Society of Lies: A Novel

Content Warning: The source text features sexism, racism, grooming, and emotional trauma.

The title of the book indicates the primary theme, and the compulsion to deceive defines all the characters and the narrative. The multiple lies revealed in the narrative serve an array of purposes and have different consequences. Some of the false behavior is relatively slight. To get Maya into Sterling, Daisy lies that Maya’s grandfather was a wealthy Chinese investor. When Maya meets Kai, whose parents are actually wealthy investors from China, Maya continues the lie, bluffing that her grandfather “invested in buildings—uh, commercial real estate—until he passed away” (120). This novel explores the escalation of lies once begun, and the social shame of being caught out.

DuPont is central to this theme. He is aware of Maya’s lie, and he tells her, “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me” (235). What could pass for a compassionate moment is actually an odious hint that deceit is the status quo within Greystone. DuPont has no problem with Maya’s lie because he constantly practices fraud. His knowledge of her secret also confers power to him. Through the Hunt Gallery, the Hunt investment fund, and the Legacy Foundation, DuPont commits assorted financial crimes.