Lies, Based on True Stories, a novel by Courtney Soling Smith, Posted on August 6, 2025

Lies, Based on True Stories, is  only the second novel I have ever read that included footnotes. The first one was The Andromeda Strain. Here, however, the footnotes are historically accurate, which is why I like historical fiction. In this context, “lies” are not entirely made up; they refer to stories told so many times, they have been burnished like fine silver.

Footnote number 46 explains that  while there is no proof that General Stonewall Jackson liked lemons, this notion was popular at the time.

This is what happens when an historian discovered a story that unfolded in 1863 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, during the Civil War. In this terrifying incident, the Elmhurst house was invaded, ransacked, and her outbuilding were destroyed. The only reason the house was not burned to the ground was the presence of a very sick relative dying in an upstairs bedroom. This story haunted the author, who at first turned it into a play. It has all of the elements of a good play, so that was a brilliant idea. The novel version is equally compelling.

The story is presented in fifty-four chapters, each an almost deposition-like narrative, told from the perspective of an eyewitness to the events. Each narrative is lively and entertaining. The entire story is book-ended with “letters to the editor.” The characters are based on people who lived at the time, and their voices are distinctive and compelling. Enjoy!