Synopsis:
Laurel Nicolson's idyllic childhood is irrevocably scarred when she witnesses her mother kill a man. Her life's direction changes and she leaves home early in an attempt to escape the inexplicable memories of what she witnessed. Much later in her life when her mother is an elderly woman nearing death, Laurel finally begins to search for answers to what has haunted her for so many years. Laurel's investigation will lead her to war ravaged London during the early 1940's where two women are eternally linked together through greed, love, despair, and ultimately death.
Comments:
One of the first comments, which found agreement with most of our members, was that the ever changing viewpoint as well as jumps in timeline created a disconnect with the main character(s) in the novel. The reader is trying to figure out which decade and which character is now on stage instead of being fully immersed in the storyline.
The plotline twist which is revealed near the end of the book and clarifies so many mysteries was a surprise to all but one of us. Following that "lightbulb" experience, we were able to go back and follow the trail of subtle clues which the author had scattered throughout the story. Even as the puzzle pieces fell into place, we expressed a fair amount of disbelief that one incident in particular would have been so easily arranged and completed without legal recourse: bequeathing ownership of Vivien's home to Jimmy's family.
Ellen posed an interesting question, "Of whom does the title 'Secret Keeper' refer to? Mom or daughter?" We were in agreement that it certainly applied to both women. Brenda noted that she found it unfair of Laurel and Gerry to continue to keep their newfound knowledge from their siblings, thus continuing the cycle of secrecy begun with their mom. However, Laurel does not entirely agree with her brother's choice and leaves open the idea that she may one day share the truth: "Laurel wasn't so sure. Certainly, there were easier stories to tell; it was a lot to cope with, especially for someone like Rose. But at the same time, Laurel had been thinking a lot lately about secrets, about how difficult they were to keep, and the habit they had of lurking quietly beneath the surface before sneaking all of a sudden through a crack in their keeper's resolve. She supposed she'd just have to wait a while and see how things turned out." [page 427 Nook] This brought to discussion those of us who know secrets within our own family tree which have either been shockingly discovered or are still tightly guarded from certain family members.
We connected with the endearing character of Jimmy. His passion for the hurting and lost was expressed through his excellent photography skills and in serving at the children's hospital. He cared for his aging and demented father with tender devotion. Jimmy's love for both women was genuinely pure, although disturbing where it concerned Dolly. Dolly was manipulative and self-centered and, therefore, disliked by all of us. It was painful to watch how she used Jimmy's genuine desire to please her in order to accomplish her mean-spirited vendetta and selfish ambitions.
The false belief shared in this book that your parents did not experience an interesting life outside of and prior to your existence with them is universally common and laughable. We have all dealt with this misconception either as children or as adults now. "Children don't require of their parents a past, and they find something faintly unbelievable, almost embarrassing, in parental claims to a prior existence." [page 30 Nook] "Youth is an arrogant place, and to believe simply that they were less adventurous than she was had suited Laurel just fine." [page 104 Nook]
Memorable Quote:
Katy Ellis: "...the belief system acquired in childhood is never fully escaped; it may submerge itself for a while, but it always returns in times of need to lay claim to the soul it shaped." [p. 345 Nook]
FAB Rating: ***1/2 (3-1/2 out of 5 stars)
This storyline was fascinating in the sense that one wonders if stolen identity, which most likely did occur during chaotic times such as war and persecution, has to this day still been left undiscovered. Also, there may be family secrets buried even within our own family which could tell a story just as captivating. However, as mentioned above, the jumping around of viewpoint between the years was unsettling and portions of the novel were obviously contrived in order to tie up a few loose ends, leaving the reader feeling frustrated with the results. Therefore, we deducted just a bit from this book's rating.
