Three modern day school children write a letter to a man whose name and paintings they have seen on television. They learn this man grew up in France during World War II. They write him a letter, because they can find no one in their hometown who can remember growing up during that war, and these kids need to complete a school assignment. Mr. Delarue, the painter, responds to their letter, and so begins The Good Liar, a children’s novel by Gregory Maguire.
Mr. Delarue
tells the story of his two older brothers and himself and the competition they had between them to find out who can
tell the biggest and best lie. They are well known liars, and before their father is sent away during the war, he tells them to be good and not tell lies. But what boys can follow that rule?
When the boy’s mother tells them their Uncle Anton is coming to visit them and bringing people with him, the boys are not very interested. They forget all about the coming visit, too caught up in
telling stories, actually lies, about the town gossip, Madame Sevremont. Each brother tries to outdo the other in telling the biggest fib about her; for example, that she is a German spy, she sleeps in a coffin; she is a spy for the grown-ups, etc. Their mother attempts to quiet this lying, but no avail.
When the boys are sent to pick up some
milk from a local farmer, they play games on the way home and all the milk spills. Milk, like most everything else, is scare during wartime, so the boys concoct a
lie to cover their misbehavior. They bring home Irises instead of milk in the milk pail, telling their mother that Mother Superior from the local church begged them for the milk to give to a very, very sick nun. She gave them the flowers in exchange. Their mother is not pleased when she learns they have stolen the flowers, and carelessly spilled the milk.
The
lies continue. Uncle Anton arrives with two people, a woman and her daughter, in tow. They will be staying with the boys’ family, and none of them is happy about it. Even the dog growls when the newcomers are close. The three boys eventually make friends with a young German
soldier that is station in their village of Mont-Saint-Martin. The boys and German Soldier meet at the local fishing hole, where the soldier gives fishing tips and talks about his home and the younger brother he misses. The boys never tell their mother about the soldier, and she only finds out when one of them falls out of a tree, into the water and unto his fishing pole and is injured. The soldier brings them home, and the boys must confess their friendship.
The “competition” of who can tell the biggest, and best, lie is won by an unexpected person, and what a lie it turns out to be. Read the book to learn the identity of The Good Liar.
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