"Big Little Truths" | Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider

“Big Little Truths,” a must-read by Liane Moriarty, is an engrossing, gossipy melodrama readers will clamor to get their hands on. Moriarty’s newest features characters from “Big Little Lies,” (2014), the wildly popular novel that spawned an HBO series in 2017 that everyone was talking about, set in Australia. In the TV series, the location played out on the rocky coast of the Monterey Peninsula.

While Moriarty’s newest is a sequel, it is a standalone, so readers won’t be lost if they aren’t familiar with Madeline, Renata, Celeste, Bonnie and Jane, who are older now, their elementary-aged kids eclipsed into teenagers. As the women adjust to the angst of bunions and faulty pelvic floors, hot flashes, and elderly parents their offspring morph into moody, abrasive know-it-alls, a far cry from the sweet 5-year-olds who welcomed their parents’ attention and affection.

The action begins with a grisly delivery. A severed, male finger is mailed to the high school principal, an aberrance that sends the administration and parents into a dither. The news travels throughout the Pirriwee Peninsula with the speed and force of a tsunami.

But it does little to dampen Madeline’s excitement about her 50^th birthday party—a bash where she’ll be the center of attention. Her friends will attend, as will her husband Ed, and her two daughters, Abagail, in her 20s, and Chloe and her friends, the sons and daughters of Madeline’s four besties.

Naturally, there’s drama at the party when things don’t go as planned. Why on earth would Abagail announce her engagement to her “perfect” boyfriend on a night that was supposed to be all about Madeline? Another glitch is more personal. While she was getting dressed for the affair, Madeline discovered a lump in her breast she told no one about.

In chapters narrated primarily by the five friends, readers catch up on what’s been happening in their relationships and what they are dealing with at present. A new character also is introduced, Melody Montclair, a superlative teacher everyone loves who is quickly welcomed into the friend group. Beloved by her students, Melody becomes central to the plot.

Another interesting addition is Mary Louise White who was played by Meryl Streep in “Big Little Lies," and is Celeste's mother-in-law. Moriarty wrote her into the new book and Mary Louise becomes important to the story as she struggles with memory issues and forgiveness.

  Throughout the novel, the narrative is interspersed with comments from the five friends’ sons and daughters who are in a supportive group counseling session. Chloe, Skye, Max, Josh and Ziggy offer input on their parents and explain how the teens laid bare a disgusting secret that victimizes many, past and present.  

There are identifiable themes in “Big Little Truths” and a cast of characters that requires attention and some note taking to keep them all straight. To help with that, readers might want to watch “Big Little Lies,” at least a couple of episodes, as a refresher. The effort will be worth it. Though the ending of “Big Little Truths” is confusing, its purpose is clear. Another television series is in the works with the original cast onboard and Streep considering a return. Here’s hoping...

Buy the book