Indelicate Deception

Indelicate Deception by V.S. Kemanis is a universally placed, character-driven novel about the nature of love, memory, truth, and the complexity of family dynamics. Spanning multiple decades, the plot centers on Caty, a young woman seeking the truth about her mother, Lenore, her ghostly presence hovering over the story even in her absence. Narrative through multiple perspectives — Caty, her father Roy, and Lenore herself — the novel builds a portrait of a woman who defied expectations and a love story determined by circumstance and miscommunication.

Now middle-aged, Caty narrates her quest to learn the truth about her parents’ history. As a child, she idolizes Lenore through the lens of her father’s stories, but she learns as she matures that his version of events doesn’t jibe with reality, and the gaps cause her confusion. A Vietnam veteran, Roy, raised Caty himself, molding her perspective on love, loss, and resilience. As this is the story about Lenore, we get to see, through flashbacks, how she was an ambitious, headstrong woman interested in pursuing her career in law and changing the world for the better as she faced her own personal demons.

A mix of nostalgia, suspense, and emotional depth, Indelicate Deception is beautifully written and takes a deep dive into the nature of memory, the stories we tell ourselves, and the truths we can’t bear.

V.S. Kemanis skillfully delivers pulsating emotion and psychological density. The book is full of characters, all of whom have their own voice and their own perspective. The back-and-forth timelines and changing perspectives weave together experiences that offer in layers the complexity of Caty’s family history. Kemanis’ prose is vivid and immersive, pulling readers into other ages through lingering descriptions and intimate monologues.

A principal strength of the novel is its investigation of memory and truth. As Caty excavates her mother’s past, the novel also probes how we remember those we’ve lost and how love, grief, and bias can shape personal narratives. Roy’s point of view adds another layer, showing the weight of the past and the sacrifices people make for love and family. Meanwhile, Lenore’s chapters offer a portrait of a woman navigating ambitions and familial duties.

Although the novel proceeds at a languid pace, the gradual unfurling of revelations renders the emotional payoffs that much more resonant. Indelicate Deception is a poignant, intellectual take on identity, love, and the interplay of deception and honesty in our lives​.