Northern Ireland. Summer 2019.

Tara has been raised by her mam and nan in Derry City. Faith lives in rural Armagh.

Their lives on opposite sides of a political divide couldn’t be more different. Until they come face-to-face with each other and are shocked to discover they look almost identical. Are they connected?

In searching for the truth about their own identities, the teenagers uncover more than they bargained for.

But what if finding out who you truly are means undermining everything you’ve ever known?

To every reader of Truth Be Told – thank you.

In a world full of stunning novels, it still feels surreal that people choose to read mine. The stories that we choose to read, write, listen to, or hear around us are significant. In most societies, there are dominant narratives. Those voices say: This is the way it is, was and always will be. Often, they fall short of telling ‘the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth’. If you listen, you will also hear other voices. Diverse voices. They will ask: Is that true? Is that the only story? Are there other ways of looking at this? Are bits of that story missing? Why?

The dominant narrative of Northern Ireland in its simplest form is ‘Catholics versus Protestants’. For generations it has been a ‘them and us’ story. It’s the story those of us living here are most often told and it’s what people elsewhere expect to hear from this part of the world. That story is not untrue, but it’s also not the whole picture. Dig deeper into any conflict (or peaceful society) and you will find stories that do not fit. Conflict is not always black and white – there are greys. Truth can be messy – and hard to hear.

Truth Be Told is about truth, forgiveness and the stories that do not fit.

Up front, it’s the story of two sixteen-year-old girls, Tara and Faith – imagine ‘Parent Trap meets Derry Girls’. In searching for truths in their own identities, the teenagers uncover more than they bargained for. Sometimes who you are, is not what you expect. At a deeper level, the novel is the story of women across three generations in Northern Ireland. Stories that are often left untold. Truth Be Told is about both ‘the Troubles’ and the legacy of that conflict today. It’s also about social and rights-based issues. Whilst the characters and plot in this novel are fictitious, their context is real.

From January 2017 to January 2020, the regional government in Northern Ireland (Stormont, Belfast) collapsed. Politicians did not meet together there to make practical and policy decisions about everyday things such as health, jobs, justice, environment and education. They also failed to take decisions about more controversial issues, including abortion, same-sex marriage, Irish language rights and legacy issues from ‘the Troubles’, such as pensions for victims and survivors.

In autumn 2019, the British government (Westminster, London) intervened. It said that if local politicians couldn’t form a government to sort things out, it would impose Human Rights legislation to decriminalize abortion and move to legalize same-sex marriage. In October 2019, this happened. In January 2020, Northern Irish politicians eventually reached a ‘New Decade, New Approach’ deal and got back to work – just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. In June 2021, a ‘Troubles’ pension scheme finally opened, 23 years after the end of ‘the Troubles’. In July 2021, the British government announced plans to bring forward legislation to ban ‘Troubles-related’ prosecutions. People who suffered in ‘the Troubles’ may never get their day in court. Experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have been very critical of this. So have victims’ groups.

During all of this, people in Northern Ireland just try to get on with everyday life – and much of life here is relatively ‘normal’ and peaceful. It’s a place of stunningly beautiful landscapes, vibrant culture and friendly people. Much of the past hate has been replaced with hope but we are still on a journey. Themes like truth, justice and forgiveness also apply to a much wider context than just within Northern Ireland.

When I wrote the author’s note in my first novel, Guard Your Heart, I said that I write for empathy – that fiction is a powerful tool for creating empathy and that empathy is a powerful tool for creating peace. I still believe that holds true. Listening to ‘other’ voices and walking in ‘other’ shoes broadens our mindsets. It helps us to see our shared humanity and to look at issues from different perspectives. Wherever you live, read diverse stories. Listen to diverse voices. Ask your own questions. Think.