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BOOK STATS & SUMMARY
STATS
| Title | I Know This Much Is True |
| Author | Wally Lamb |
| Book Club(s) | Oprah’s Book Club #18 in June 1998 |
| Publication Date/Year | June 14, 1998 |
| Page Count | 897 |
| Genre(s) | Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Novels, Mental Health |
| Setting | New England |
| Goodreads Rating | 4.21 |
| Audience | Adult |
| Series | No |
| Translator | N/A |
| Awards | 2 |
SUMMARY
I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb follows Dominick Birdsey, a middle-aged man grappling with his troubled past and his complicated relationship with his identical twin brother, Thomas, who suffers from schizophrenia. When Thomas experiences a disturbing public crisis, Dominick is pulled into a whirlwind of emotional, legal, and personal challenges. This incident forces him to confront not only his brother’s illness but also the buried trauma of their shared childhood and his own unresolved pain.
As Dominick cares for Thomas, the novel alternates between the present and flashbacks to their childhood. This sheds light on their Italian-American family and painful upbringing. Dominick’s efforts to support his brother while navigating personal challenges — including a failed marriage and unresolved guilt — form the emotional core of the narrative. The story explores themes of mental illness, family loyalty, and the burden of responsibility.
Ultimately, the novel is about love, forgiveness, and the search for self-understanding. As Dominick uncovers painful truths about his family, he begins to come to terms with his own identity. I Know This Much is True is a powerful exploration of family, mental illness, and the complexities of human relationships.
BOOK RATING & REVIEW
RATING
| BCR Rating | 2.5 |
| Availability | 4 |
| Format | 5 |
| Diversity | 3 |
| Bechdel Test | Fail |
| Page Turner | No |
REVIEW
II Know This Much is True was Oprah’s Book Club pick #18 in June 1998. In our opinion, it is a “heavy read”. At 897 pages, it’s a long, emotionally draining journey that often leaves one feeling more sad than moved. While the book is often praised for its portrayal of mental illness, which may be beneficial for the community it represents, the overall experience is more of a downer than a thought-provoking exploration. With an initial BCR rating of 2 stars, 3 stars were considered for the value many place on its accurate representation of mental health. Therefore, we arrived at a rating of 2.5.
The characters, especially Dominick and his twin brother Thomas, are deeply entrenched in Lamb’s psyche, and the story feels like a cathartic release for the author. It’s clear that Lamb had to share these complex characters, but as a reader, trudging through the emotional mire just kept getting heavier. The ending, though, is a sharp contrast — it wraps up quickly, almost as if the author rushed to finish after 800 pages of grueling material. The swift and surprisingly happy conclusion felt almost like a mercy or apology to the reader for the emotional toll the book takes.
While the book may not be for everyone, the TV adaptation, with its stellar cast, is a more engaging experience. It condenses the material in a way that makes it more digestible, and though it omits several subplots (like the backstory of the grandpa and some of the deeper family issues), the show is a more coherent way to experience the story. The show seems to improve on the book in many ways — it’s a tighter, more accessible narrative that gets the emotional impact across without dragging through loads of heavier material. If you’re looking for your next read after finishing this book, we’d definitely recommend something fun and easy to balance out the emotional weight!
BOOK CLUB RESOURCES
BCR RECOMMENDATION
I Know This Much is True is a dense, emotionally intense novel that delves deep into themes of mental illness, family trauma, identity, and forgiveness. While it’s a well-known and often praised book — including being selected as Oprah’s Book Club pick #18 — it’s not a casual read and may not be ideal for the average book club.
At nearly 900 pages, this book is a major time investment and may not be a good fit for clubs that read a new book every month. However, if your book club has a particular interest in stories centered on mental health, complex family dynamics, or contemporary literary fiction, it could be a meaningful and rewarding choice.
If you do choose I Know This Much is True for your club, consider announcing the pick early and giving members 1.5 to 2 months to read. It’s a heavy, layered story that benefits from time to digest — both in terms of length and emotional weight. Plan for a thoughtful discussion and, perhaps, something much lighter for your next pick!
BOOK DISCUSSION
If your book club is reading I Know This Much Is True, unfortunately, there are not many resources to guide your discussion. We recommend the BCR General Book Discussion Guide and seeing what thoughtful conversations about characters, plot development, and themes arise organically. This book has loads of material to make for an interesting discussion.
WHAT TO READ NEXT
If you or your book club read I Know This Much Is True, we recommend reading something lighter next such as:
- Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
- Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
- The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune