Eugenics is an extremely evil ideology that many people look away or don’t want to believe people would go to such extremes, especially in the United States. I’ve had many discussions over this topic with people online and in person who even defend it still to this day. I may get a lot of criticism for say this but it still goes on to this very day. They may “try” to disguise it but if you really pay attention, you will see the truth.
I have been reader of Ellen Marie Wiseman’s work since her first publication. I applaud her for her bravery in exposing people’s struggle, abuse, oppression and often death at the hands of people in power.

Wiseman doesn’t hold back with the opening of her story and we are meeting Magdalena (Lena), her mother and brother for the first time at Ellis Island. How they were treated was subhuman. My emotions were high at the very beginning of this story and there were times I had to step away but I finished the story and I am more than glad I did. The Lies They Told is a beautifully written story and I appreciate Wiseman’s ability to do so because of such a heartbreaking story to write. Also, her character development is outstanding and her focus on the human mind and heart is what drives this story to the reality of this fallen world we live in. That said, there are beautiful and happy moments in this story and even in the end but I still felt completely sadden.

A must read.

Eye opening, raw, painful. Important. Well researched. Need to come eith a warning for the heartache. I had no idea about any if this. Hate that America buries its history.

Don't be fooled by the book's GORGEOUS cover, this was an ABSOLUTELY heartbreaking story of America's dark history of Eugenics and forced sterilization and one young Italian German immigrant single mother's experience having her daughter taken away from her when she goes to live with a cousin in Virginia and then later being sent to the Home for the feebleminded and given the horrible ultimatum of 'consenting' to sterilization or being incarcerated for the rest of her life.

Based on real events and history, this harrowing tale is sure to evoke rage, even more so as it's a reminder that these things are STILL happening in America today with the ICE detention centre forced sterilizations of immigrants. Highly recommended especially for fans of authors like Susan Meissner and books like Counting backwards by Jacqueline Friedland. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was such an eye opening read for me. I knew a little about the eugenics program, but I had no idea about the seizure of land.
Lena, a young unwed mother travels to the US from Germany and enters through Ellis Island. Her mother, brother and herself are examined at Ellis Island. Only Lena and her baby are allowed to stay. I had no idea that people were turned away at Ellis Island. You can tell that this book is throughly researched and I thought the author did an excellent job with vivid descriptions. I really felt for Lena and her circumstances. I can only imagine traveling to a new country, being separated from your family and having to take care of yourself and your baby with no job and no place to go. I loved Lena and was rooting for her. This book was heartbreaking and really made you think.

Wow, what a ugly part of history that was somehow beautifully written about. I received both an e book and audio book from Netgalley and both versions were incredibly well done. I struggle to stop reading this - despite the tears and anger I felt. The descriptions in this book were so well written - I was easily transported to a different time and place. The emotions were felt on every page of the book. The research that was put into this story was impressive. I enjoyed the characters, I felt for them, I rooted for them and I enjoyed reading about how they grew and changed over time. Lena, an unwed mother, immigrated to the US in the 1930s and finds herself in rural Virginia, living with Silas and his children after he lost his wife. Over time, Lena and her daughter begin to adapt to life in the United States, building relationships at home and in the close knit community. Unfortunately, Lena finds herself taken away due to feeblemindedness, after an interaction with a woman from the Eugenics Program. Lena must make a choice in order to protect her family and those that she loves. A wonderfully well written book about a horrible part of history, yet the story of love, hope and survival are woven throughout the pages.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copies.

If you love historical fiction that rips your heart out and fills it back up with hope, this one’s for you. Set in rural 1930s Virginia, this story follows Lena, a young immigrant mother who’ll do anything to protect her daughter and new community from America’s horrifying eugenics movement. Watching her fight prejudice, forced sterilization, and being torn from her family broke me. Her courage and the tight-knit mountain folk she comes to love made it all worth it. Fans of Susan Meissner and Kristin Hannah, add this to your list!

I went between the physical and audiobook for this one. The audiobook, which was narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers, was really well done and I really enjoyed it. I'm a huge fan of Ellen Marie Wiseman's books. This is the third book I have read by her and it is definitely another winner.

In the 1930’s, Lena Conti, is an unwed mother and immigrant from Germany, who has come to the US to stay with a widowed family relative in Virginia. She wants to give her young daughter the best chance at a better life, free of poverty.

