One Great Lie

By: Deb Caletti

Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers

Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

Four starred reviews!

A “quietly triumphant” (Horn Book Magazine) and atmospheric YA story of romance, mystery, and power about a young woman discovering her strength in lush, sultry Venice - from the Printz Honor-winning author of A Heart in a Body in the World. 

When Charlotte wins a scholarship to a writing workshop in Venice with the charismatic and brilliant Luca Bruni, it’s a dream come true. Writing is her passion, she loves Bruni’s books, and going to that romantic and magical sinking city gives her the chance to solve a long-time family mystery about a Venetian poet deep in their lineage, Isabella Di Angelo, who just might be the real author of a very famous poem. 

Bruni’s villa on the eerie island of La Calamita is extravagant - lush beyond belief, and the other students are both inspiring and intimidating. Venice itself is beautiful, charming, and seductive, but so is Luca Bruni. As his behavior becomes increasingly unnerving, and as Charlotte begins to unearth the long-lost work of Isabella with the help of sweet, smart Italian Dante, other things begin to rise, too - secrets about the past…and secrets about the present.

As the events of the summer build to a shattering climax, Charlotte will be forced to confront some dark truths about the history of powerful men - and about the determination of creative girls.

©2021 Deb Caletti. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved

Caletti gets me again

It amazes me that Ms. Caletti always manages to pull me into her universe so completely, most especially with the most recent (5 or 6) books. It happens even if the tale starts slow (for me).

Of course, I got completely involved with Charlotte's story in this tale but I learn so much as I read the book. I learn about feminism; I gain some insight to the female psyche, and I am given some small clues about being more empathetic towards women.

I have often wondered why women even talk to us based upon the uneven playing field & repression women have suffered. But that has been based upon what I "see" in our culture; the glass ceiling, abuse & violence visited upon them, advances I've seen in my lifetime & so forth. But the abominations heaped upon the women at the start of each chapter were beyond any of my imaginings. Also, after the "incident," the levels of the girls's reaction seemed a lot to me but I attributed that to the fact that each person reacts to stress or pain differently as well as I have never been a 17 year old girl. But later, when Charlotte thinks how devastating it is to be considered "someTHING to f*#k..." it snapped into focus. Ms Caletti & Ms Powers really made the people & story & struggles REAL for me & I cannot praise nor thank them enough for the experience.