Synopsis

When Mary Reilly turns up in a hospital hundreds of miles from the senior community where she lives, Nell and Bridget discover their mother has been hiding a second life. She has a lakeside cottage in Vermont and a series of complex relationships with people her daughters have never met. The thread of mystery leads back to the middle of the 20th century, and it knits together all three women, the sacrifices they’ve made and the secrets they carry.

Nell is a carpool mom and corporate trophy wife who yearns for a life of her own. Bridget is a glamorous interior designer who transforms herself for every new man, always attracted to the bad ones. Their mother Mary was an army nurse in the Vietnam War, then married handsome navy pilot Thomas Reilly and lived happily ever after…or did she? Mary’s cottage is the vault for family secrets never suspected, and the gateway to change for her daughters.

Praise

“What begins to unfold from page one is a captivating story filled with mystery, suspense, love, longing and family…a poignant tale not to be missed.” ~Readers’ Favorite (5 STARS)

“This is that kind of book, one so real and important that it bears at least a second reading – after the first sinks in.”  ~Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 “Vine Voice” (5 STARS), reviewed in the San Francisco Review of Books

“One of the greatest riddles, it turns out, is a parent’s real life, the one not shown to children. …Skillful dialogue as well as brisk pacing and an effective resolution.” ~Kirkus Reviews

Review

Life is too short to not enjoy life and those around you. Nell and Bridget, Mary’s (aka Ellie) daughters, find out when they receive a call that their mom is not living where she should be living.

This is a journey of a mother and her daughters and their various experiences and how history sometimes repeats itself. It is also a journey of self-discovery for each of these women.

This book jumps back and forth in time, revealing snippets of history that tie the story together in the end. As you read further into the book you might figure some of it out before it is officially revealed, but the anticipation in waiting for the truth to be revealed had me on the edge of my seat. I wanted the characters to hurry up and reveal their secrets, but I had to wait and it was worth the wait.

Each character had a hurdle in their life that needed resolution and I think each found that happiness in the end. There are some moments that will make you laugh and others that will make you cry.

A very enjoyable book and while there could have been more conflict to create some tension and drama, it is still a good book.

We give it 4 paws up

About the Author

Gail Cleare has written for newspapers, magazines, Fortune 50 companies and AOL. Her award-winning ad agency represented the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. She was the turtle Leonardo’s date for the world premiere of the second TMNT movie, and got to wear a black evening gown and sparkly shoes.

Gail lives on an 18th century farm in Massachusetts with her family and dogs, cats, chickens, black bears, blue herons, rushing streams and wide, windy skies. She’s into organic gardening and nature photography, and can often be found stalking wild creatures with a 300 mm lens.

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