The descriptions of the process these immigrants went through sound so rigorous and tough on them. And then the social injustices that happened like the eugenics program. The state of Virginia paints these people as ignorant , immoral and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.” Lena's daughter is then taken from her by the eugenics office. They accuse Lena of promiscuity and feeble-mindedness and send her to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics. Now, Lena faces impossible choices to try and get her daughter back, and to protect her family and the land she has grown to love.

The author did a fantastic job depicting this time period and showing how hard it was to survive poverty. It made me SO MAD reading about these people in power taking advantage of their position and treating the people so horrible. Such a well written historical fiction book. I have been loving HF lately. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher, netgalley, and Uplitreads for the gifted copy.

Lena comes to America for a better life for herself and her daughter. Working on a distant counsin’s farm in Virginia, she learns that America is not the land of the free for everyone; especially not immigrants or mountain folk.

This was such a heartbreaking story and very difficult to read knowing that it’s based on true American history. It’s so important to highlight these stories and not hide these parts of our shameful past. The Nazis in WW2 actually borrowed our eugenics movement and made it their own; the US did it first. Did you know that 31 states in the US still have laws that allow forced sterilization on the disabled, incarcerated, or immigrants? This book is hard to put down. It’s the story of a young immigrant who came to America in search of a better life but finds herself embattled with the American eugenics movement, which will forever change her life. Definitely read this one but prepare yourself.

“It seemed that ‘give me your tired, your poor’ meant only those who were not really tired or poor. That if you were in need of help, if you were judged to be ignorant or ill, the gates that led to freedom were closed to you.”

The Lies They Told comes out 7/29.

5 stars. German immigrant Lena Conti arrives with her family at Ellis Island in 1928, and from there Wiseman tells of the tragedies that befall her with everything going wrong from the moment of arrival when Lena and her baby end up alone in Virginia living with her sponsor/distant cousin after her mother and brother are deported.
What a heartbreaking yet inspiring emotional rollercoaster of a ride. Wiseman’s story involving Eugenics was a tough pill to swallow while reading (am still thinking about it) as families were torn apart, parents called unfit as they watched their children being taken away, and anyone perceived to be feeble-minded were put in asylums with their rights torn away and sterilization forced upon them, mind blowing.
How devastating then, that Lena comes under the notice of a social worker from the Eugenics office and is sent to a Virginia state colony.
I loved this book. This is an absolute page-turner, it’s raw, dark and not for the squeamish as it’s painful to read at times. (Another) top pick of the year. Pub. 7/29/25

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

First, if you love historical fiction and don’t already read Ellen Marie Wiseman’s books, you need to go out and get them all. The amount of research that she puts in to each and every haunting tale that she has written is incomprehensible - I finish every book, stare blankly at the wall, and wonder how to reintegrate myself into real life and the current year. Her writing is spectacular and her story-telling ability is second to none.

Her latest, THE LIES THEY TOLD, comes out in July and what a magnificent, awful, beautiful, heartbreaking, and uplifting story it is! I’ve been fortunate to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In this story, we follow Lena, who has just arrived to Ellis island with her family. She settles in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and from there the harrowing, oftentimes heartbreaking, story begins. This one isn’t an easy read - it’s a story of immigration, forced sterilization, eugenics, and so much more. I spent half of those read with my hands over my eyes and the other half with my jaw on the ground. It ain’t for the faint of heart. And it’s all what REALLY happened (happens?).

This is a must-read when it drops in July for my historical fiction friends. (And also check out my personal Wiseman favorite, THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN, while you’re at it!)

I loved the main character so much that I felt like I was breathing with her. Every moment she faced, every pain she carried, I carried too. It wasn’t an easy journey to follow. At times, it felt like my own heart was breaking right alongside hers, and I couldn’t look away even though it hurt deeply. The story gripped me in a way that wasn’t gentle or kind—it was relentless, pulling me through all the darkness without pause.

When I finished, I went back and read the synopsis, and that’s when I saw the trigger warnings. I hadn’t noticed any of them while reading. If I had, maybe I would have been prepared for the cruelty and the heaviness of the story. But maybe not. The impact was raw and real, and it hit me harder because I wasn’t braced for it. The writing didn’t try to soften the blows or offer easy comfort. It laid everything bare—the pain, the loss, the struggle—and did it in a way that felt honest and unfiltered.

