Neve, Emma and Flick are the best of friends and believe
that they know everything there is to know about one
another. However, just as their sons are about to
graduate high school, their "perfect" lives start to
implode as they have to deal with major crises involving
marriage, motherhood and health. Can their friendship
hold up to the secrets they haven't yet dared to share
with one another, or will it be too much for them to cope
with?
Coming into the story, THE ART OF KEEPING SECRETS by
Rachael Johns seemed to exceed my expectations in terms
of the strength of friendship that Neve, Flick and Emma
had with one another. I loved how their priorities is the
friendship, and although some of the secrets tended to be
melodramatic, the women were always there for one another
through thick and thin.
This is no makjang (unrealistic over-the-top Korean
drama,) but instead the reactions are subtle and down-to-
earth, from friends shopping to drinking to eventually
revealing their deepest secrets to one another. I really
appreciated the realism of their reactions to the issues
they were each dealing with, and how each of them gained
bravery to be true to herself and true to her desires.
Each of the women was a favorite of mine, and someone I
could see in real life; but for me Flick's situation was
definitely unique among others' issues because its timely
and something that I imagine many people will suffer
through as it becomes safer to be the other; Neve's
situation is the one that I felt close to because both of
us are single mothers and we do have help and support
from others. Unfortunately I couldn't relate to Emma,
although I have a feeling that years from now, I might be
able to understand her.
For readers who are seeking realistic women's fiction
that have women who are friends instead of enemies as
well as importance of friendship, then THE ART OF KEEPING
SECRETS by Rachael Johns should be on the top of the list
to buy.
They started out as the "misfit moms"—the trio of less-
than-conventional parents at their sons' tony private
school. They've shared everything. Or so they thought.
Now, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City,
they'll sightsee, they'll shop, they'll catch a few
Broadway shows. They'll tell all…
After seventeen years as a single parent, Neve will
reveal a past sin that could destroy her relationship
with her son. Emma will uncover the roots of her
exhaustion and divulge the inappropriate feelings she has
for her boss. And Flick—who knows a little about crafting
a flawless exterior—will share the shocking truth that
lies beneath the veneer of her perfect marriage.
When the tight hold they've each kept on their secrets
for years begins to slip, they must face the truth. Even
if the truth will forever alter the course of their
friendship and their lives.
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