The Husband’s Secret, Liane Moriarty
The Husband’s Secret begs the question – Just how well do we really know those we love? Are secrets ever meant to be shared? How does one deal with a perpetually haunting past mistake, one of epic proportions and far-reaching repercussions, alone?
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has been blessed with a beautiful family, a successful career, and the respect of her community. While looking for something else in her attic one day, she accidently comes across a mysterious, sealed envelope, on which her husband scribed: For my wife, Cecilia Fitzpatrick – To be opened only in the event of my death. Curious, she holds on to the letter but wrestles with whether or not to open it. (Wow, I personally would have ripped that thing open in no time! But then again, patience and self-control have never been my strong suits.) Anyway, Cecilia gets even more concerned after confronting her husband, John-Paul, who becomes terrified and begs her not to open it. Over time, one anxious what-if thought leads to another, until Cecilia just can’t stand it anymore and finally opens the letter. All at once, a dark secret is unleashed, floodgates open, their perfect world crumbles, and Cecilia is faced with a horrible dilemma.
Tess, who suffers from social anxiety, is married to Will and they have a son. Felicity is Tess’s cousin and her life-long best friend. The three of them run a business together – TWA Advertising. All is generally well except for one problem – Felicity and Will are having an intense, emotional affair and have fallen in love. Tess is left to make life-changing decisions, all while trying to cope with the betrayal of the two people she loved and trusted most.
Rachel is mother to Rob and grandmother to young Jacob. She adores little Jacob and loves nothing more than spending time with him. When Rob and his wife, Lauren, decide to relocate, Rachel is devastated. She never recovered from the tragic loss of her daughter years ago, and it feels like she is now, in a sense, losing her grandson too. She struggles to cope with her life, which is about to become even more empty.
The Husband’s Secret is set in Australia and follows the lives of these three central, but different, characters. The transitions between them are seamless and flow beautifully. The book is well paced, engaging, and well written. I applaud Moriarty’s ability to write so poignantly about dark issues while providing breaks of humor that are interwoven tactfully and at appropriate times. Striking a balance between sadness and lightness in the same novel is no easy task, but Moriarty accomplishes this in a manner that is neither offensive nor threatening to the developing story lines and themes. The dark sides of this novel are gripping and thought-provoking, but balanced with the comic relief of daily antics in life with young children. I enjoyed the relatable family themes throughout the book. The Husband’s Secret is packed with mystery, the complexities of relationships, the disastrous, life-altering ramifications of long hidden secrets, and several jaw dropping surprises in the epilogue. If you loved reading Big Little Lies and Truly, Madly, Guilty, then The Husband’s Secret will not disappoint. I look forward to reading more from this gifted author.
“The trouble with the truth is that it can change everything…” Liane Moriarty
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