Status
Available
Description
Fiction. Literature. Suspense. Thriller. 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.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member LauraMoore
The Husbands Secret was such a great read. It had my attention throughout the whole book. I wanted to know what the secret was and when I knew I couldn't wait to find out what Cecila was going to do with the information she did found out. It made me think what I would do in the situation, would I
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tell, would I not? This book made me think and compelled me to dig deep inside myself. I couldn't get enough of this story, and It was definitely one of my favorite reads of 2014. The only thing I didn't love in the beginning was that the three seperate storylines left me a little confused (in the beginning) keeping track of who was who and what was going on, but about 1/3 of the way through the book when storylines started to overlap with each other It all came together and made sense as to how they all fit together. If you haven't read any Liane Moriarty I suggest you do!! (This was the 2nd book i've read by her, but since reading this book I have now read 3, and this one was by far my favorite). Show Less
LibraryThing member Narshkite
So, I pretty much knew this was not going to go well when I saw the cover blurbs from Parade Magazine and Family Circle. Still I went ahead and read this (and bought it in hardback!) because it was my book club choice for June. Initially I thought this was going to be a 3 star review. Not a good
Two news stories this week sickened me and highlighted how repellent a message Moriarty is advancing.
Near Santa Barbara an over-privileged young man who looked at women as things, like cars or video games, killed 7 people. He did this because girls chose to have sex with men that were not him. Some people seemed to think this was unfortunate but understandable. Because women apparently exist to serve men, and any rejection of a man might reasonably end in death. (Though all seem to agree it is better when murder does not occur.) An old quote from Margaret Atwood made its way into the online discussion of this story: "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." So sad and so true. So of course this is exactly what happens in the book. And though everyone is careful to state that Janie's laughter is no excuse for her murder, it somehow seems that the fact of the laughter makes them understand the murder. Once they know that Janie told John Paul she did not want to be his girlfriend and that laughed at him, they saw it was one horrible mistake caused by his feeling of rejection, and his own sense of guilt was punishment enough. Even Janie's own mother seems to come to this conclusion after she does something malicious and potentially deadly in a moment of rage and impotence. What?! Most murders are one mistake in a moment of anger. There would be a lot of murderers roaming free if we all got a mulligan for that first murder. So sure is this book that laughing at a man makes a woman (or in this case a girl) culpable in her own murder that the book seeks to absolve Janie of that perceived guilt by stressing that she laughed from nervousness. Of course she would never have laughed at a boy other than from nervousness. Because the laugh was involuntary we should feel bad about her murder, where we might not if she was a bitch. This is so offensive, so sexist, so dangerous that it brings tears to my eyes. But, of course the book does have John Paul pay for his crime in a way, and that way makes me even a little sicker.
The theory here is that John Paul's punishment comes in the form of the maiming of his young child by the mother of his victim. So...the second news story this week that tied into this book was Toni Braxton stating that God had made her child autistic because she had had an abortion. This book uses the same theory, that God punished the parent by hurting an innocent child. My horror at this is limitless, but I will say only two things. First, I am a person of faith, but if I had been taught that God hurts children to exact retribution on their parents I would be an atheist for sure. Second, the State should step in and remove children from any parent that believes that their children are a punishment from God.
So in sum, this book is not particularly well written, but is also not poorly written, and is a light enough read if you have time to waste as long as you don't give a moment's thought to the sick, foul, festering "moral" of the story.
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book for sure, but amiably stupid is sometimes enjoyable enough. It may not have gotten demoted to two stars if I had read it during a week where the headlines were different. FROM HERE ON OUT THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.Two news stories this week sickened me and highlighted how repellent a message Moriarty is advancing.
