The Secret Keeper

We chose “The Secret Keeper” by Kate Morton for or March book club. This novel is a mystery, historical novel, romance and family drama all wrapped up in one elaborate story. It begins with a memory of Laurel, a sixteen year old in the 1960’s. She is witness to a violent crime but has pushed the event out of her mind for the past 50 years. Now an accomplished actress, she reflects on her own memories and begins to wonder about this piece of her past.

Her mother, Dorothy, is approaching her last days and Laurel realizes that if she wants answers to the many tangled and unanswered questions about the past she must investigate now, while her mother is alive. Nostalgia, memories and family bonds tie siblings together as Laurel works to solve the mysteries of her mother’s past, learning she kept many secrets.

The story mixes history and fleshes out the history of family and strangers from the 1930’s, to the 1960’s and into the modern day. Slowly Laurel finds more and more detail and comes to realize an amazing dramatic plot twist that none of us saw coming.

It was a beautifully written story, very visual in description and detail. The mystery of all the events could at times be confusing, trying to keep each intertwining tale straight, but it was enjoyable and kept all of us reading until the end. It was a great choice, and as it was set in England, we had a beautiful tea, complete with little cucumber sandwiches, and a variety of sweet herbal teas and some delicious scones.