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The Secret of Lies
Named a Finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards, 2nd place for Newbie Fiction-Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, Honorable Mention Eric Hoffer Book Awards, Finalist Global eBook Awards Includes Book Club Discussion Guide Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of the past. Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 - The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control - torn apart by a shattering tragedy that leaves a family impossibly broken ... "This is a coming-of-age story at its best." "It was as if I could smell the sea air as the words unfolded from the page and danced around me. It was really breathtaking." "An impressive and detailed story of love, loss, and betrayal ... " "An amazingly accurate account of how many lives can be affected by one single moment in time, and how long the repercussions can last." "The imagery and character depths capture the reader by both hands with the author not letting go, even at the very end." "I recommend this book for anyone who appreciates the beauty of the written word and a story well-told."
330 pages, Paperback
First published April 21, 2010
86 people are currently reading
808 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Forte Abate
3 books49 followersI grew up in a small town in Dutchess County, New York, the third of five children. Although I started my first novel in 4th grade, I didn't recognize what would eventually become a lifelong passion until several years later as I found my thoughts routinely wandering off to inhabit imagined places -- spinning elaborate tales curiously populated by ever-changing collections of strange and unique characters that seemed to arrive from nowhere, yet remained, incredibly content to live within my fictitious worlds.
It would be impossible to determine or otherwise explain where the intense obsession to draw pictures and unreel emotion with words on paper originates from, just as it would be unfathomable to ever abandon. It is simply there - deep, unquenchable, eternal.
Influences are everywhere and in abundance - people I've known over a lifetime, as well as those who have merely crossed my path and gone, yet touched in such a way as to remain memorable. Places I've been or merely absorbed - fallen into through the pull of a photograph. Experiences of love, loss, injury, joy, and impossible tragedy. Events in our everyday world that sink so deeply they cannot be discarded from thought or memory. And more then any single thing, my Divine Creator who inspires me in all things - not simply with the desire to create, but the faith to pursue and persevere for as long as it takes.
It would be impossible to determine or otherwise explain where the intense obsession to draw pictures and unreel emotion with words on paper originates from, just as it would be unfathomable to ever abandon. It is simply there - deep, unquenchable, eternal.
Influences are everywhere and in abundance - people I've known over a lifetime, as well as those who have merely crossed my path and gone, yet touched in such a way as to remain memorable. Places I've been or merely absorbed - fallen into through the pull of a photograph. Experiences of love, loss, injury, joy, and impossible tragedy. Events in our everyday world that sink so deeply they cannot be discarded from thought or memory. And more then any single thing, my Divine Creator who inspires me in all things - not simply with the desire to create, but the faith to pursue and persevere for as long as it takes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 31, 2012
The author really could have done this whole story in about half the pages. she used every adverb and adjective in the dictionary and for me it felt like she was trying much to hard and at times it made it boring and hard to read.
The book was so slow in parts and made me want to fall asleep instead of reading more the first half of the book for me would have been better if it was shorter and you did not have to read 100 pages for something to finally happen and when it did you already knew what it was going to be. The last half of the book, well why was most of it even there?
I really could not stand Stevie, she was selfish, self centered and I hated the way she treated her mother! Ok, fine when you are a teenager you act that way but she acted that way when she was an adult and it really just made me not care at all.
This could not be called a mystery or a romance for that matter both are done badly.
The book was so slow in parts and made me want to fall asleep instead of reading more the first half of the book for me would have been better if it was shorter and you did not have to read 100 pages for something to finally happen and when it did you already knew what it was going to be. The last half of the book, well why was most of it even there?
I really could not stand Stevie, she was selfish, self centered and I hated the way she treated her mother! Ok, fine when you are a teenager you act that way but she acted that way when she was an adult and it really just made me not care at all.
This could not be called a mystery or a romance for that matter both are done badly.
September 30, 2010
This is my debut novel, and of course I love it.
May 3, 2012
Maybe I missed something in the reading, but I found this book to be disjointed and predictable. The first half of the book was about a life changing event and the second half was about how the character in the book lived her life afterwards. I didn't think that the author did a very good job of tying the two times together, it was almost like reading two different stories. I was impressed with the first half but I felt like the story fell apart after that.
December 11, 2011
When The Secret of Lies begins, we find Stevie Burke abandoning her home, husband and a contented life heading to nowhere specific - she hasn't figured that out yet. All she knows is that she has to address the demons of a past that is slowly but surely overwhelming her. A past that begins from when she was thirteen, and culminates to a horrible tragedy when she turns fifteen. Every summer until that tragic year, Stevie and her sister Eleanor would travel to her uncle and aunt's summer house in the North Atlantic coast for a fun-filled summer. It is during one of these years that they meet deaf Jake, who becomes their good friend. Over two years, however, feminine discoveries and desires catch up with the sisters, until in their last year at the summerhouse, things get out of hand for one of them.
When I first started reading The Secret of Lies, I realized that this isn't my usual fare. But, interestingly, it also turned out to be hard to put it down. I found this book more engrossing than I expected it to be. Something happened to Stevie when she was fifteen, and although it took a long time for that to be revealed, the character developments in the meantime were fascinating. At one point, way before the tragedy, I could already see where this was going, and it even surprised me that the characters allowed it to continue.
The story is told in a mostly linear form, with just the beginning chapter set in the present. I found myself judging Stevie too harshly at the start. Her thoughts appeared to me too rambling and confused, and I couldn't quite figure out why she finds it necessary to leave home. I can't say that I understood it any better in the end, but at least, by then, Stevie turned out to be less one-dimensional and more dynamic than she was at the start.
Although the story is told from Stevie's point of view, the other characters get center-stage opportunities many times. Barbara's writing is very beautiful - that's one of the reasons I found the book very intriguing. Occasionally though, it slips into an overly formal mode that makes it awkward hearing the thoughts of a thirteen-year old girl. Still, that was just few and far between. I felt that some times the buildup to some event was too long and obvious, and the events in between felt too trivial to be written about.
Still, I was glad that I didn't let my taste preferences interfere, because The Secret of Lies was quite enjoyable. My copy had quite a few typos that did bug me, but reading this book was mostly a breeze - I probably finished it in two nights. A nice debut book from the author!
When I first started reading The Secret of Lies, I realized that this isn't my usual fare. But, interestingly, it also turned out to be hard to put it down. I found this book more engrossing than I expected it to be. Something happened to Stevie when she was fifteen, and although it took a long time for that to be revealed, the character developments in the meantime were fascinating. At one point, way before the tragedy, I could already see where this was going, and it even surprised me that the characters allowed it to continue.
The story is told in a mostly linear form, with just the beginning chapter set in the present. I found myself judging Stevie too harshly at the start. Her thoughts appeared to me too rambling and confused, and I couldn't quite figure out why she finds it necessary to leave home. I can't say that I understood it any better in the end, but at least, by then, Stevie turned out to be less one-dimensional and more dynamic than she was at the start.
