When a Story Made Me Forget I Was Translating

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 A behind-the-scenes look at As Mentiras que Contamos (The Lies We Tell), by J.D. Barker

Translating a thriller usually demands sharp focus. But sometimes… the story pulls you in so deeply that focus becomes immersion.

That’s exactly what happened with As Mentiras que Contamos, by J.D. Barker. I’d sit down to translate a paragraph, and suddenly realize I’d read two full pages, caught up in the mystery, forgetting I was supposed to be working.

Sierra, the protagonist, wakes up from a terrible accident with no memory. But that’s only the beginning of her nightmare. As she pieces together her life, every truth hides another lie. Every ally could be an enemy.

As a reader, I was hooked. As a translator, I was challenged — in the best way.



Barker’s pacing is relentless. His prose slices through the page, revelation after revelation, forcing you to rethink everything you thought you knew. I found myself constantly trying to predict the ending (spoiler: I couldn’t).

I also had to be methodical. The story is set in real places in the U.S., so I opened Google Maps more than once. I searched neighborhoods, highways, coffee shops. I had to decide which names to keep, which ones to explain, and how to preserve the tone and rhythm in Portuguese.

Translating this book was a joy — technically, narratively, emotionally.
And now it’s ready for readers in Brazil.

📚 As Mentiras que Contamos (The Lies We Tell) by J.D. Barker
📍 Now available on Amazon Brazil and Kobo
📌 Translated by me, Cristiane May Allgayer



Curious about how I can help bring your book to Brazilian readers?
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