One of the things I am really enjoying about being part of the She Reads Network is that once a month I get a book that I might not have discovered and/or chosen for myself. I probably wouldn't have picked up The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty but I found myself anxiously waiting its arrival.
Cecilia Fitzpatrick is the perfect mother and wife. She adores her handsome and successful husband and three lovely daughters. She's super organized. She's the president of the parents' association at St. Angela's Primary School. She's a successful consultant for Tupperware. Every other woman admires and despises Cecilia and her seemingly perfect life.
Searching for something in the attic, Cecilia discovers a sealed letter addressed to her from her husband to be read after his death. Intrigued, confused and concerned, Cecilia must confront the mysteries and secrets from her husband's past in The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.
Told from the perspective of several characters whose lives will become entwined within the novel, The Husband's Secret held me spellbound for several days. The characters are so rich and honest, so real that I found myself stressing over their situations and choices. Though it took me a few chapters to get used to the rambling, almost stream-of-consciousness style, I ended up really appreciating the true and honest look into the characters' minds as they weigh the options and potential consequences of their various choices.
While the ending ties everything up a bit too coincidentally and conveniently (it's karma, baby), it's also an example of what we love about fiction. I'm all for the edgy, depressing endings in literature but sometimes it is nice to have a "good" ending that still leaves you breathless and reflective.
Compelling and impassioned, I was engrossed in the lives of the characters of The Husband's Secret and thoroughly enjoyed the novel.
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty from Amy Einhorn Books was released in July 2013. I received a complimentary copy from the publishers through the She Reads Blog Network.
Check out She Reads for links to reviews from other bloggers in the network and for a chance to win a copy of The Husband's Secret.
Nice Review Cindi, I think I liked it a bit more than you. I enjoyed the epilogue very much, sure it was wrapped up nicely, but I've always been about how one change in life changes much more.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your review. I am looking forward to reading The Husband's Secret.
ReplyDeleteI loved it too. It seems that lots of us didn't love the beginning though. I think she more than made up for it as the novel progressed.
ReplyDeleteIt does come together really neatly! I actually like that in a book, at least in cases like this where it didn't feel too manufactured to me. I also liked that we got a glimpse of what the characters were thinking, even when their thought processes were kind of convoluted. They had such tough decisions to make, it just made sense that their decisions making would be complex too.
ReplyDelete