Although the story is told from Stevie's point of view, the other characters get center-stage opportunities many times. Barbara's writing is very beautiful - that's one of the reasons I found the book very intriguing. Occasionally though, it slips into an overly formal mode that makes it awkward hearing the thoughts of a thirteen-year old girl. Still, that was just few and far between. I felt that some times the buildup to some event was too long and obvious, and the events in between felt too trivial to be written about.
Still, I was glad that I didn't let my taste preferences interfere, because The Secret of Lies was quite enjoyable. My copy had quite a few typos that did bug me, but reading this book was mostly a breeze - I probably finished it in two nights. A nice debut book from the author!
February 2, 2015
It's probably more of a 2.25 star book...
Before choosing to download this book I checked reviews on goodreads and on amazon. The reviewers were generally quite positive, so I went for it.
After reading the prologue I almost gave up on the book altogether. The prologue is TERRIBLY written. It's a mess of mixed metaphors and a bunch of other words that don't belong together. Remembering all those positive reviews though, I kept at it.
The first half of the story became far more tolerable. I thought the story was really intriguing and the prose was less overly written. That said, the writing in this book is never good. It just isn't. Barbara Forte Abate is not a good writer. As the reader I never felt like I was in the room with the characters. Her use of dialogue is atrocious and I'd dare say juvenile.
The second half is really awful. She doesn't bother to give her characters any...character. They basically just become pawns for allowing the story she conceived to play out. When I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew anything about the characters - I didn't know what they wanted in life, what their motivations were during the story and other than just the events in the book, I had no idea what got them there. Further, she spends the whole book telling, rather than showing things and on top of that, the stuff she tells is rarely interesting. She goes to great lengths to allow her "characters" (really more like shells) describe their thoughts at any given time, rather than putting the characters in scenarios and letting us see them live.
Finally, I'll just say this book needed an editor. Badly. Missing words. Misspelled words. I think Ms. Abate misused the word "disinterested" upwards of 30+ times. I can't believe an editor never picked up on these things. I guess my overall assessment is that this just read like a very early draft. If someone had worked with her on it, this manuscript could have been considerably better. Instead it seems this book was rushed to publish and it suffers as a result.
Before choosing to download this book I checked reviews on goodreads and on amazon. The reviewers were generally quite positive, so I went for it.
After reading the prologue I almost gave up on the book altogether. The prologue is TERRIBLY written. It's a mess of mixed metaphors and a bunch of other words that don't belong together. Remembering all those positive reviews though, I kept at it.
The first half of the story became far more tolerable. I thought the story was really intriguing and the prose was less overly written. That said, the writing in this book is never good. It just isn't. Barbara Forte Abate is not a good writer. As the reader I never felt like I was in the room with the characters. Her use of dialogue is atrocious and I'd dare say juvenile.
The second half is really awful. She doesn't bother to give her characters any...character. They basically just become pawns for allowing the story she conceived to play out. When I finished the book I didn't feel like I knew anything about the characters - I didn't know what they wanted in life, what their motivations were during the story and other than just the events in the book, I had no idea what got them there. Further, she spends the whole book telling, rather than showing things and on top of that, the stuff she tells is rarely interesting. She goes to great lengths to allow her "characters" (really more like shells) describe their thoughts at any given time, rather than putting the characters in scenarios and letting us see them live.
Finally, I'll just say this book needed an editor. Badly. Missing words. Misspelled words. I think Ms. Abate misused the word "disinterested" upwards of 30+ times. I can't believe an editor never picked up on these things. I guess my overall assessment is that this just read like a very early draft. If someone had worked with her on it, this manuscript could have been considerably better. Instead it seems this book was rushed to publish and it suffers as a result.
August 12, 2013
I think one thing that made this such a great book was the ending came first. The story begins with Stevie, the main character leaving her husband.
We are taken back in time to the events that led up to Stevie running away.
Stevie and her sister Eleanor grew up on a farm. They spent their summers with their aunt and uncle on Long Island. They lived for this. This was the first place I could identify with the characters. It wasn’t Long Island for me but the weekends in town with my cousin was time away from the farm for me to enjoy. The camping, etc.
Like all young people Eleanor and Stevie grew up and began to get interested in boys. Stevie meets a young deaf boy who gives her even more reason to look forward to going back to her aunt and uncle’s house each summer. The year Stevie is 17 something terrible happens. Stevie’s aunt convinces her that it would be best if she didn’t tell her parents the truth. She needed to just forget about what happened. Years go by and she has withdrawn within herself. She doesn’t trust people anymore. The lie eats away at her.
Finally she meets Ash Waterman. He works on her family’s farm. He knows how to reach her and she opens her heart to him. But, sometimes the lies we keep inside become to much to handle and the only way out is to run away from the very people who could probably help us. This is exactly what Stevie does. This is a book I would recommend to everyone. We’ve all gone through something in our life where we felt no one understood us or the situation. This is a great emotional read.
We are taken back in time to the events that led up to Stevie running away.
Stevie and her sister Eleanor grew up on a farm. They spent their summers with their aunt and uncle on Long Island. They lived for this. This was the first place I could identify with the characters. It wasn’t Long Island for me but the weekends in town with my cousin was time away from the farm for me to enjoy. The camping, etc.
Like all young people Eleanor and Stevie grew up and began to get interested in boys. Stevie meets a young deaf boy who gives her even more reason to look forward to going back to her aunt and uncle’s house each summer. The year Stevie is 17 something terrible happens. Stevie’s aunt convinces her that it would be best if she didn’t tell her parents the truth. She needed to just forget about what happened. Years go by and she has withdrawn within herself. She doesn’t trust people anymore. The lie eats away at her.
Finally she meets Ash Waterman. He works on her family’s farm. He knows how to reach her and she opens her heart to him. But, sometimes the lies we keep inside become to much to handle and the only way out is to run away from the very people who could probably help us. This is exactly what Stevie does. This is a book I would recommend to everyone. We’ve all gone through something in our life where we felt no one understood us or the situation. This is a great emotional read.
September 2, 2012
Stephanie and her sister Eleanor leaves their families farm for the summer to vacation at their Aunt and Uncle's beach house. This is something they look forward to every year. But recently the visits have become a little tense because of an under current between her Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Stevie just tries to overlook the tension and enjoy the summer. As the girls get into their teens they become more interested in boys than finding sea shells and swimming. Eleanor is the oldest so she would stay pretty busy with her summer flings leaving Stevie to entertain herself. Then Stephanie becomes very interested in a young boy on the that is deaf. She convinces her sister and aunt to get a book from the library and learn how to sign so they can befriend the boy.
Each summer they come to stay things just get worse between the aunt and uncle. This makes their time there very uncomfortable.
