Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
Acclaimed author Liane Moriarty has written a gripping, thought-provoking novel about how well it is really possible to know our spouses—and, ultimately, ourselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed this quick book and would highly suggest it to people for a great vacation read. The author seamlessly weaves the stories of three very different women together at a wonderful pace. All of them are at different stages in their married life, and again, this author tackles marriage and motherhood as she did in What Alice Forgot. She delves into secrets vs. the truth and the reasons why both can be good and evil simultaneously. All three of the protagonists had qualities that made them easily relatable to the reader. The idea (mentioned in the prologue) about Pandora’s box and the premise of ‘what if’ was an underlying theme of the book. I will continue to read Liane Moriarty’s books as she definitely writes with heart and and demonstrates great skill with realistic dialogue.
Quotes I liked:
She was a far better mother when she had an audience.”
– “Marriage was a form of insanity; love hovering permanently on the edge of aggravation.”
– “Anyway, weren’t women allowed to be sexist for the next two hundred years or so, until they evened up the score?”
– “(Her mother was forty years old. What could possibly be going on in her life that was so interesting?)”
– “This Thursday night felt like adolescence: exquisitely painful and sharply beautiful.”
– “She always pretended to herself that she didn’t let Lauren help because she was trying to be the perfect mother-in-law, but really, when you didn’t let a women help, it was a way of keeping her at distance, of letting her know that she wasn’t family, of saying I don’t like you enough to let you into my kitchen.”
“Dr. Yue seemed highly intelligent because he wore glasses and perhaps because he was Asian, which was racial stereotyping, but Cecilia didn’t care. She hoped that Dr. Yue’s mother had been on of those pushy tiger mothers. She hoped poor Dr. Yue didn’t have any other interests apart from medicine. She loved Dr. Yue. She loved Dr. Yue’s mother.”
Review:The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar is another excellent example of creating a novel with richly layered characters while comparing Indian and American lifestyles. In this story, Remy returns to Bombay, which he has dubbed the museum of failures, as he sees his native country through the lens of his American life. He’s there to meet his friend’s niece with the hopes of adopting her baby, as he and his wife are unable to conceive. This innocuous trip turns into a much more complex time as Remy is hit with roadblocks time and time again.It’s the story about Remy and his mother that really got to me. He lived a life of never measuring up and feeling quite unloved by her. Through their time together in Bombay, he learns critical information that allows him to see her in a more thoughtful and understanding way. This time away has brought what’s left of his shattered family back together.His trip extends much longer than anticipated and he realizes the value of being home. His American wife Kathy seemed too good to be true, but I did like their relationship, born of trust and equality. Remy’s life as a poet was buried away, but through his visit in India, he realizes the importance of doing work you love, not just working for a higher paycheck.Overall, this was a satisfying read and one that fans of Umrigar will appreciate. Her last book, Honor, along with The Space Between Us, are my two favorites of hers. I haven’t met an Umrigar book I didn’t enjoy!@thrity_umrigar @algonquinbooks 📘: Do you dress up for Halloween? If yes, what's your costume of choice? If not, what's a scary book you've read? ... See MoreSee Less
