Chapter summaries None of This Is True Lisa Jewell

Chapter 22: Friday, 12 July – A Tense Dinner and Josie’s Control

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Alix prepares dinner for Josie and Walter while Nathan is late from work drinks. Josie arrives beaming with roses and champagne, and Walter appears in new clothes Alix finds touching yet suspicious. Alix learns Walter knew nothing about the podcast. Josie takes charge of the narrative, forcing Alix to maintain the “birthday twins” story. Alix calls Nathan through Giovanni; Nathan is drunk and only half an hour away. Josie openly criticizes Nathan, making Alix feel threatened and regretful. Alix shows Walter the recording studio, where he reveals that Josie has an “elastic relationship with the truth” and warns Alix that Josie controls people without them realising. Dinner limps along without Nathan; Alix snaps at Josie’s pity and ends the night early. After the guests leave, Leon tells Alix he saw Josie standing outside the studio eavesdropping, looking “really cross.” At home, Josie berates Walter for being an embarrassment, and he retorts that Alix doesn’t even like her. Josie feels fury and certainty that she must tell Alix everything, despite Walter calling her stupid.

Key Events

  • Alix texts Nathan “OK” after he says he’s having a quick drink with Gio.
  • Josie and Walter arrive; Josie is unnervingly beaming, Walter seems subdued in brand-new clothes.
  • Alix discovers Walter didn’t know about the podcast; Josie forces her to pretend it’s about being birthday twins.
  • Nathan is still not home by 8:30; Giovanni hands the phone to him – Nathan is drunk and promises a cab.
  • Josie openly disparages Nathan for being late; Alix feels threatened and thinks of backing out of the project.
  • Alix takes Walter to the recording studio; he calls Josie “a tricky one” with an “elastic relationship with the truth.”
  • Walter warns Alix that Josie is a control freak; Alix sees him as a gaslighter and abuser.
  • Dinner is strained; Alix snaps at Josie’s pity and sends the guests home early.
  • Leon reveals he saw Josie standing outside the studio eavesdropping, looking cross.
  • Later, Josie attacks Walter for embarrassing her; he counters that Alix doesn’t like her.
  • Josie feels the “moment she has been waiting for” and resolves to tell Alix something.

Character Development

  • Alix: Grows increasingly anxious and defensive. She begins to doubt her own judgment in letting Josie into her life. Her irritation at Nathan’s absence exposes cracks in her marriage.
  • Josie: Reveals her controlling nature. She stage-manages the evening, lies to Walter about the podcast, and tries to paint herself as the victim. Her fury at Walter’s honesty shows she is desperate to maintain the narrative she has built.
  • Walter: Shows a different side – manipulative and dismissive of Josie. His warning about Josie’s “elastic relationship with the truth” makes him appear cunning rather than simply a victim. He openly calls Josie “stupid,” destroying any pretense of unity.
  • Nathan: Remains absent for most of the chapter, yet his behaviour – going out for “a quick one” and arriving drunk – frustrates Alix and gives Josie ammunition.
  • Leon: Observant and innocent, he unknowingly reveals Josie’s suspicious behaviour.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Surveillance and hidden motives: Josie eavesdropping on Alix and Walter mirrors the earlier image of her rifling through Alix’s recycling. She controls through watching.
  • Performance and dishonesty: Josie forces Alix to perform a lie about the podcast. Alix feels trapped in a role she didn’t choose.
  • Control versus trust: Walter warns Alix that Josie “controls you without you realizing”; Josie in turn feels she is losing control of the situation.
  • The symbol of the recording studio: Represents the truth Alix seeks, but it becomes a site of hidden threats – Walter’s warnings and Josie’s eavesdropping.
  • Food as failed hospitality: The carefully prepared chicken alfredo, the unopened champagne, the untouched roses – all reflect a dinner that fails to create genuine connection.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point in Alix’s understanding of Josie. The dinner party intended to build trust instead exposes fractures: Walter’s admissions contradict Josie’s story, Josie’s eavesdropping shows her paranoia, and Leon’s observation hints that Josie is not a passive subject. The evening also deepens the tension between Alix and Nathan, hinting at marital strain. Josie’s final fury and resolve to “tell Alix” suggest that the podcast project is veering into dangerous territory. For the reader, Walter’s warning that Josie has an “elastic relationship with the truth” introduces doubt about the reliability of any narrative – including Josie’s past.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. What does Walter reveal about Josie’s character to Alix in the recording studio?
    Walter says Josie has an “elastic relationship with the truth” – she changes reality when she doesn’t like the facts. He also warns Alix that Josie is a control freak who takes over people’s lives without them realising, implying that Alix is being manipulated.

  2. Why does Alix feel both threatened and defensive when Josie criticizes Nathan?
    Josie’s criticism strikes a nerve because Alix is already frustrated with Nathan. But Josie’s condescending tone (“You poor thing”) makes Alix feel pitied and controlled. Alix snaps back, asserting she is “not a poor thing,” showing her resistance to being cast as a victim.

  3. How does Leon’s observation change the reader’s understanding of Josie?
    Leon reports seeing Josie standing outside the studio listening, “really cross.” This confirms that Josie is not a passive guest but actively spying. It suggests she does not trust Walter alone with Alix and wants to control the information exchanged, adding a layer of menace to her character.

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