Review: The Husband's Secret

The Husband’s Secret

by Liane Moriarty

Why did you choose this book? I’ve heard so much about it...and of course, the cover is beautiful!

When did you read this book? Aug 2013

Who should read this book? fans of stories about family and relationship

Source: library

Here is a synopsis of The Husband's Secret from Goodreads

At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read

My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died. . .

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.

My Review 

Wow! I first noticed the cover on this book, and then I noticed all the good reviews and hype it was getting. So often when I book gets a lot of hype, I end up disappointed when I read it. But not this time! This book deserves all the hype it has received.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick is a happily married to John Paul. She is mother of three girls and president of the parent organization at St. Angela’s, the school they attend, and which is also the school she attended. Rachel Crowley is the secretary at St. Angela’s and is still mourning her daughter, Janie, who was found murdered in a park many years ago. Tess O’Neill has just learned her husband is in love with her cousin, and she has returned to her home town to heal, and to enroll her son in St. Angela’s, where she also attended school.

One day Cecilia is in the attic looking for a souvenir she wants to give to her daughter, when she stumbles into a stack of boxes and papers go flying. As she is returning them to their boxes, she notices that one is an envelope addressed to her from her husband, to be opened only upon his death. She mentions it to him, then decides to respect his request that she not read it, until....

He makes a mistake. His suspicious actions lead her to decide she needs to know what is in the letter. So she opens it, and what she learns is devastating!

As events unfold, Tess and Rachel also come to be affected by the contents of the letter. There are decisions to be made by all three women, and none of these decisions are easy. I have to say, I was not totally happy with the decisions that were made, or the way the story ended. It didn’t seem quite fair. Until I read the epilogue, and then I was fine with the decisions made by the characters. But I still was left with a feeling of 'what if'. And I still felt like things were not quite fair, but in a different way. I really did appreciate that the book had an epilogue. I always want to know what happens to the characters in the future, and this epilogue let me know.

This book has a lot of talking points and would make a fantastic book club selection! There is so much to discuss!

My Rating:  ★★★1/2   4-1/2 Stars