Even now, after finishing the book, I’m still carrying pieces of her story with me. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it, and I’m not sure if I want to. The experience changed me, made me see things I hadn’t before, even if it left me feeling broken in the process. This book isn’t just a story. It’s something that stays with you long after the last page is turned.

this was such a powerful and emotional story. from the first page, i stepped right into lena’s shoes and couldn’t stop reading. she, her daughter, little brother, and aging mom make the difficult move from germany to virginia, chasing the same hope many immigrants have—a better life.

this is my second book by wiseman, and i think it’s safe to say she writes well‑researched, emotionally rich historical fiction with a thread of mystery woven in. this story covers some really tough parts of history—like the eugenics movement and how immigrants were treated—but she handles it all with such care. i learned a lot, and i felt everything: heartbreak, anger, hope, and even moments of peace.

read this one if you loved:
🧳 take my hand by dolen perkins-valdez
🚢 necessary lies by diane chamberlain
🧳 only the beautiful by susan meissner
🚢 counting backwards by jacqueline friedland

⭐️ 5 stars!!

THE LIES THEY TOLD US
By Ellen Marie Wiseman
Narrated by Elizabeth Rodgers

How one young woman’s dream of a better life in America is shattered by eugenics…

Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, and Kensington Publishing for both the audio and ebook, which I paired during my reading.

This historical fiction novel is set in the 1930s and follows Lena Conti, a young immigrant who has just arrived from Germany with her two-year-old daughter. After witnessing families being forcibly separated on Ellis Island, Lena finds herself in rural Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, caring for the home and children of a distant relative, Silas Wolfe. But what she and the townspeople face there is unthinkable—a chilling and dark chapter in American history.

I thought the author portrayed the emotional turmoil of the characters in rich, vivid detail. The story touches on trauma, grief, and resilience. Lena, in particular, is portrayed with depth—compelling, and deeply human. The blend of historical fiction with suspenseful drama is done exceptionally well.

Elizabeth Rodgers’ narration was also excellent—she brought the characters to life with emotion and nuance, capturing both their strength and vulnerability in a way that deepened the impact of the story.

This is my sixth book by Ellen Marie Wiseman, and I continue to be impressed by her ability to bring history to life. I look forward to reading more of her work.

The American eugenics movement, which plays a central role in this novel, is shocking and disturbing. The U.S. was the first country to implement forced sterilization, and many of its ideas were later adopted by the Nazi regime. We all know what happened in the Nazi regime in Germany. The author’s note provides even more astonishing historical context. It’s well worth reading. A powerful book club choice—there’s so much to discuss, especially the disturbing role eugenics played in our country’s past.

The Lies They Told broke me apart and put me back together. This story evokes so many emotions and thoughts. It also taught me about a part of American history that I was not really aware of: a period of time in which eugenics became an area of study and practice. The Lies They Told takes the reader through the life of Magdalena “Lena” Conti as she travels to the US from Germany. After the war, Lena hopes that coming to the US will provide herself and family a new start and freedom from their past. However, the family immediately faces challenges with Lena’s mother and brother not being deemed fit to stay in America. She has to be strong and continue with their plan to stay with family who had been living in America and agreed to take them in. Lena has her own daughter, Ella, who she must also consider.
The Wolfe family consists of Silas and his two children, Bonnie and Jack Henry. Lena was to care for the children while Silas worked. Lena slowly learns about Silas and his family as well as their way of life in Virginia. However, the freedom she thought she would be granted did not go exactly as planned. She learned that kids were being taken from their parents on the basis of eugenics and the government was trying to force Silas and other families from their homes and land.
Lena must ultimately remain strong and focused after being sent to the Virginia State Colony for the Feebleminded and Epileptics if she wants to find her daughter and help the families she had met since coming to Virginia.

This book really brings attention to a period of time that is not widely discussed. The Lies They Told is incredibly well-written and the characters are very well developed. It is easy to become invested in both the story being told as well as the characters and experiences.

Thank you so much to Uplit Reads, Ellen Marie Wiseman, Kensington Books, snd NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Lies They Told.

This book is right up there with one of the most depressing novels I have ever read. Not only are the horrors of immigrants coming into the country at Ellis Island covered, but we also have the eugenics program, the horrific treatment of people in insane asylums, and the theft of land from the people of the Shenandoah Mountains! The reason it is so depressing is that it's all true.

While the book may end with happier times for our main characters, and the story's telling is riveting, the comparison to policies in our country now is chilling. That said, I still appreciate Ms. Wiseman's bringing these events to light, and her writing was compelling. 4-1/2 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and UpLit Reads for the advanced copies for my honest feedback.

Wow wow wow. This was my first book by this author and I'm now planning to go back through her backlist because I loved this one that much. I definitely agree with the comparisons to Kristin Hannah as this was a great retelling of a historical time period that also creates characters and relationships that feel so real and that gets you feeling all of your emotions.