Near Santa Barbara an over-privileged young man who looked at women as things, like cars or video games, killed 7 people. He did this because girls chose to have sex with men that were not him. Some people seemed to think this was unfortunate but understandable. Because women apparently exist to serve men, and any rejection of a man might reasonably end in death. (Though all seem to agree it is better when murder does not occur.) An old quote from Margaret Atwood made its way into the online discussion of this story: "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them." So sad and so true. So of course this is exactly what happens in the book. And though everyone is careful to state that Janie's laughter is no excuse for her murder, it somehow seems that the fact of the laughter makes them understand the murder. Once they know that Janie told John Paul she did not want to be his girlfriend and that laughed at him, they saw it was one horrible mistake caused by his feeling of rejection, and his own sense of guilt was punishment enough. Even Janie's own mother seems to come to this conclusion after she does something malicious and potentially deadly in a moment of rage and impotence. What?! Most murders are one mistake in a moment of anger. There would be a lot of murderers roaming free if we all got a mulligan for that first murder. So sure is this book that laughing at a man makes a woman (or in this case a girl) culpable in her own murder that the book seeks to absolve Janie of that perceived guilt by stressing that she laughed from nervousness. Of course she would never have laughed at a boy other than from nervousness. Because the laugh was involuntary we should feel bad about her murder, where we might not if she was a bitch. This is so offensive, so sexist, so dangerous that it brings tears to my eyes. But, of course the book does have John Paul pay for his crime in a way, and that way makes me even a little sicker.
The theory here is that John Paul's punishment comes in the form of the maiming of his young child by the mother of his victim. So...the second news story this week that tied into this book was Toni Braxton stating that God had made her child autistic because she had had an abortion. This book uses the same theory, that God punished the parent by hurting an innocent child. My horror at this is limitless, but I will say only two things. First, I am a person of faith, but if I had been taught that God hurts children to exact retribution on their parents I would be an atheist for sure. Second, the State should step in and remove children from any parent that believes that their children are a punishment from God.
So in sum, this book is not particularly well written, but is also not poorly written, and is a light enough read if you have time to waste as long as you don't give a moment's thought to the sick, foul, festering "moral" of the story.
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LibraryThing member Northern_Light
I got this book from Real Readers to review and I really enjoyed reading it for them. It is set in Australia which makes a change and so got somewhat confused at times as to the seasons etc.
It tells the stories of three women whose lives connect in ways they never could have imagined and it all
It was spoiled at times by the language, is it really necessary to have so much swearing and the sex scenes were frequently there just for effect and not needed.
However this is a really interesting premise to base a book on although the secret isn't particulary difficult to work out and comes relatively early in the book. How the secret is dealt with and the fallout from is very cleverly done and we are drawn in to the lives of these very ordinary seeming women.
The ending is very cleverly done with making you think about how our actions can have long lasting consequences/
I will look out for this author in the future.
It tells the stories of three women whose lives connect in ways they never could have imagined and it all
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begins when one of them finds a letter from her husband for after his death. It makes you wonder what would you do if you found such a letter.It was spoiled at times by the language, is it really necessary to have so much swearing and the sex scenes were frequently there just for effect and not needed.
However this is a really interesting premise to base a book on although the secret isn't particulary difficult to work out and comes relatively early in the book. How the secret is dealt with and the fallout from is very cleverly done and we are drawn in to the lives of these very ordinary seeming women.
The ending is very cleverly done with making you think about how our actions can have long lasting consequences/
I will look out for this author in the future.
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LibraryThing member wrbinpa
I really tried to like this book, actually reading 50% of it because I was curious to find out what was in the letter. But, sorry to say, I just couldn't take any more and finally abandoned the book. There were far too many characters, confusing me early on, the storyline was shallow, falling flat,
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and quite frankly, I was bored. I'm thankful I didn't purchase this one, but borrowed it from the library...I can return it. Just not for me...very disappointing! Show Less
LibraryThing member AMKee
I was listening to this one on audio and it was like the author had ADHD. I have never seen such random thoughts and jumping from one subject to the next. I had to stop listening halfway through the first CD and just move on!
LibraryThing member pegmcdaniel
For me to give a novel 5 Stars, it has to be a very special book. 'The Husband's Secret' by Liane Morarity is such a book. It's the first novel by this author that I have read, but it won't be the last. She is an outstanding author in every way.
The characters are established in the first three
I highly recommend this very entertaining novel.
The characters are established in the first three
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chapters and, from then on, it's almost impossible to put this novel down. It has everything needed to make it enjoyable: family, romance, suspense, twists and turns, betrayal, murder, friendships, and bits of humor. How the author managed to make it all come together in the end was amazing to me. There are many thought-provoking dilemmas to ponder long after you've finished reading. And the epilogue was superb!I highly recommend this very entertaining novel.
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LibraryThing member Schatje
The novel deals with three women whose lives intersect after each learns something which changes their lives. Cecilia is a Tupperware salesperson par excellence and the mother of three daughters; people tend to label her the perfect wife and mother. She discovers a letter written by her husband, a
Rachel becomes convinced she knows the identity of her daughter’s killer. The women’s reactions to these pivotal “realizations” impact the lives of many others.
I chose this book to read during an 8-hour plane flight and, by sheer chance, I chose well. It is a light read that does require much thought. I could put it down and pick it up easily three weeks later when I was taking a return 8-hour flight. It maintained my interest sufficiently so I did actually finish it, but it is fluff.
None of the three women is particularly likeable because of the decisions they make. Though a reader may feel some sympathy for the situations in which the women find themselves, it is impossible not to see that the women also bear some responsibility for what befalls them – the murder of Rachel’s daughter being an obvious exception. And inaction, infidelity, and impulsiveness do not endear these women to this reader. The author made an attempt to portray them as dynamic characters who learn something about themselves, but what they learn would be evident to virtually everyone. One of the women, for example, realizes that love after years of marriage is “an entirely different feeling from the uncomplicated, unstinting adoration she’d felt as a young bride.” Really?!!
The epilogue left me shaking my head. In it the author reveals some secrets about the characters, secrets which, had they been known, would have changed people’s lives. She concludes with this paragraph: “None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken. It’s probably just as well. Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever. Just ask Pandora.” This suggests, again, that the author tried to write interpretive fiction, but missed the lesson about letting the work speak for itself.
This would be a perfect book to serialize in a women’s magazine, were such things still done.
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letter which she is not to open until after his death. Like a modern-day Pandora, she opens it. She discovers a secret that tears apart her seemingly perfect life. Tess is a career woman whose husband decides he is in love with Tess’s cousin, their business partner. Rachel is a school secretary whose daughter was murdered two decades earlier; though no one has ever been charged with the crime,Rachel becomes convinced she knows the identity of her daughter’s killer. The women’s reactions to these pivotal “realizations” impact the lives of many others.
I chose this book to read during an 8-hour plane flight and, by sheer chance, I chose well. It is a light read that does require much thought. I could put it down and pick it up easily three weeks later when I was taking a return 8-hour flight. It maintained my interest sufficiently so I did actually finish it, but it is fluff.
None of the three women is particularly likeable because of the decisions they make. Though a reader may feel some sympathy for the situations in which the women find themselves, it is impossible not to see that the women also bear some responsibility for what befalls them – the murder of Rachel’s daughter being an obvious exception. And inaction, infidelity, and impulsiveness do not endear these women to this reader. The author made an attempt to portray them as dynamic characters who learn something about themselves, but what they learn would be evident to virtually everyone. One of the women, for example, realizes that love after years of marriage is “an entirely different feeling from the uncomplicated, unstinting adoration she’d felt as a young bride.” Really?!!
The epilogue left me shaking my head. In it the author reveals some secrets about the characters, secrets which, had they been known, would have changed people’s lives. She concludes with this paragraph: “None of us ever know all the possible courses our lives could have and maybe should have taken. It’s probably just as well. Some secrets are meant to stay secret forever. Just ask Pandora.” This suggests, again, that the author tried to write interpretive fiction, but missed the lesson about letting the work speak for itself.
This would be a perfect book to serialize in a women’s magazine, were such things still done.
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LibraryThing member PiperUp
***Contains Spoilers***
Eh. I doubt I would've finished this if it wasn't a book club selection. I just didn't care about any of the characters or how the story was going to end.
It's definitely not going into the stack of books I consider to be riveting. ;-) I'd throw it in the stack of stories
I don't agree with any of the choices made by the characters. I don't think real people would make the decisions these characters made.
I find it hard to believe that forgiveness could be given so quickly in some of the instances in the story. I mean, come on, someone does something that drastically changes your life completely in a negative way...you're not going to forgive them within a few days or 50 pages at the end of a book.
Someone murders your child & you sit around angry for 20+ years...you find out who...you're not going to sit around thinking about what you should do. I'm pretty sure you'll decide 1 of 2 things: either you're going to murder that person or you're going to tell the police.
