BooksBarbecue
Back Two Truths and a Lie
Chapters (100)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Prologue
  4. June
  5. 1.
  6. 2.
  7. 3.
  8. 4.
  9. 5.
  10. 6.
  11. 7.
  12. 8.
  13. 9.
  14. 10.
  15. 11.
  16. 12.
  17. 13.
  18. 14.
  19. 15.
  20. 16.
  21. 17.
  22. 18.
  23. 19.
  24. 20.
  25. 21.
  26. 22.
  27. 23.
  28. 24.
  29. 25.
  30. 26.
  31. 27.
  32. July
  33. 28.
  34. 29.
  35. 30.
  36. 31.
  37. 32.
  38. 33.
  39. 34.
  40. 35.
  41. 36.
  42. 37.
  43. 38.
  44. 39.
  45. 40.
  46. 41.
  47. 42.
  48. 43.
  49. 44.
  50. 45.
  51. 46.
  52. 47.
  53. 48.
  54. August
  55. 49.
  56. 50.
  57. 51.
  58. 52.
  59. 53.
  60. 54.
  61. 55.
  62. 56.
  63. 57.
  64. 58.
  65. 59.
  66. 60.
  67. 61.
  68. 62.
  69. 63.
  70. 64.
  71. 65.
  72. 66.
  73. 67.
  74. 68.
  75. 69.
  76. 70.
  77. 71.
  78. 72.
  79. 73.
  80. 74.
  81. 75.
  82. 76.
  83. 77.
  84. 78.
  85. 79.
  86. 80.
  87. 81.
  88. 82.
  89. 83.
  90. 84.
  91. 85.
  92. 86.
  93. 87.
  94. 88.
  95. 89.
  96. 90.
  97. Acknowledgments
  98. About the Author
  99. Also by Meg Mitchell Moore
  100. About the Publisher

I am beyond grateful to the team at William Morrow, who have welcomed me so warmly and worked so hard for my books: Liate Stehlik, Molly Waxman, Julie Paulauski, Vedika Khanna, Jen Hart, and my fabulous and insightful editor, Kate Nintzel. Kate has twice taken very rough first drafts and worked her magic on them, not letting me rest until we have the best book we can have. (Even when I really, really want to rest.) Here’s to the future!

My agent, Elisabeth Weed, has been my tireless champion and friend from the beginning of my publishing career, and I’m so thankful for her and all the people at the Book Group. Special shout-out to Hallie Schaeffer for keeping things moving smoothly and for smart editorial insight at just the right time.

While any mistakes in this book are mine alone, I owe a thank you to the FBI’s Office of Public Affairs for answering my many questions carefully and thoughtfully over the course of several months. For additional detail I used the book Witsec: Inside the Witness Protection Program by Pete Earley and Gerald Shur.

This book wouldn’t exist without the town of Newburyport, Massachusetts, which my family and I have called home for twelve of the past thirteen years. I moved around a lot as a kid and a young adult, and Newburyport is the place I’ve lived longest in my life—I consider it my hometown by proxy. Newburyport! Your restaurants, beaches, houses, history, rail trail, parks, ice cream, Yankee Homecoming festivities and general sensibility are all a big part of this book and I thank you for giving me so much to work with in life and in fiction. Thank you to Jabberwocky Bookshop and the other independent bookstores around the country that support authors and keep people reading avidly and shopping locally. The Book Rack, Newburyport’s other independent bookstore, did not survive to see the end of 2019 but remains alive in this book because it did so much for so many (including me) for so long.

An author takes a certain risk setting a book in the town where she lives, and to anyone with concerns about this I have three words: fiction, fiction, fiction. My own Newburyport Mom Squad has only its (former) name in common with the Mom Squad of this book. My squaders are full of love and empathy and kindness, and that might not make for enticing fiction, but it sure does make for sustaining friendships and really fun dinners out.