Secrets are at the core of HOW TO KEEP A SECRET and the
Stewart family is awash in secrets, from long-standing
ones to more recent secrets. Nancy, her two adult
daughters Jenna and Lauren, and Lauren's daughter
Mackenzie (aka "Mack") have all bottled up secrets that
are now about to explode. Can they pull together when
life hits them with the unexpected?
Mack, despite being a cranky and rebellious teenager,
quickly stole my heart. Her penchant for opening her
mouth and saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong
time is almost endearing, particularly since I could see
her own pain at the core of each one of her embarrassing
moments. Lauren handles her with grace even though she's
a wreck inside and I love watching their mother/daughter
relationship rekindle as the secrets separating them
begin to surface.
In fact, mother/daughter relationships are a key part of
HOW TO KEEP A SECRET. Nancy has been distant from her
daughters ever since they were children, never opening
the door for confidences because of her own secrets.
Little did she know that Jenna and Lauren harbored their
own secrets from her. Jenna and Lauren already have a
strong sisterly bond but I love watching them develop a
relationship with their once aloof mother. There is a
heart-breaking scene where Jenna asks for her mother that
still makes me cry when I think about it.
HOW TO KEEP A SECRET alternates viewpoints, as we see the
story unfold through the eyes of each woman. Nancy,
Lauren, Jenna, and Mack all have a story to tell and
Sarah Morgan does a beautiful job at letting their
individual voices shine through. Sarah Morgan is a master
at capturing the emotional heart of a moment and
encapsulating it for the reader to not only read but
experience that moment and this talent shines in HOW TO
KEEP A SECRET. If you love stories that make you laugh,
cry, and yes even a little angry, then HOW TO KEEP A
SECRET is perfect for you.
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 unraveling 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.
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