Why I Wrote The Lies We Whisper

When readers ask what inspired me to write The Lies We Whisper, I always stumble for a second—because it wasn’t just one thing. This story grew out of late-night what-ifs, fragments of memory, and an obsession with the shadows we all carry. I’ve always been fascinated by the way trauma shapes us, how secrets linger in the corners of our minds, and how love and obsession can become almost indistinguishable in the dark.

I spent years studying the patterns that hide beneath the surface of “normal” life, the places where pain and hope overlap, where survival can look a lot like silence. Hanna’s journey in this book is deeply personal, not because it mirrors my own, but because it explores what it means to live with loss, fear, and the constant need to protect the people you love.

I wanted to write a story that doesn’t flinch from the difficult questions: How do we heal when the past keeps whispering? What does it mean to trust, even when you know betrayal could be waiting? And most of all, how do we find hope, even when it feels out of reach?

The Lies We Whisper is my answer to those questions. It’s a love letter to anyone who’s ever felt haunted by their own memories and a reminder that sometimes, the truth is the only thing that can set us free.

Thank you for reading and for letting Hanna’s story into your life.

—Sophia Zane