You find out that your husband murdered someone when he was 17? You don't stay with him or keep his secret for the sake of your children. You leave that psycho & turn him in to the police. Especially if the only reason he can come up with for murdering the person is "She laughed at me & I got angry." Really? You're going to take your chances with that kind of person in your life. Really? Anytime he did something stupid & you wanted to laugh...you'd have that voice in the back of your head saying "Don't laugh. Remember what happened to that one girl that laughed at him?"
Your best friend who is also your cousin steals your husband? You're not going to forgive her or your husband within a week. You just don't allow people like that to remain in your life. So what if she was your one & only friend? You go find better friends. So what if your kid is going to be sad if you get a divorce? You don't sacrifice your self respect so that your kid can grow up in a home with married parents. I mean, seriously...if your husband thinks it's a fantastic idea for him to move his new love into your home so you can be one big happy family...you run for the hills or suggest that he move to a compound where it's acceptable to have multiple wives. Sure, it starts with him just moving her in...next thing you know...you have the hair style & fashion sense of Nikki from Big Love. You don't forgive him a week later when he claims that he made a mistake & really loves you...not your best friend/cousin. If he really loved you, he never would've suggested that you move into the guest bedroom while your best friend/cousin takes your place in the master bedroom. "Normal" people don't suggest that you let the other woman move in & play house with you.
Basically...it's a story full of selfish people making selfish decisions while pretending to care about the people they hurt while making selfish decisions. The only decision I agreed with that these characters made was to eat hot cross buns for breakfast...and only because they were drenched in butter...and damn...I love butter.
Eh. I doubt I would've finished this if it wasn't a book club selection. I just didn't care about any of the characters or how the story was going to end.
It's definitely not going into the stack of books I consider to be riveting. ;-) I'd throw it in the stack of stories
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about selfish people making selfish choices in life. I don't agree with any of the choices made by the characters. I don't think real people would make the decisions these characters made.
I find it hard to believe that forgiveness could be given so quickly in some of the instances in the story. I mean, come on, someone does something that drastically changes your life completely in a negative way...you're not going to forgive them within a few days or 50 pages at the end of a book.
Someone murders your child & you sit around angry for 20+ years...you find out who...you're not going to sit around thinking about what you should do. I'm pretty sure you'll decide 1 of 2 things: either you're going to murder that person or you're going to tell the police.
You find out that your husband murdered someone when he was 17? You don't stay with him or keep his secret for the sake of your children. You leave that psycho & turn him in to the police. Especially if the only reason he can come up with for murdering the person is "She laughed at me & I got angry." Really? You're going to take your chances with that kind of person in your life. Really? Anytime he did something stupid & you wanted to laugh...you'd have that voice in the back of your head saying "Don't laugh. Remember what happened to that one girl that laughed at him?"
Your best friend who is also your cousin steals your husband? You're not going to forgive her or your husband within a week. You just don't allow people like that to remain in your life. So what if she was your one & only friend? You go find better friends. So what if your kid is going to be sad if you get a divorce? You don't sacrifice your self respect so that your kid can grow up in a home with married parents. I mean, seriously...if your husband thinks it's a fantastic idea for him to move his new love into your home so you can be one big happy family...you run for the hills or suggest that he move to a compound where it's acceptable to have multiple wives. Sure, it starts with him just moving her in...next thing you know...you have the hair style & fashion sense of Nikki from Big Love. You don't forgive him a week later when he claims that he made a mistake & really loves you...not your best friend/cousin. If he really loved you, he never would've suggested that you move into the guest bedroom while your best friend/cousin takes your place in the master bedroom. "Normal" people don't suggest that you let the other woman move in & play house with you.
Basically...it's a story full of selfish people making selfish decisions while pretending to care about the people they hurt while making selfish decisions. The only decision I agreed with that these characters made was to eat hot cross buns for breakfast...and only because they were drenched in butter...and damn...I love butter.
