How to Keep a Secret by Sarah Morgan

REVIEW

A heartbreaking and heartwarming book all in one.

Lauren and Jenna are as close as sisters can be, even with an ocean between them.  Nancy, their mum, has always been more interested in her painting than what her girls are up to. And then there is Mack, Lauren’s daughter, who now at the age of sixteen is becoming increasingly distant from her mum.

When a tragedy befalls Lauren, and secrets are revealed, she and Mack return to the island of Martha’s Vineyard where her family lives to try to piece themselves back together. Over the following months more and more secrets are uncovered and truths are aired.  Each woman has her own pain to deal with but with each other to lean on they can be strong.

This is a poignant tale of decisions made and secrets kept. Would their lives have been different if the truth was told or was keeping the secret the best for everyone?  Can we learn to forgive and forget? Is living a life of misery worth it to protect our children?

This is the first book I have read by this author and I absolutely loved it.  It is beautifully written and each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the four lead female characters.  Although there is plenty of heartbreak wrapped within these pages, there is also love, tenderness and togetherness.  A great read for the beach in Summer or curled on the sofa in Winter.

ARC review for Netgalley

Synopsis

When three generations of women are brought together by crisis, they learn over the course of one hot summer the power of family to support, nourish and surprise.  Lauren has the perfect life…if she ignores the fact it’s a fragile house of cards, and that her daughter Mack has just had a teenage personality transplant.Jenna is desperate to start a family with her husband, but it’s… Just. Not. Happening. Her heart is breaking, but she’s determined to keep her trademark smile on her face.Nancy knows she hasn’t been the best mother, but how can she ever tell Lauren and Jenna the reason why?Then life changes in an instant, and Lauren, Mack, Jenna and Nancy are thrown together for a summer on Martha’s Vineyard. Somehow, these very different women must relearn how to be a family. And while unravelling their secrets might be their biggest challenge, the rewards could be infinite…Heartwarming and fresh, Sarah Morgan’s brilliant new novel is a witty and deeply uplifting look at the power of a family of women.(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37936161-how-to-keep-a-secret)