The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie by Radhika Sanghani

May 2024

The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie is the thought-provoking and ever-so engaging debut children’s book by Radhika Sanghani. Targeted at age 9+, it reaches across Middle Grade into the Teen category with important issues for adolescents. Readers will identify with first crushes, puberty, managing responsbilities and independence, friendships, bullies, teachers and homework.

This is the second book about gymnastics I’ve read recently. It’s wonderful to see such a great representation of girls in sport as well as a true reflection of the pressures and enjoyment found in gymnastics.

Priya lives a life of high expectations and family secrets. She can’t talk about her parents arguing all the time or her sister’s ADHD. There’s no question that she has to do her best at school and gymnastics or she risks letting the family down. It’s a big responsibility that weighs on her. To make things even harder, her beloved grandmother, Ba, passed away last year. Priya misses having someone to talk to and who really understands her. Just before she died, Ba gave Priya a shiny bangle.

“…the bangle will help you when you feel lonely. You see loneliness comes when we can’t be honest with people.”

Priya has never been able to wear the bangle because it has a broken clasp. One day, it unexpectedly opens and Priya is able to fasten it on her wrist. The trouble is, she can’t get it off again! The clasp is stuck. To make matters worse, the bangle seems to have some sort of magical power. Priya can only tell the truth.

As she navigates endless tricky (and sometimes embarrassing) situations, Priya discovers that telling the truth, although hard, is actually the better way. It builds genuine relationships based on caring and trust. She inspires her friends to be more honest about themselves and encouarges her family to face up to the secrets they’re keeping. Most importantly, Priya learns to be more honest with herself and think about what it is she really wants. It takes nearly losing everything to find out what is truly important to her.

The Girl Who Couldn’t Lie explores so many aspects of young teen life. Priya’s Indian culture plays a big part in her family’s dynamics and how they feel they should behave. One of her best friends decides to be truthful about the fact that she’s a lesbian. Another friend shares just how important her Bat Mitzfah is to her. Priya’s sister, Pinkie, is very articulate about her ADHD. Readers will be challenged to think about how honest they are in their own life and how much freedom they could find if they choose to face up to hidden truths.

Thank you to Usborne and Jessical Feichtlbauer for an early copy of this brilliant book!

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