The teens characters were very realistic with their attitudes and relationship toward each other.
I got a bit anxious towards the last half of the book and did not want to put it down. I think you will be very surprised at how it ends, I know I was.
I recommend this book!
I rate this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.
Each summer they come to stay things just get worse between the aunt and uncle. This makes their time there very uncomfortable.
The teens characters were very realistic with their attitudes and relationship toward each other.
I got a bit anxious towards the last half of the book and did not want to put it down. I think you will be very surprised at how it ends, I know I was.
I recommend this book!
I rate this book a 5 out of 5.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author for review. I was in no way compensated for this review it is my own opinion.
December 7, 2011
I would say I judge a book by how long it takes me to read it - I got this in the mail yesterday around 4 - I am already 1/2 way done it, I can not put it down, at 1;30 this morning I was reading it, I was reading it in my bath this morning. I am just loving it. So very good. I love that it is written in two parts, one when my mother was a young woman 1957,and one in modern times (or it apears to be anyway) a easy, quick read with a bit of suspence, teenage tomfoolery and not sure what the uncle is up to but I should get back to it so I can find out -I know it is nothing good!
Loved the book, could not put it down - wish it was longer, because I was done this wonderful read far to soon!
Loved the book, could not put it down - wish it was longer, because I was done this wonderful read far to soon!
August 31, 2012
Intense.
September 27, 2020
Other than the awful title, the book itself if pretty good. It is well-written, though possibly over-written. I didn't like the abrupt transitions that it had, sometimes scenes would end and years would pass without it being entirely obvious. The titular secrets, on the other hand, were very obvious, and it became a little frustrating waiting for Stevie to figure things out. The only time one of the secrets worked was when she just didn't tell us the contents of certain letters. I'm not sure that was better than being able to read them and get frustrated all over again at Stevie's obtuseness, but it at least gave me something to wonder about.
The book has a bit of a double-life. There is the story on the beach and the story on the farm, and the two aren't especially related to each other. I don't think it's a bad thing, really, it was definitely more like real life in that way, but it might have been more satisfying if the two stories were either more connected or more separate.
The book has a bit of a double-life. There is the story on the beach and the story on the farm, and the two aren't especially related to each other. I don't think it's a bad thing, really, it was definitely more like real life in that way, but it might have been more satisfying if the two stories were either more connected or more separate.
May 5, 2017
This book left me cold. I read it all the way through so I wouldn't say I hated it but it didn't really give me much to like about it either. I found a few details annoying false like someone learning sign language casually from a book and remembering it from year to year. I'm not even sure why there needed to be a deaf character. To me, that was just a distraction. I also don't understand why one would hang onto pointless dislike of a person and then up and marry them out of the blue. I don't understand these emotions. It wasn't even a good murder mystery because that plot line was too predictable. On a positive note, the writing was pretty lyrical and the descriptions nicely developed so I might give the author another chance.
January 8, 2019
This story reveals a long ago, almost forgotten tragedy, that caused Stevie to wonder how and why she was worthy of a loving man. She remembers when her summers were spent with an aunt and uncle. Her older sister was always there as a pest and as a confidante. After about 10 years, everything changes and Stevie is not sure she will ever understand why keeping a secret causes so many problems in the present and in the future.
April 17, 2020
Why use one word to say something when you have a dozen at hand.
Getting through the prose of this book to the meat of the story was laborious. And I generally like descriptiveness. In Secret of Lies, however, the author’s hand was too heavy on the description and too light on execution of the actual story. The characters are tiresome and the ancillary characters are dimensionless. This was a Kindle First Reads that sat on my shelf for 6 years.
Getting through the prose of this book to the meat of the story was laborious. And I generally like descriptiveness. In Secret of Lies, however, the author’s hand was too heavy on the description and too light on execution of the actual story. The characters are tiresome and the ancillary characters are dimensionless. This was a Kindle First Reads that sat on my shelf for 6 years.
April 3, 2025
I kept hoping the book would grab me, but it didn't. I kept reading, looking for something. The story had promise - young teens experiencing summer romances; adults with a marriage that is drifting; a small town farmer looking for a future for his family; tragic events; dark secrets. Just missed for me.
June 8, 2019
I found the first half enjoyable, but then the book turns into a Harlequin novel style drag. Three-quarters through I could not be bothered to spend anymore time on it. The author had not succeeded in making me care enough about any of the characters to read on to find out what happened to them.
July 6, 2017
Engaging, mysterious and hauntingly sad. I would definitely read more books by this author.
Read
May 3, 2022Didn’t like it.
September 13, 2018
The books k kept me engaged until the last chapter.....
January 13, 2012
Book Synopsis
Propelled by an insurmountable sense of desperation, Stevie Burke is recklessly abandoning home, husband, and outwardly contented life under cover of night; at last resigned to defeat in her long battle against the tortured memories of her past.
Days later, lost and floundering in a dreary motel room without plan or destination, it is a long ago song playing on the radio that gently tugs Stevie back through the dust of remembrance. 1957 - The last summer spent at the ancient house overlooking the North Atlantic. A season which had unfolded with abundant promise, but then spiraled horribly out of control - torn apart by a shattering tragedy that remains splintered in fragments upon her soul. And it is only now, when Stevie at last lifts her eyes to stare deep into the heart of her long sequestered memories, that the long held secrets of past and future are at last unveiled.
My Thoughts
We all have childhood memories that when triggered can cause us pain and sometimes even despair. Stevie Burke however carries the weight of the world on her shoulders due to a horrible ending to the summer of 1957 when she lost her sister, when her innocence was forever shattered and when her world was turned upside down!
Author Barbara Forte Abate may have only written one novel but the story that she chose to share is one of family, betrayal, lies, heartache, lost innocence and most of all coming to terms with things that are out of one person's ability to have ever controlled or prevented happening.
The character of Stevie Burke starts out as a teenager of 14 when she is on the brink of young womanhood and her story ends in her twenties when she is a grownup, tormented for all the years in between by what happened the summer her sister died.
Facing things head-on has never been easy for Stevie, as a child she always had her parents to buffer her from the harsher side of life. With both her Father and Mother gone as a grown woman she learns to depend on Ash Waterman, a young man who she met years before he came to work on her parents farm and developed a strong distaste for until one day she opened her eyes and her feelings changed to acceptance, then friendship and seemingly overnight into a deep and abiding love.
However, even with the steady embracing love of Ash she never laid to rest the tragedy of her childhood. Running away from her husband and her despised childhood home seem like the only solution to ending her misery.
Stevie's headlong flight from all that is familiar and good in her life leads her back to where she once was happiest, the place where her sister lost her life and the place Stevie thought she would never revisit again.
This is a tale of a character who loses her way, a character who is driven by inner demons that lead her to push those in her life who care about her the most as far away as possible. The journey to reconciling her past with her future is a hard one for Stevie, it almost costs her more than she can ever bear to lose.
In the end there are still unanswered questions whether things will work out between Stevie and Ash, however other issues for Stevie are resolved completely so it works out in my mind that the reader knows all they need to.
ECopy of book provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
December 27, 2011
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book, but I was very intrigued by the synopsis and I thought it would definitely be worth my time to read it. The story starts out with Stevie, the main character, deciding to leave her husband. It's immediately apparent that she's dealing with some very personal demons, but they are not revealed right away. Instead, we are taken back 12 years to when the troubles began, which give a very clear (and at times disturbing) picture of some pivotal moments in Stevie's life. We are then able to follow her through the years to see what ultimately leads her down the path that she chooses.
I really liked Stevie. She was incredibly easy to connect with and relate to; at times she was a bit naive, but her heart was always in the right place. I would also say she is incredibly strong, because she ends up going through a lot in that time period, yet somehow she perseveres, although she certainly could have benefited from some therapy.
Stevie has an older sister, Eleanor, who tries to act more worldly and sophisticated than she really is. The first part of the book follows the girls as they spend their summers at their aunt and uncle's house by the beach; even though they fight a lot, as I'm sure most teenage sisters do, it's obvious that they care a lot for each other. Eleanor was exasperating at times, but when she dropped her "I'm more mature than you" attitude she was actually very likable.
There are two boys/men that come into Stevie's life. First is Jake, with whom both Stevie and Eleanor become mildly obsessed with during their summer vacations. It's Stevie and her warm, open personality that win Jake over, and as the years pass they begin to have more serious feelings for each other. Then there's Ash, who she ends up meeting several years down the road; she claims to hate him at first, although it's a case of "she doth protest too much" since there is obvious chemistry between them. I really liked both guys, but they were each a part of a different part of Stevie's life. By the time she met Ash, she was a much different person. I didn't even brush the surface of the events that changed her life, but I don't want to give any major plot points so you will have to read it for yourself to find out what happens!
The only negative I could say about this book is that there are times when the story skips forward months or years, and it's confusing as to how much time has passed. I wouldn't say it's very distracting, but it did make me pause and wonder how much time was passing between major events.
I truly enjoyed this book, from the well written characters to the intriguing story line. Some of main plot events were obvious and expected; others caught me completely off guard. I had trouble putting it down, anxious to find out what was going to happen next in Stevie's life. I'm glad I got the chance to read this one; I think there's a good balance of drama, romance, humor, and secrets to please almost every reader.
I really liked Stevie. She was incredibly easy to connect with and relate to; at times she was a bit naive, but her heart was always in the right place. I would also say she is incredibly strong, because she ends up going through a lot in that time period, yet somehow she perseveres, although she certainly could have benefited from some therapy.
Stevie has an older sister, Eleanor, who tries to act more worldly and sophisticated than she really is. The first part of the book follows the girls as they spend their summers at their aunt and uncle's house by the beach; even though they fight a lot, as I'm sure most teenage sisters do, it's obvious that they care a lot for each other. Eleanor was exasperating at times, but when she dropped her "I'm more mature than you" attitude she was actually very likable.
There are two boys/men that come into Stevie's life. First is Jake, with whom both Stevie and Eleanor become mildly obsessed with during their summer vacations. It's Stevie and her warm, open personality that win Jake over, and as the years pass they begin to have more serious feelings for each other. Then there's Ash, who she ends up meeting several years down the road; she claims to hate him at first, although it's a case of "she doth protest too much" since there is obvious chemistry between them. I really liked both guys, but they were each a part of a different part of Stevie's life. By the time she met Ash, she was a much different person. I didn't even brush the surface of the events that changed her life, but I don't want to give any major plot points so you will have to read it for yourself to find out what happens!
The only negative I could say about this book is that there are times when the story skips forward months or years, and it's confusing as to how much time has passed. I wouldn't say it's very distracting, but it did make me pause and wonder how much time was passing between major events.
I truly enjoyed this book, from the well written characters to the intriguing story line. Some of main plot events were obvious and expected; others caught me completely off guard. I had trouble putting it down, anxious to find out what was going to happen next in Stevie's life. I'm glad I got the chance to read this one; I think there's a good balance of drama, romance, humor, and secrets to please almost every reader.
November 13, 2011
The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate has to be one of the best novels I have ever had the pleasure to read. I was shocked to learn this is Abate’s first published work. Her writing style brings to mind such authors as Harper Lee and John Steinbeck. She writes with such detail, bringing images to life with the stroke of her pen. In her debut novel, she delivers a touching tale about, love, innocence, betrayal, loss and lies.
Secret of Lies reflects back on events that occurred off the Atlantic coast during the summer of 1957. The story unfolds through the voice of protagonist Stevie Burke. When the tale begins, Stevie is sneaking out of her home and leaving her husband. She is driving aimlessly and ends up in a dark musty hotel room three days later. We can tell that she is deeply troubled by something. It is here, as an Elvis song plays on the radio, that she reflects back on the summers, she and her sister spent at the shore home of their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal.
Abate writes with a paint brush, bringing the seaside, storms, and fields to life. I could feel the wind and smell the sea air. She has a gift for beautifully expressing the emotions and feelings of a first kiss, a betrayal and loss. She unfolds the tale allowing the reader to put the pieces together before Stevie, giving us a sense of foreboding. While the subject matter is dark, Abate also shows us the light. We experience the joy of first love, childhood, and innocence.
Abates creates characters that you will love, pity and loathe. The character of Stevie is beautifully portrayed and you cannot help but like her. The way in which Abate shows the interaction between Stevie and her sister Eleanor reminded me of my own childhood. After the tragedy of 1957, we see firsthand how this affects Stevie. She struggles with the secrets and her memories. Years later,she meets Ash Waterman; through him she may finally find peace and happiness. I found myself rooting for this young man as he struggles to understand Stevie. The romance that develops between them is sweet, witty and romantic.
The story, the circumstances, and the impact it has on the characters is believable and touching. The events that occurred in the summer of '57 could have happened to any family. The ending is not wrapped up in a pretty little bow, but instead allows the reader to determine the outcome. While some may not like it, I feel it was appropriate. After all, life and family drama, do not come in neat little boxes.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone, but particularly those who enjoy books based on family, tragedy and human emotion. This would make a wonderful book club read. I have added Barbara Forte Abate to my list of must read authors and look forward to her next book.
I want to thank the author for providing this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.
Secret of Lies reflects back on events that occurred off the Atlantic coast during the summer of 1957. The story unfolds through the voice of protagonist Stevie Burke. When the tale begins, Stevie is sneaking out of her home and leaving her husband. She is driving aimlessly and ends up in a dark musty hotel room three days later. We can tell that she is deeply troubled by something. It is here, as an Elvis song plays on the radio, that she reflects back on the summers, she and her sister spent at the shore home of their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal.
Abate writes with a paint brush, bringing the seaside, storms, and fields to life. I could feel the wind and smell the sea air. She has a gift for beautifully expressing the emotions and feelings of a first kiss, a betrayal and loss. She unfolds the tale allowing the reader to put the pieces together before Stevie, giving us a sense of foreboding. While the subject matter is dark, Abate also shows us the light. We experience the joy of first love, childhood, and innocence.
Abates creates characters that you will love, pity and loathe. The character of Stevie is beautifully portrayed and you cannot help but like her. The way in which Abate shows the interaction between Stevie and her sister Eleanor reminded me of my own childhood. After the tragedy of 1957, we see firsthand how this affects Stevie. She struggles with the secrets and her memories. Years later,she meets Ash Waterman; through him she may finally find peace and happiness. I found myself rooting for this young man as he struggles to understand Stevie. The romance that develops between them is sweet, witty and romantic.
The story, the circumstances, and the impact it has on the characters is believable and touching. The events that occurred in the summer of '57 could have happened to any family. The ending is not wrapped up in a pretty little bow, but instead allows the reader to determine the outcome. While some may not like it, I feel it was appropriate. After all, life and family drama, do not come in neat little boxes.
I highly recommend this novel to everyone, but particularly those who enjoy books based on family, tragedy and human emotion. This would make a wonderful book club read. I have added Barbara Forte Abate to my list of must read authors and look forward to her next book.
I want to thank the author for providing this ARC, in exchange for my unbiased review.
Read
July 28, 2010The Secret of Lies is a character driven novel, which gave the reader insight into the internal struggle of the main character. Stephanie Burke, was trying to regain some happiness in her life after being dragged through the lies of her family. This young woman, who had been forced to grow up in a web of lies, was attempting to make a life for herself.
The novel began with a prologue before the first chapter. The reader is drawn into the feelings of the main character. You realize her state of mind, the turmoil she has endured and the emotional struggle that has her torn apart by what has happened in her life. Within the first chapter, the reader is brought to the beginning of how it all happened.
Conflict lies throughout the book with the main character. Stephanie having to grow up with the guilt surrounding her sister, the ties that she had with her Aunt Smyrna, the deception she held from her mother were all issues battling at Stephanie’s psyche. Struggling to overcome her personal demons, she tried to cope and go on with life.
Barbara Forte Abate resolves the conflict and does not leave the readers hanging. She brought us through an exciting story through the efforts of her main character. To the detriment of Stephanie’s own relationship, she tries to solve her problems alone.
The author brought everything to life and made you feel you were a part of the family. You felt empathy when the relationship between Uncle Cal and Aunt Smyrna slowly started to unravel. You saw through the façade of what began to happen with Eleanor and her coming of age. You are drawn into the story and feel sorry for the chain of events that occured in the story.
The characters jump out at you. They are animated and relatable. Barbara does an amazing job in describing the characters; the setting, Stephanie’s hometown, the people she interacts with, her own family and making it all come together in one satisfying story.
The dialogue was enjoyable and true to life. The words were descriptive and continued to propel the story forward. The Secret of Lies was written in Stephanie’s point of view and the story did not sway from her outlook but continued to flow.
Barbara Forte Abate has written a creative, entertaining story in The Secret of Lies, which makes any reader understand the hidden secrets in any family. Your heart goes out to lovable characters and an appreciation for what is important.
The novel began with a prologue before the first chapter. The reader is drawn into the feelings of the main character. You realize her state of mind, the turmoil she has endured and the emotional struggle that has her torn apart by what has happened in her life. Within the first chapter, the reader is brought to the beginning of how it all happened.
Conflict lies throughout the book with the main character. Stephanie having to grow up with the guilt surrounding her sister, the ties that she had with her Aunt Smyrna, the deception she held from her mother were all issues battling at Stephanie’s psyche. Struggling to overcome her personal demons, she tried to cope and go on with life.
Barbara Forte Abate resolves the conflict and does not leave the readers hanging. She brought us through an exciting story through the efforts of her main character. To the detriment of Stephanie’s own relationship, she tries to solve her problems alone.
The author brought everything to life and made you feel you were a part of the family. You felt empathy when the relationship between Uncle Cal and Aunt Smyrna slowly started to unravel. You saw through the façade of what began to happen with Eleanor and her coming of age. You are drawn into the story and feel sorry for the chain of events that occured in the story.
The characters jump out at you. They are animated and relatable. Barbara does an amazing job in describing the characters; the setting, Stephanie’s hometown, the people she interacts with, her own family and making it all come together in one satisfying story.
The dialogue was enjoyable and true to life. The words were descriptive and continued to propel the story forward. The Secret of Lies was written in Stephanie’s point of view and the story did not sway from her outlook but continued to flow.
Barbara Forte Abate has written a creative, entertaining story in The Secret of Lies, which makes any reader understand the hidden secrets in any family. Your heart goes out to lovable characters and an appreciation for what is important.
December 9, 2011
The Secret of Lies opens with Stevie (Stephanie) running from her home on the farm and her new husband; believing it's too late to turn back. Stevie's on the road and staying at a motel, when she begins to think about the past.
The dreary surrounds of the motel fades away and the reader is transported to Stevie's teenage years in the mid '50s with her older sister Eleanor. Each summer Eleanor and Stevie stayed with their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Calvin in their beach house on the coast.
I enjoyed reading about Stevie's summers at the beach, particularly about the friendship developing over the years with fellow summer visitor and deaf neighbour Jake.
These early chapters are carefree and take on a coming-of-age tone as Stevie and Eleanor live out what appears to be a 'normal' sisterly relationship. However; their relationship begins to drift away one summer when Eleanor is 17, and what occurs in that summer will haunt Stevie and her family for years to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Secret of Lies, and towards the end, had completely forgotten that Stevie had run away and that this was a flashback; so immersed was I in the story. The circumstances of the 'event' (no spoilers here) and the lies that resulted - from which the novel takes it's title - were well written.
There was a small mystery going on in the novel, and although I did figure it out (this never happens to me, so I was pretty pleased) there is a slightly ambiguous ending, which is appropriate. My only criticism of the writing was the author's misuse of the word 'then' in place of 'than'. It occurred on almost every page and should have been corrected at the edit stage.
Although Stevie's mother was a minor character, she was a strong and hard-working woman and I admired her fortitude and resilience. Aunt Smyrna was a significant character in the novel and her gradual decline in the first half of the book was difficult. When juxtaposed with Eleanor's character - youthful, beautiful, falling in love - it made for quite a clash and interesting reading. I certainly admire the author's ability to write strong, individual characters; each with their own complexities.
This was the story of a family torn apart by lies in a time where secrets were better kept hidden. But it is also the story of how Stevie navigates her way through the grief to find love and forgiveness. I thoroughly recommend it!
The dreary surrounds of the motel fades away and the reader is transported to Stevie's teenage years in the mid '50s with her older sister Eleanor. Each summer Eleanor and Stevie stayed with their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Calvin in their beach house on the coast.
I enjoyed reading about Stevie's summers at the beach, particularly about the friendship developing over the years with fellow summer visitor and deaf neighbour Jake.
These early chapters are carefree and take on a coming-of-age tone as Stevie and Eleanor live out what appears to be a 'normal' sisterly relationship. However; their relationship begins to drift away one summer when Eleanor is 17, and what occurs in that summer will haunt Stevie and her family for years to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Secret of Lies, and towards the end, had completely forgotten that Stevie had run away and that this was a flashback; so immersed was I in the story. The circumstances of the 'event' (no spoilers here) and the lies that resulted - from which the novel takes it's title - were well written.
There was a small mystery going on in the novel, and although I did figure it out (this never happens to me, so I was pretty pleased) there is a slightly ambiguous ending, which is appropriate. My only criticism of the writing was the author's misuse of the word 'then' in place of 'than'. It occurred on almost every page and should have been corrected at the edit stage.
Although Stevie's mother was a minor character, she was a strong and hard-working woman and I admired her fortitude and resilience. Aunt Smyrna was a significant character in the novel and her gradual decline in the first half of the book was difficult. When juxtaposed with Eleanor's character - youthful, beautiful, falling in love - it made for quite a clash and interesting reading. I certainly admire the author's ability to write strong, individual characters; each with their own complexities.
This was the story of a family torn apart by lies in a time where secrets were better kept hidden. But it is also the story of how Stevie navigates her way through the grief to find love and forgiveness. I thoroughly recommend it!
December 1, 2011
The Secret of Lies has to be one of the best stories I've read this year, without a doubt. The writing style is brilliant in itself - Abate writes with such elegance and sophistication that you cannot help being drawn to the story and the characters.
What I loved about the set up is that the prologue starts with the end of the story. We know from the start that Stevie runs away from home, we know the consequences - but we don't know how it all happened. Abate keeps you in agonising suspense from the very beginning and makes you want to find out what's the cause of Stevie's misery.
The first half of the book serves as a flashback - we get to know Stevie and her older sister, Eleanor - two teenagers who used to spend their summer vacations with Uncle Cal and Aunt Smyrna on Long Island. Up until something happens (I don't want to give too much away, you see *wink wink*) and a dark, scandalous secret tears apart their family. The second half of the book, set on the family farm a few years later, deals with how Stevie can cope with this childhood trauma and all these emotions she managed to bottle up throughout the years.
All the characters are very relatable but Stevie was the one who I had an instant connection with. I could almost feel what she felt back then - how she was held captive by the same life she always had. How she was afraid to fall in love, to let others see her emotions, how she turned into someone twice her age while she gradually alienated herself from her friends and family, while she kept saying "they don't understand".
The only negative thing I can mention is that for me the novel started out a little bit slow, but still, it's not too slow to put you off, and there are always subtle references to later parts of the story which leave you wanting more, wanting to find out what's going on.
The Secret of Lies is a captivating, tear-jerking coming of age novel with a great storyline, relatable characters and sophisticated writing style. Abate describes everything in so much detail, with such eloquence that The Secret of Lies is guaranteed to leave you in complete awe. I would definitely recommend it to everyone and I'm looking forward to see what the author comes up with next.
What I loved about the set up is that the prologue starts with the end of the story. We know from the start that Stevie runs away from home, we know the consequences - but we don't know how it all happened. Abate keeps you in agonising suspense from the very beginning and makes you want to find out what's the cause of Stevie's misery.
The first half of the book serves as a flashback - we get to know Stevie and her older sister, Eleanor - two teenagers who used to spend their summer vacations with Uncle Cal and Aunt Smyrna on Long Island. Up until something happens (I don't want to give too much away, you see *wink wink*) and a dark, scandalous secret tears apart their family. The second half of the book, set on the family farm a few years later, deals with how Stevie can cope with this childhood trauma and all these emotions she managed to bottle up throughout the years.
All the characters are very relatable but Stevie was the one who I had an instant connection with. I could almost feel what she felt back then - how she was held captive by the same life she always had. How she was afraid to fall in love, to let others see her emotions, how she turned into someone twice her age while she gradually alienated herself from her friends and family, while she kept saying "they don't understand".
The only negative thing I can mention is that for me the novel started out a little bit slow, but still, it's not too slow to put you off, and there are always subtle references to later parts of the story which leave you wanting more, wanting to find out what's going on.
The Secret of Lies is a captivating, tear-jerking coming of age novel with a great storyline, relatable characters and sophisticated writing style. Abate describes everything in so much detail, with such eloquence that The Secret of Lies is guaranteed to leave you in complete awe. I would definitely recommend it to everyone and I'm looking forward to see what the author comes up with next.
November 15, 2011
The Secret of Lies is a bit outside my wheelhouse when it comes to the genres that I read. But I decided to read it because the plot sounded interesting, and I thought the writing style was lovely.
What I Liked: 1) I really loved the writing style. Because I spend so much of my reading time in paranormal words with modern teenagers as the main characters, it seems like I get my fair share of teenspeak. But this one was written with an air of elegance that I really enjoyed. 2) Stevie (Stephanie). As the main character, Stevie was one of the most relateable characters I've read in a long time. I don't know if that's because she and I had some things in common, or what, but I understood her emotions so clearly, that she became a very real person. 3) The setting. The story begins in the Summer of 1957 (pauses to sing 'Summer of '69'). I loved reading a story set in that time period. It really made the story unique. 4) The descriptions. This is part of the reason I enjoyed the setting so much. There were such vivid descriptions that I was able to sink into the story completely.
What I Didn't Like: 1) The beginning was a little off for me. I had a hard time getting involved with it. It wasn't until page 50 or so that I really just lost myself in what was happening. What was different about the first 50 pages? I think that Stevie was so young in the beginning that it threw me off a little. Once she aged up a bit, it was easier for me to understand her thinking. 2) Some of the events, or people that are a big part of Stevie's life, seem to disappear and then we never hear from them again. I was curious about those people (particularly Jake) when the book finished. What purpose did he serve in her life? (not really a dislike, more like a general pondering)
Overall thoughts: This was a good coming of age novel with a unique setting, a main character that is easy to relate to, and an interesting plot line. Sinking into this story is like wrapping a fuzzy blanket around yourself. Miz Abate has done an excellent job with The Secret of Lies, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
September 29, 2011
I was immediately drawn to this book. It is an emotionally dark and intense novel about coming of age, lies, betrayal, guilt, and hopefully acceptance. The characters pull at your heartstrings. The writing is so rich you feel as if you personally know these people. Some you will love, some you will pity, and some you will abhor. The main character is Stephanie Burke. She is an incredible person. She has a story that must be told. Ms Forte Abate does a masterful job telling Stevie's tale.
It was the summer of 1957. Stevie and her sister Eleanor are spending the summer in Long Island with their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Smyrna is the sister of the girls mother, Libby. They spend each summer in Long Island. This summer is different. Eleanor is 17 and Stevie 5. The girls are growing up. No longer are they youngsters content with swimming in the water and running around the beach. Eleanor, at 17, is on the verge of womanhood. The unthinkable happens, tragedy strikes, lies and deceit become the norm. Events occur that scar Stevie for life. She feels a guilt that is not hers to carry.
Salvation comes years later in the form of one young man named Ash waterman. He loves Stevie not in spite of, but because of who she is. A soul in need of help. A woman seeking forgiveness and understanding for a crime that was not hers. Today she would be in therapy to overcome her issues. These events are occurring in the early 60's. Therapy wasn't the 'thing to do' back then. The ending of the book (no spoilers here) is left open enough that a possible sequel can be written. I would love to see Stevie and Ash work through everything together. I would love to see Stevie write the names and baptism dates of their children in the family Bible.
A fantastic book. No, it did not contain sex, drugs, vampires, werewolves, or demi gods. (There was some rock and roll in the form of Elvis Presley. ) It was an emotional book about growing.
It was the summer of 1957. Stevie and her sister Eleanor are spending the summer in Long Island with their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Smyrna is the sister of the girls mother, Libby. They spend each summer in Long Island. This summer is different. Eleanor is 17 and Stevie 5. The girls are growing up. No longer are they youngsters content with swimming in the water and running around the beach. Eleanor, at 17, is on the verge of womanhood. The unthinkable happens, tragedy strikes, lies and deceit become the norm. Events occur that scar Stevie for life. She feels a guilt that is not hers to carry.
Salvation comes years later in the form of one young man named Ash waterman. He loves Stevie not in spite of, but because of who she is. A soul in need of help. A woman seeking forgiveness and understanding for a crime that was not hers. Today she would be in therapy to overcome her issues. These events are occurring in the early 60's. Therapy wasn't the 'thing to do' back then. The ending of the book (no spoilers here) is left open enough that a possible sequel can be written. I would love to see Stevie and Ash work through everything together. I would love to see Stevie write the names and baptism dates of their children in the family Bible.
A fantastic book. No, it did not contain sex, drugs, vampires, werewolves, or demi gods. (There was some rock and roll in the form of Elvis Presley. ) It was an emotional book about growing.
October 15, 2011
Today's Review is on The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate
The Secret of Lies is an absolutely fantastic book! An impressive and detailed story of love, loss, and betrayal. From the very beginning I felt my heart reach out to Stephanie, and it stayed there wrapped in her life story even hours after I had finished reading.
Every summer Stephanie "Stevie" Burke and her sister Eleanor travel to Long Island and the summer home of their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Nothing is out of the ordinary until one summer when there is a noticeable difference in the relationship of Smyrna and Cal and the relationship between Cal and Eleanor. Everything comes to a head the night Stevie and Jake come upon Eleanor and her uncle locked in a naked and compromising position.
Then Eleanor goes missing only to be found floating among the rocks by Stevie. Stevie is not the only one that knows about the relationship between Cal and Eleanore though. Stevie's aunt Smyrna has also known. With her parents so grief stricken, Stevie agrees with her aunt to keep the truth about the relationship between her husband and Eleanor a secret.
As time goes on and Stevie suffers the loss of her father, the loss of her aunt, and the loss of her mother. The one thing she can not seem to loose the guilt that she has carried from that horrible night. She is even unable to open herself to the love she feels for Ash and his love in return, even after they are married.
The Secret of Lies was an intense story for me. An amazingly accurate account of how many lives can be affected by one single moment in time, and how long the repercussions can last.
My only complaints are 1. That there were some grammatical errors; for which I have to lower my rating, 2. I felt that poor Jake wasn't given a proper good-bye, and 3. I just hate how the book ended, but then again I hopeful for a sequel.
4.5 of 5 stars
The Secret of Lies is an absolutely fantastic book! An impressive and detailed story of love, loss, and betrayal. From the very beginning I felt my heart reach out to Stephanie, and it stayed there wrapped in her life story even hours after I had finished reading.
Every summer Stephanie "Stevie" Burke and her sister Eleanor travel to Long Island and the summer home of their Aunt Smyrna and Uncle Cal. Nothing is out of the ordinary until one summer when there is a noticeable difference in the relationship of Smyrna and Cal and the relationship between Cal and Eleanor. Everything comes to a head the night Stevie and Jake come upon Eleanor and her uncle locked in a naked and compromising position.
Then Eleanor goes missing only to be found floating among the rocks by Stevie. Stevie is not the only one that knows about the relationship between Cal and Eleanore though. Stevie's aunt Smyrna has also known. With her parents so grief stricken, Stevie agrees with her aunt to keep the truth about the relationship between her husband and Eleanor a secret.
As time goes on and Stevie suffers the loss of her father, the loss of her aunt, and the loss of her mother. The one thing she can not seem to loose the guilt that she has carried from that horrible night. She is even unable to open herself to the love she feels for Ash and his love in return, even after they are married.
The Secret of Lies was an intense story for me. An amazingly accurate account of how many lives can be affected by one single moment in time, and how long the repercussions can last.
My only complaints are 1. That there were some grammatical errors; for which I have to lower my rating, 2. I felt that poor Jake wasn't given a proper good-bye, and 3. I just hate how the book ended, but then again I hopeful for a sequel.
4.5 of 5 stars
January 6, 2012
Originally reviewed on These Pretty Words.
This review is a really tough one for me. I should warn you readers in advance – my feelings about this book run the gamut, so you'll need to grant me a bit of leeway here.
The Secret of Lies starts out with the main character, Stevie, leaving her husband in an emotional mess. The summary is clear on this; she leaves and ends up in a hotel remembering a summer from her youth. That much I got through and enjoyed.
As soon as we readers were brought back in time to the years leading up to the horrific event that forever changed our main character I started noticing problems. The characters were sometimes almost intentionally clueless, the time jumping was unclear and confusing, and the overall arc of the story was slow to build. Some chapters completely sucked me in and made me want to try and finish the book in one sitting while others left me scratching my head and almost skimming bits.
That being said, I really enjoyed Barbara's writing style. Her words flowed well and her descriptions were bright and clear without bogging down the reader. This isn't a book whose summary or cover art grabs my attention and begs me to read it, yet I'm so glad I picked it up and made it through the (too long) novel. True, there were some insanely long sentences in the book, the pacing was very stop and go, and a couple time-flow issues forced me to go back and reread parts, but overall the writing was engaging and something about the main character made me want to see how her life played out.
