Published in 1995 by Viking Adult, the book tells the story of Karr's childhood in the 1960s in a small industrial town in Southeast Texas.

[1] The title refers to her father and his friends who would gather together to drink and tell stories when they were not working at the local oil refinery or the chemical plant.

Using a non-linear story line, Karr describes the troubles of growing up in a family and town where heavy alcohol abuse and psychological problems are common issues.

The memoir details her experience being raped and molested as a child, her mother's mental instability, and her witness to death and disparity.

Sheila Ballantyne of The New York Times lauds the memoir's "haunting, often exquisite phrasing of states of being and qualities of mind that resonate long after a page is turned.

"[12] Writing for The Washington Post, Jonathan Yardley noted that, "The Liars' Club is a tribute to and lament for a world its author no longer occupies.