The Last Time I Lied: A Novel

Emma rushes from the latrine and pounds on the Lodge’s door, announcing that she knows about Peaceful Valley Asylum and demanding to speak to Franny. She thinks that Vivian felt a connection to the patients because they drowned like her sister. She also feels guilty that Vivian kept this frightening secret, believing that Vivian must have “forced [Emma] to hate her” to keep her safe from the dangerous truth (319).

Lottie appears and offers to explain. She tells Emma that her full name is Charlotte; she was named after her great-grandfather, Charles Cutler. Dr. Cutler watched his mother’s experiences with mental illness and devoted his life to helping women like her. He worked in a “terrible” psychiatric hospital in New York City, which inspired him to create a better place for patients who lacked financial resources. He took in the “worst cases” from the city hospital and brought them to Peaceful Valley. He struggled to fund the project, so he got permission from the women to sell their hair to wigmakers. However, even this could not sustain the hospital. He sold the land to Buchanan Harris, Franny’s grandfather, and found new homes for his patients while Harris built the dam.