“Why did you risk your life instead of walking away from Braithe?”
“It was fight or flight, and I was tired of flying. Braithe was there because of me, because Ginger happened to see her with me that night. I didn’t see another option, because Sara saved my life all those years ago. And once someone has extended that courtesy, the wealth of gratitude never goes away.”
“Do you regret not going back for Sara? And do you think it would have made a difference if you had?”
“I don’t know. I’ll live there forever, though, wondering. I was too afraid to think about her back then, but I’m not afraid to think about her anymore.”
“Rainy, can you take us back to that day when Sara helped you escape from the compound? We know now that Sara later became the victim of a serial killer who, fifteen years later, kidnapped your friend Braithe and held her captive. My God, the twists in this story!” She turned to the audience. Looking back at Rainy, she said, “Is there something you wish you could say to Sara and your mother all these years later?”
Rainy knew her face was on full display, including the mist in her eyes, which she tried to hide by turning away. But there was nowhere to go on live television. She thought of the note she’d slipped into Derek’s backpack. Your mother saved my life once. She unlocked a door that led to my freedom. Here’s yours. She’d included a wad of cash that she hoped would set him up for at least a little while.
She looked over at him now, where he sat at the back of the studio. He’d set down his sketchbook to watch. Rainy pulled a strand of hair from the corner of her mouth and looked directly into the camera.
“Your children are going to be okay.”
If you enjoyed this book, keep reading for an excerpt of The Wrong Family, the previously released thriller from Tarryn Fisher.
Acknowledgments
This was a very lonesome book to write. I didn’t include many people in the process. My largest thanks goes to Brittany Lavery, my editor, whose skill, patience and insight I am deeply grateful for. Sean, who designed another brilliant cover. The team at Graydon House: Pam, Justine, Heather, Randy, and everyone in marketing, sales and publicity. Thanks to Jane, my agent, and everyone at DG&B.
Thanks to Serena Knautz for being my right hand and taking care of things that overwhelm me.
I’m always grateful to my family, who support and stand by me through this dream journey I’m taking: Mom, Scarlet, Ryder, Avett—I do this shit for you. Special thanks to James Reynolds for his brilliant ideas.
To the bloggers and bookstagrammers: you guys are the wheels that make the books go round. Thank you for your passion. And to every librarian who’s ever pushed one of my books into a reader’s hand—huge gratitude. And to my readers, the ones who know what Ra ta ta ta means—#pln4life.
To my guy, thank you for picking up the slack, for the emotional support and for the daily back massages—I love you, Joshua. And finally a thanks to Jolene, who influenced my young life so deeply her name has shown up in two books. You taught me who I wanted to be: a badass.
An
Honest
Lie
Tarryn Fisher
Reader’s Guide
Questions for Discussion
At its core, this book is about women fighting back against misogyny. While Rainy’s experience is more extreme, how does this relate to recent news headlines—and the effects of the patriarchy on society overall?
How does Taured compare to and contrast with other real-life cult leaders? Think of Jim Jones, Charles Manson, Keith Raniere and others.
Discuss this book’s feminist themes. Particularly, how did it make you feel when Rainy decided to rescue Braithe, despite how Braithe treated her? Why do you think she did it? If you were Rainy, would you have gone after Braithe?
What did you make of Rainy’s decision to adopt her mother’s maiden name as her own?
What role does art play in this story?
Rainy has a lot of insecurities about her relationship with Grant, and these insecurities make her feel very human and relatable. How do you think her past informs that particular vulnerability?
The phrase “the sins of the parents will be visited upon the children” appears frequently in the story. Where do you think this phrase comes from, and do you see this sentiment playing a role in our larger society? How do you think Rainy takes that idea and flips it on its head?
Have you read any other books or watched any films or television shows about cults? How does Rainy deal with her trauma compared to other characters you’ve seen or read about?