We originally meet the FMC, Lena Conti, in 1928 as she is arriving on Ellis Island with her family and from there we follow her experience in the United States.

Lena's story is both an immigrant story and how they were (are?!) treated as outsiders by many. Lena ends up in rural Virginia with extended family and the story that unfolds is heartbreaking and tense.

While I had heard of the term "eugenics" before this novel, admittedly, I did not know what it meant or any details about it. This novel shed a horrifying light on this practice so I am very interested in learning more.

🆃🅷🅴 🅻🅸🅴🆂 🆃🅷🅴🆈 🆃🅾🅻🅳
By Ellen Marie Wiseman
Pub. July 29, 2025

This story was such an emotional rollercoaster. Ellen Marie Wiseman tackles a time in American history when the Eugenics Movement arrived to prevent what they believed were feeble minded, lazy, criminal misfits who would be burdens on society. Families were torn apart, parents were deemed unfit and their children were placed in "more suitable" homes.

This story is about Lena and her family coming to US in search of the American Dream. Arriving at Ellis Island everything quickly begins to go wrong.. Immigration deports her mother and brother and she finds herself and baby daughter with distant relatives in the Blue Ridge Mountains -a far cry from what she had anticipated American life to be. And as the Government tried to take their land by any means the tight knit community had a determination to survive

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗱 is a difficult book to set aside and step away from. It stayed with me for a long time after the last page and I believe it is Wiseman's best work to date. Her stories are always captivating and stir deep emotions and are difficult to forget. If you love historical fiction you should check out any of Ellen Marie Wiseman's books.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for my copy. My review was voluntary..
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It is 1928 and Lena, a young German-Italian immigrant hoping to build a better life for her daughter and herself, is separated from her mother and teenage brother, who are labeled burdens to society, denied entry, and deported back to Germany. Now, alone but determined to give her daughter a better life after years of living in poverty and near starvation, she reunites with Silas, a widowed family relative. Silas reluctantly brings Lena and her daughter to his weathered cabin in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains to care for his home and children.

Unfortunately, her troubles are not over there as she learns that The State of Virginia is scheming to paint her family (and many others in the area) as ignorant, immoral, and backwards so they can evict them from their land, seize children from parents, and deal with those possessing “inferior genes.”

I honestly did not know much about the eugenics movement and reading this book was extremely eye-opening about one of the most atrocious and shameful things to ever happen in America.

Wiseman focuses almost exclusively on Lena's story and by doing so, the story comes to life in an honest, raw and deeply personal way. Oftentimes in historical fiction, the authors paint too much of the surrounding picture that it starts to read more like a history book than a novel, but Wiseman did an excellent job of keeping this book extremely engaging from a storytelling perspective while still getting right to the heart of the mistreatment of immigrants, the prejudice shown toward anyone the government didn’t deem worthy of basic human rights.

Although this book was at times heart-wrenching, there were beautiful and wonderful moments as well, as family and community came together to care for each other. The first few chapters read a little more like a textbook, but after that the story comes alive and I could not put it down.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reader copy of this beautiful book.

July 23, 2025
This is definitely a book that I would highly recommend to book clubs. And make sure you read the author's notes at the back of the book. It shows how much research went into this book. It also makes my heart weep for those who went through all this and cry in anger for our government that allowed/encouraged such a thing.




Everything you need to know about this book is in the books recap. It took me three days to read this book, which should have only taken me one. Why? Because it was so historically horrifying that I had to keep regaining my equilibrium. This may seem like a depressing read, but it offers a crucial fictional/factual glimpse into the true story of Eugenics and its impact on the people of the Shenandoah Valley.

In this story, not only did our main character, Lena, and her daughter survive coming to America in steerage with her family, but she also lost her brother and mother to immigration restrictions. They had been deported.

This was a fantastic read that brought tears to my eyes and anger to my heart, but had a happy ending.






For more information, look up "Shenandoah Valley eugenics project" and https://irp.nih.gov/catalyst/29/4/unf...
https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/histor...

*ARC supplied by the publisher, Kensington, the author, and NetGalley

Set against the harsh reality of 1930s forced sterilization, this novel follows Lena, a mother fighting to protect her family and dignity amid cruelty and injustice. Wiseman’s writing is powerful and emotional, bringing to life a dark chapter in history with empathy and hope.

A heartbreaking yet inspiring story about resilience, love, and the fight for justice. Highly recommended.