The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly follows Minnow, who spent twelve years inside the Kevinian Community, a patriarchal cult led by a man known only as the Prophet. After she is caught trying to leave, the community's punishment leaves her without hands. When the Prophet is later found dead and the camp destroyed by fire, Minnow becomes the prime suspect and is sent to a juvenile detention center.

The novel alternates between Minnow's present, where she navigates detention alongside her cellmate Angel and is questioned by FBI psychologist Dr. Wilson, and her past inside the Community, as she recounts the beliefs and abuses that shaped her childhood and the events that led to the Prophet's death. An FBI deal offering her a path to freedom hinges on how much of that history she is willing to tell.

Stephanie Oakes's debut novel is a character study of a young woman rebuilding an identity and a moral framework after leaving a closed, controlling community.