Big Lies in a Small Town: A Novel

After an interview with the local paper, Anna picks up a copy of Life magazine which contains pictures of all the winning mural sketches. Anna’s own draft is nearly complete, but Myrtle notes that she hasn’t been sleeping or eating enough. Remembering her mother’s “lively spells,” Anna fears that she may be engaging in a similar behavior pattern and agrees to take better care of herself.

Oliver shows Morgan an old newspaper clipping about Anna Dale. They wonder what happened to her and how Jesse came into possession of the mural. Seeing Anna’s photograph and reading her passionate words about the mural gives Morgan new inspiration. Suddenly, “good enough” is not adequate, and she states, “I wanted to give life to the mural that Anna Dale never had the chance to give” (103).

With the mural now stretched across a wooden frame and mounted in the foyer, Morgan has a new perspective on the work, on the faces of the Tea Party women, and on the mysterious motorcycle. She wonders how the optimism projected by Anna in the article could morph into such strange imagery.

On Christmas day, Anna meets Pauline and Karl, Myrtle’s daughter and son-in-law. Watching the easy rapport between Pauline and her mother intensifies Anna’s grief over her own mother’s death. After dinner, she shows them her preliminary sketch for the mural, and they love the idea of the Tea Party as the centerpiece. Being surrounded by a family, Anna feels “content.”

As Morgan begins the laborious process of cleaning the mural, she feels a sense of pride and accomplishment for the first time in years. She has also begun attending AA meetings, but she finds them pointless because she is confident that she will never drink again. As she makes slow progress on the mural, she uncovers something unsettling: the lumberjack symbolizing Edenton’s lumber industry is holding an axe dripping with blood. When Oliver returns from running errands, they both puzzle over the incongruous imagery. As everyone leaves for the night, Morgan remains to continue working.

A little later, Rebecca, Morgan’s parole officer, stops by to check in. Not wanting to get distracted by “counselor talk,” Morgan assures her that everything is fine, which is not entirely the truth. Rebecca leaves, and as Morgan begins to clean up, she is greeted by the smell of beer from the recycling bin. Without warning, emotions and images flood over her: her pre-prison life, her friends, her “innocence.” She recalls the night of the accident, her boyfriend Trey—the driver—fleeing the scene and leaving her to take the blame. Visions of Emily Maxwell’s broken and bleeding body trigger an urge to drink, but she suppresses it, knowing that she can’t jeopardize her second and only chance.

Anna has begun to enjoy Edenton’s small-town affability until Martin’s wife confronts her, angry that Anna won the commission over her husband. “We could have used the money” (117), she says. Despite having won the contest on her own merits, Anna is torn by guilt.

Morgan feels attracted to Adam, one of the workmen at the gallery, but she fears that pursuing her interest will lead her down a troublesome path. That night, she comes home and surprises Lisa in a moment of grief as she remembering her father. For the first time, the roles are reversed: Lisa is vulnerable, and Morgan is in control. Lisa, overwhelmed by the demands of the gallery opening, offers a rare display of empathy. She knows that Morgan is a “novice” at restoration and admits that her “expectations of [Morgan] are completely unreasonable” (121). She confesses that unless the gallery opens on the appointed date, she will lose the house. She reiterates her claim that it will suffice for Morgan to get the mural clean and touched up.

One morning, Anna receives a visit from Martin, who, unlike his wife, is gracious and offers his help with the mural. He mentions that the mayor—his cousin—has “taken a shine” (128) to Anna, but rumors of Martin’s philandering keep her at a distance. She politely refuses his offer of help, and he leaves.

Morgan tells Oliver about the strict conditions of the will: If the gallery doesn’t open on time, Lisa loses the house and Morgan goes back to prison unpaid. Oliver finds it hard to believe, but he resolves to do everything he can to help Morgan meet the deadline.

With her work completed for the day, Morgan returns to the house. Lisa invites her to her aunt’s birthday, which will take place at the house in which Jesse grew up. When they arrive, Morgan notices several white children playing in the yard, and Lisa explains that she is related to all of them and indicates that the diverse racial background of her family is the result of once-forbidden interracial relationships, or sometimes of rape. Inside the house, Morgan meets Lisa’s aunt, “Mama Nelle,” and when Lisa mentions the mural restoration, Mama Nelle exclaims, “Miss Anna’s mural?” (136). Mama Nelle remembers keeping secrets about Anna, and says, “We couldn’t let nobody know nothin’ ‘bout her” (138). Lisa cautions Morgan that Mama Nelle’s memory is unreliable, but Morgan believes that she may be able to provide a valuable connection to the past.