Liars: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains depictions of emotional and physical abuse, sexual content, illness, substance use, and gender discrimination.

Jane introduces her unsatisfactory marriage and reflects on an earlier moment in her relationship with John. While housesitting, she goes to a film festival, where she meets John, a filmmaker from Canada. They have a couple drinks then go to John’s hotel room, which is filled with items he has collected over the last few days, including pieces of birch bark, which John later uses to send notes to Jane. They sleep together and share their goals—Jane wants to write and teach, while John wants to succeed financially and artistically and to win the Akadimia Prize—a prize that comes with a paid year of life and work in Athens, Greece.

John wants to keep his relationship with Jane private because his ex-girlfriend, Naomi, lives near him and is still emotionally dependent on John. John insists Naomi is “unstable” and has frequent thoughts of self-harm. Jane, however, does not accept John’s explanation, arguing that he should not be prioritizing Naomi over her. After Naomi finds out about Jane, she and John cease communicating, and John says he will change his social media relationship status from “single” to “relationship.