Lexie’s Little Lie by Emma Shevah (review)

Ten-year old cousins Lexie and Eleni have been inseparable since birth: Lexie was placed in a bassinet with Eleni, born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, and their family believes this is what allowed Eleni to survive open heart surgery at one week old. It seemed that nothing could come between the girls, but Lexie learns that Yiayia, their grandmother, made a secret promise to Eleni as a baby: if Eleni lived, Yiayia would break tradition and leave her a treasured family heirloom. After Yiayia dies, Lexie’s mother is devasted to hear that she will not get the necklace she’d waited her whole life to receive; in response, Lexie lies, steals the necklace, and causes a rift within an otherwise extremely close-knit family. The book tells this heartfelt story of a loving Greek family from the perspective of Lexie, an otherwise honest do-gooder who is trying to understand that not all lies are the same: white lies to minimize hurt feelings are okay, but lies that split up families are another matter. Lexie’s “solution” of taking the necklace (she hoped everyone would eventually forget about it) is a childish move, but it’s in character for a kid with a questing nature who’s trying to figure things out. End pages include Greek recipes and a note about the author that’s just as interesting as the novel.