Past Secrets
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Author Description
They all hide secrets that won't go away.... From the outside, the welcoming, garden-adorned houses of Summer Street are the picture of Irish charm. But on the inside, unexpected and heartbreaking secrets swirl. At house number thirty-two, hardworking, single-mother Faye Reid conceals the truth about her marriage from her fiery daughter, Amber. But Amber, a budding artist, also hides something from her all-too-trusting mother: a relationship with a rock star hopeful for whom she plans to throw away her future. And at number forty-eight, Maggie Maguire arrives at her childhood home to help her sick mother, a welcome distraction from the life she left behind and the startling secret she's hiding -- from herself. And only become harder to keep... At thirty-four Summer Street, wise and kind Christie Devlin has the remarkable ability to see into the lives and hearts of others -- and may have the answers when her neighbors' carefully hidden secrets bubble to the surface. But when Christie's own past comes back to haunt her -- posing a threat to her picture-perfect marriage -- this time the answers aren't as clear.
Menrva's Summary
THE PULSE
The residents of Summer Street find their carefully maintained facades crumbling as long-buried secrets threaten to dismantle their families and futures. Faye Reid struggles to balance the demands of single motherhood with the weight of her own hidden history, while her daughter Amber risks her potential for a volatile romance. Maggie Maguire returns to her childhood home seeking refuge, only to find that her own past is an inescapable companion. Christie Devlin, the neighborhood confidante, faces a crisis of her own when her seemingly stable marriage is challenged by the return of her own suppressed history. The narrative weaves these disparate lives together, examining how individual choices ripple through a close-knit community.
INSIDE THE PAGES
- Multi-perspective narrative structure focusing on the interconnected lives of neighbors.
- Exploration of the tension between public appearance and private reality.
- Themes of intergenerational conflict and the impact of maternal influence.
- Setting as a character, utilizing the idyllic Irish suburban street as a contrast to internal turmoil.
- Character-driven pacing that prioritizes emotional development over high-stakes action.
- Examination of the consequences of long-held deception within domestic spheres.
- Focus on the role of community support and the limits of personal intuition.
- Realistic dialogue that captures the nuances of Irish social dynamics.
THE COLLECTIVE ECHO
This work is characterized by its focus on the domestic sphere and the intricate social dynamics of a small Irish community. The narrative structure suggests a deliberate pacing that prioritizes character development and the slow revelation of personal histories. Readers likely find the exploration of motherhood and the weight of past decisions to be the primary thematic anchors of the story. The setting serves as a functional contrast to the internal conflicts faced by the protagonists, highlighting the disparity between outward appearances and private struggles.
Page Count:
512
Publication Date:
2006-01-01
Publisher:
HARPER COLLINS 0 PUB
ISBN-10:
0007156359
ISBN-13:
9780007156351
Contemporary
Fiction
Fiction
Irish literature
Literature & Fiction
Contemporary
Family Secrets
Domestic Drama
Mothers and daughters
Ireland fiction
Subjects
Family Saga
