Synopsis:1960 England. Laurel Nicolson is sixteen years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.
Fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to Green Acres for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by memories and questions she has not thought about for decades. She decides to find out the truth about the events of that summer day and lay to rest her own feelings of guilt. One photograph, of her mother and a woman Laurel has never met, called Vivian, is her first clue.
The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams, the lengths some people go to fulfill them, and the strange consequences they sometimes have. It is a story of lovers, friends, dreamers and schemers, play-acting and deception told against a backdrop of events that changed the world.
My Review:
Another great book from Kate Morton; she sure knows how to
weave a story. This one is a story of secrets, family, murder and of learning
the truth before its too late. When Laurel was a child she witnesses something
very disturbing and now 50 years later her mother is dying and she sets out to
find the truth behind what happened. But what she finds isn’t what she expects
does she even know her mother at all. Her mom always said they were her second
chance but from what or who?
As always Kate Morton blends the past and present story
together with masterful ease, I had such a hard time turning this off (audio) I
did not want to stop listening for a minute, this one grabbed me in the first 5
minutes and never let me go right up to the end. I started suspecting certain
things **No Spoilers** and was glad when it confirmed I was right. I think the
biggest lesson Laurel learned in this one was that the mother she knew and
loved all her life was still that same woman even with all her secrets laid
bare, it really didn’t change anything in her feelings towards her mother and I
liked that.
The story of Dorothy’s past gave such a great feel of
England during the blitz, how even with bombs dropping people tried to keep
their chin up. I really felt the atmosphere of the time.
There was also a Doctor Who reference that made me love this
author all the more!
If you can’t tell I love this author and will read whatever
she writes and look forward to another book very soon!
4 ½ Stars