I don't see this being an extremely popular book (though I have a few friends I think would really enjoy it) but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Barbara's work. Something about her writing style spoke to me and, with the help of a better editor, I think she has real potential to write something absolutely fantastic.
This review is a really tough one for me. I should warn you readers in advance – my feelings about this book run the gamut, so you'll need to grant me a bit of leeway here.
The Secret of Lies starts out with the main character, Stevie, leaving her husband in an emotional mess. The summary is clear on this; she leaves and ends up in a hotel remembering a summer from her youth. That much I got through and enjoyed.
As soon as we readers were brought back in time to the years leading up to the horrific event that forever changed our main character I started noticing problems. The characters were sometimes almost intentionally clueless, the time jumping was unclear and confusing, and the overall arc of the story was slow to build. Some chapters completely sucked me in and made me want to try and finish the book in one sitting while others left me scratching my head and almost skimming bits.
That being said, I really enjoyed Barbara's writing style. Her words flowed well and her descriptions were bright and clear without bogging down the reader. This isn't a book whose summary or cover art grabs my attention and begs me to read it, yet I'm so glad I picked it up and made it through the (too long) novel. True, there were some insanely long sentences in the book, the pacing was very stop and go, and a couple time-flow issues forced me to go back and reread parts, but overall the writing was engaging and something about the main character made me want to see how her life played out.
I don't see this being an extremely popular book (though I have a few friends I think would really enjoy it) but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Barbara's work. Something about her writing style spoke to me and, with the help of a better editor, I think she has real potential to write something absolutely fantastic.
March 31, 2012
You can find the full review at Chocolate Chunky Munkie
I found this book to be very well written, there is an immense amount of detail to the writing. So I will warn you, this is not a fast and easy read, you just have to appreciate all the rich detail and soak it up. Sometimes I found myself taking a step back just to absorb every detail.
The story is told by the main protagonist Stevie; it starts off in the present day and then regresses back to a time in her childhood where something bad happened. It just shows the effects of where something from the past can affect you in the future. I felt that as the story progressed you shared the innermost demons of Stevie. Her whole self is stripped bare and she really does bare her soul. I really did feel for her at times. It does take a little while into the story until you find out what the tragedy is, it keeps you guessing and on tenterhooks.
A powerful story of loss, guilt, discovery and romance. Ticked a lot of right boxes for me. I really could feel the heartache and emotions of the characters. I also have to say that I fell in love with Ash; he seems to be a sweet and sensitive man. It was lovely to see the chemistry between Ash and Stevie unfurl.
I would have to say that the only negative point I had about the book is that it was a little bit slow at the beginning. It did take a little while to get going, but from then on it did grip me.
Overall I really enjoyed this book; I would recommend you read this as I do think it’s a very powerful and well written book. Bravo to the author.
** Thank you to the author Barbara Forte Abate for supplying me with a review copy of the book**
I found this book to be very well written, there is an immense amount of detail to the writing. So I will warn you, this is not a fast and easy read, you just have to appreciate all the rich detail and soak it up. Sometimes I found myself taking a step back just to absorb every detail.
The story is told by the main protagonist Stevie; it starts off in the present day and then regresses back to a time in her childhood where something bad happened. It just shows the effects of where something from the past can affect you in the future. I felt that as the story progressed you shared the innermost demons of Stevie. Her whole self is stripped bare and she really does bare her soul. I really did feel for her at times. It does take a little while into the story until you find out what the tragedy is, it keeps you guessing and on tenterhooks.
A powerful story of loss, guilt, discovery and romance. Ticked a lot of right boxes for me. I really could feel the heartache and emotions of the characters. I also have to say that I fell in love with Ash; he seems to be a sweet and sensitive man. It was lovely to see the chemistry between Ash and Stevie unfurl.
I would have to say that the only negative point I had about the book is that it was a little bit slow at the beginning. It did take a little while to get going, but from then on it did grip me.
Overall I really enjoyed this book; I would recommend you read this as I do think it’s a very powerful and well written book. Bravo to the author.
** Thank you to the author Barbara Forte Abate for supplying me with a review copy of the book**
January 6, 2012
From the first glance The Secret of Lies by Barbara Forte Abate Forte demands attention. The title alone implies so many things. If a person has a secret then they will lie to protect it, if a person is lying then they have a secret, and ultimately the secret of any lie is the truth itself.
Then there's all the famous quotes that spring to mind when considering secrets and lies. There's Walter Scott's "Oh what a tangled web we weave..." or the ever famous "The truth shall set you free." Both of which occur to the mind while reading Agate Forte's book. There are so many comments wanting to burst forth to expound on these quotes, but a strict no-spoiler-alert alarm is saying, "Better not."
Though there was a touch of an eye roll during what seemed, at the time, like an overly dramatic prologue, that was quickly squashed and never considered ever again. The Secret of Lies quietly and quickly steals its way into your mind. The words are so beautifully engaging that the pages seem to turn themselves and time develops little wings as it flies away from you.
While the pages are turning and the time is flying, the mind doesn't want to disengage even long enough to sleep, because the characters are so wonderfully written that their lives unfold in your mind like its your own memory.
The Secret of Lies is an engaging, intriguing, beautifully written story that centers on Stephanie and the lies that have pervaded her life wreaking havoc with family, friends, and personal relationships. It examines so many different topics, such as what constitutes love, truth, self-honesty, forgiving others and ourselves, and the ever complex thing called family. In case you haven't guessed it, it's a recommended read.
Then there's all the famous quotes that spring to mind when considering secrets and lies. There's Walter Scott's "Oh what a tangled web we weave..." or the ever famous "The truth shall set you free." Both of which occur to the mind while reading Agate Forte's book. There are so many comments wanting to burst forth to expound on these quotes, but a strict no-spoiler-alert alarm is saying, "Better not."
Though there was a touch of an eye roll during what seemed, at the time, like an overly dramatic prologue, that was quickly squashed and never considered ever again. The Secret of Lies quietly and quickly steals its way into your mind. The words are so beautifully engaging that the pages seem to turn themselves and time develops little wings as it flies away from you.
While the pages are turning and the time is flying, the mind doesn't want to disengage even long enough to sleep, because the characters are so wonderfully written that their lives unfold in your mind like its your own memory.
The Secret of Lies is an engaging, intriguing, beautifully written story that centers on Stephanie and the lies that have pervaded her life wreaking havoc with family, friends, and personal relationships. It examines so many different topics, such as what constitutes love, truth, self-honesty, forgiving others and ourselves, and the ever complex thing called family. In case you haven't guessed it, it's a recommended read.
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