Big Lies in a Small Town: A Novel

An understanding of Depression-era history in the United States provides useful context for Anna’s story. During the Great Depression, unemployment peaked at nearly 25%, according to the City University of New York. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal implemented huge government spending projects to create jobs and alleviate the suffering of millions of Americans. Part of that New Deal was a Treasury Department-sponsored mural contest. Its intent was to boost optimism by creating public works of art as well as to provide employment for artists. It is in this context that Anna’s story begins, and she makes it clear that, in the aftermath of her mother’s suicide, the commission from her mural will keep her solvent for a while. Although Chamberlain never clarifies why Anna, a resident of New Jersey, is selected to paint a mural in Edenton, her arrival in town and her outsider status sets up the conflict with Martin, which is the catalyst for the novel’s sudden spiral into tragedy. Ultimately, whether or not the selection of an outsider artist like Anna is historically accurate is of little narrative importance, and Chamberlain’s historical research is otherwise thorough.