Amelie Mae (born 2003) and Evie Scarlett (born 2007). [4] Bibliography [ edit ] Novels [ edit ]

None of This Is True--but what is true and what isn't? That's the question I was asking myself throughout my reading. Lisa Jewell is an incredibly talented storyteller, as she can really take the odd day-to-day occurrences and entwine them with clear and concise character development, giving birth to novels that allow the reader to fully engage with the cast of characters, no matter if they are likable or despicable. This book is no different, and the multiple povs really give us insight into the various narrators inner thoughts and feelings while the tension ramps up around them. Josie and Alix couldn’t be more different; they come from different lifestyles and circumstances, and yet… Could they be more similar than originally meets the eye? Both Josie and Alix are haunted by their pasts and driven by their desires for change. How do their personal histories shape their actions and decisions? How does the pursuit of transformation impact their interactions with each other?Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can't quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast, which you'll hear, fully produced, throughout this audiobook.

LJ: I had no idea when I started writing the book what Josie was going to unveil. I didn’t know what her story was going to be. I just knew that I was going to have to come to my computer every day and write a chapter or write 1,000 words, and that was going to move the plot along, and that was going to help me find out more about what it was that Josie really wanted to talk to Alix about. Because the initial moment of connection is Josie basically saying to Alix, “I need to talk to you about my life.” I didn’t know what Josie’s life was. I just knew she had this husband, a bit older than her, sitting by the window staring at his laptop, and a kid in a room gaming. Some people could read the ending to be ambiguous or open; a lot of people have read it as I intended it to be — not ambiguous or open — which is Josie finally confronting the truth in her head of what actually happened. But I didn’t work out until a long time after I’d written the book precisely what Josie was hiding, and what was true and what wasn’t. And then to realize, weeks after writing the book, that it was all in there. I put it all in there without really knowing what it was while I was writing it. On the other hand, Alix lives in her dream house, happily married, with two young children. Her husband’s late benders start to damage their marriage. She wants a distraction not to confront for her problems. What becomes of this unwanted house guest? That’s the mystery, and it’s a good one! This started very slow for me, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but once Alix’s podcast about Josie got underway, things started to get juicy! The full-cast audiobook narrators did a wonderful job capturing the personalities at play. Josie’s flat, subdued voicing performed by Nicola Walker added a particular menace to things. She creeped me out! Throughout the book, the concept of truth is explored, especially in the context of Josie’s narrative. How does Josie’s perception of reality influence her actions, and how do other characters respond to her version of events? During the dinner gathering at Alix and Nathan’s home, it becomes apparent that Josie hasn’t informed Walter about the podcast. Alix perceives Josie’s behavior as a “classic Josie maneuver,” indicative of her haphazard and carefree approach to life. Do you align with Alix’s portrayal of Josie, viewing her as impulsive and thoughtless, or do you suspect Josie might possess a more calculated side?

Prologue

Alix Summer was celebrating her 45th birthday with a large group of friends at her local Pub, when she meets her birthday twin in the Ladies room-an unassuming woman called Josie Fair, who was quietly celebrating with just one older gentleman. Turns out they were both born on the same day, in the same year at the same hospital. Jewell recently spoke with Shondaland about the premise for the new novel, her approach to writing, and her advice to aspiring novelists.

Jewell's writing is strong and I was thoroughly invested. I could not stand Josie, but that was totally the point. The ending is interesting and really got me thinking. My recommendation is to just go into the reading of this book with an open mind and without any preconceived notions as to what you think is going on, because that will probably change many times throughout. Josie tells Alix she is about to make big changes in her life and wants Alix to document it for her podcast. Alix agrees, as this could be her big break. As the interviews unfold, we learn the secrets of both women. Erin recovers and moves in with her sister. Josie is still on the run. She sends Alix a letter claiming that Nathan’s death was a accident. That said, this game of cat and mouse was such a deviously delightful read that I can’t help but highly recommend it for your 2022 TBR. While not my favorite Lisa Jewell novel, it is an immensely enjoyable read that will be a fantastic book club choice, brimming with copious discussion material.However, for the plot as a whole this was excellent and whilst not entirely surprising, it was unpredictable which maintained the tension in the story. To have disliked some of the characters so much means Lisa Jewell did her job well. The suspense was palatable, the sense of danger and thrill was accretive and penetrating. The themes were well chosen. The underlying messages are great although some could have been fleshed out more, and the writing style just works a treat for me. With her works translated into more than twenty-five languages, Lisa is a bestselling author gracing both New York Times and Sunday Times lists. She resides in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters, and the best dog in the world! Book Club Questions for None of This Is True Lisa Jewell (born 19 July 1968) is a British author of popular fiction. Her books include Ralph's Party, Thirtynothing, After The Party (a sequel to Ralph's Party), [1] and later Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, Invisible Girl and The Night She Disappeared. [2] Her latest book None of This is True was published in July 2023. [3] Life [ edit ] Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th. Jewell’s newest could be her best yet… A terrific novel from a consistently satisfying writer.” —Booklist

Josie tells Alix that she is on the brink of making some very drastic changes and she'd like Alix to document the process. In 2019, “Birthday Twins” Alix Summers and Josie Fair meet for the first time on their forty–fifth birthday in a pub where they have both come to celebrate- Alix with her husband and friends and Josie with her husband.LJ: Yeah. With this one, it was quite unusual in that I knew what dynamic I wanted to create before I even knew who my characters were going to be, and then I found the characters that fitted into those places. But usually, it is literally a person. Quite often a person I’ve just seen fleetingly on the street or through a window. They get inside my head, and I’m convinced they’ve got a story to share with me, and I need to start writing around them to find out what it is, what their secrets are, what’s happened to them, or what’s about to happen to them. So yes, it is usually a person. Sometimes it’s even a house. Sometimes I’m convinced a house is holding secrets, a bit like Walter and Josie’s flat [in None of This Is True]. I just get this sense that there’s a secret somewhere, and I need to write about the house or the person to find out what it is.