Family Secrets

April 23, 2007
R
evenge, murder and identity feature big in this 11th novel by the author of The Girlfriends Club
. Two bombshells fall on Vanessa, Ellie and Georgiana the night of their mother’s 60th birthday: widowed mom Penelope is moving to France with a man they’ve never met, and they learn their paternal grandmother did not die in childbirth as they’d been told all their lives. Vanessa, unhappy with her marriage and career, takes the news about their mother with the most difficulty, and the ensuing rift between siblings prompts Penelope to finance an early summer getaway for the three. Ellie and Georgiana persuade Vanessa to take a trip to Montana, where they might learn more about Hattie, the woman who gave up their father shortly after his birth. It turns out Hattie is alive and kicking, and with good reason to keep her history secret. The story takes a dangerous turn when Hattie—now the wealthy mother of a gubernatorial candidate—learns about the sisters’ quest to find her. The transition from family saga to women-in-jeopardy thriller happens quickly and convincingly, but builds to an unsatisfying resolution. The sisterly bond of Vanessa, Ellie and Georgiana is sweet, but Hattie’s sensational tale steals the show.