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LibraryThing member skrouhan
Amazon Summary:
Imagine 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 only the life you have built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, 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. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
After reading Big Little Lies and loving it, I finally got around to picking up The Husband's Secret. A lot of people seem to prefer The Husband's Secret over her newer book, but I happen to disagree. Although I really quite enjoyed this one, it didn't have as much of a surprise factor for me as Big Little Lies. I had a hunch pretty early on thatRachel was going to end up taking matters into her own hands and go after Connor, so that wasn't much of a surprise for me... and although I didn't know that Polly was going to end up getting involved, I assumed there would be other consequences involving Rachel's choice. Although the "secret" was obvious to me in the beginning, it was fun watching the path Cecilia took to get there. Overall though, this is definitely a book I would recommend to others, especially those interested in this type of fiction. It is a quick, easy read that is entertaining until the very end.
Imagine 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 only the life you have built together, but the lives of others as well. And then imagine that you
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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, 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. There are other women who barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they, too, are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret.
After reading Big Little Lies and loving it, I finally got around to picking up The Husband's Secret. A lot of people seem to prefer The Husband's Secret over her newer book, but I happen to disagree. Although I really quite enjoyed this one, it didn't have as much of a surprise factor for me as Big Little Lies. I had a hunch pretty early on that
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LibraryThing member asomers
I read Big Little Lies first,but I think I enjoyed this book more. I love her use of multiple narrators.Th story is cleverly woven through the words of the four main characters.
LibraryThing member amandacb
I don't know -- the secret, for me, was easy to figure out. I don't think I could do what Cecelia did in the novel but Moriarty's novels seem replete with weak women who stay in unhealthy relationships. I am beginning to think this author is not for me after reading The Hypnotist's Love Story and
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The Husband's Secret fairly close to one another. Show Less
LibraryThing member librarian1204
This is not worth the hype. Easily figured out. So many better books out there.
LibraryThing member nicx27
This is my first Liane Moriarty book and I found it to be an unusual mixture of light-hearted women's fiction with a serious undertone to it. It actually worked really well and I thought this was an excellent read.
There are three women at the heart of the story: Cecilia, who finds a letter from her
The mystery of the letter takes a long time to be revealed, and to be honest I'd guessed what it was going to be by the time I read it, but that didn't matter. The characters were well-written and the story contained interesting moral dilemmas that made me think about what I would do in those circumstances. The ending of the book is particularly clever in that respect.
I found this to be a page-turner, a nice easy to read story and very enjoyable indeed.
There are three women at the heart of the story: Cecilia, who finds a letter from her
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husband that she was only meant to read if he had died; Tess, who has to question her whole life because of what those closest to her have done; and Rachel, who suffered a terrible tragedy and has never got over it. I enjoyed all three stories very much.The mystery of the letter takes a long time to be revealed, and to be honest I'd guessed what it was going to be by the time I read it, but that didn't matter. The characters were well-written and the story contained interesting moral dilemmas that made me think about what I would do in those circumstances. The ending of the book is particularly clever in that respect.
I found this to be a page-turner, a nice easy to read story and very enjoyable indeed.
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LibraryThing member SF-W
What an absolute gripper of a book!!
Although fairly sedate at the start while the author introduces us to the three main characters – Cecilia, Tess and Rachel – it is not long, however, before this book gathers momentum, rapidly picks up speed and “literally” grabs you!
A startling and
What is revealed is so startlingly unexpected I audibly gasped!!! I did not see that coming AT ALL!!
From then on the author deftly inter weaves the lives of all the characters together and, through the use of cleverly crafted short chapters, manipulates the reader to keep turning the pages.
It is a story synonymous with that of Pandora’s Box; it’s a story of the far-reaching effects of opening a small, and seemingly innocuous, letter. How secrets can change and unravel so many lives. It is about accountability, responsibility, trust, love and forgiveness; it’s about the things we know and about the things we don’t know: about the twists and turns of fate and whether we truly get to decide our direction in life.
This is the first of Liane Moriarty’s books that I have read and I shall certainly be reading more of her books. A real page turner and a brilliant read! Engrossing, gripping and wholeheartedly absorbing - you will simply NOT want to put this book down!
Although fairly sedate at the start while the author introduces us to the three main characters – Cecilia, Tess and Rachel – it is not long, however, before this book gathers momentum, rapidly picks up speed and “literally” grabs you!
A startling and
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shocking secret is revealed when Cecilia accidentally discovers a letter written to her by her husband for her to read in the event of his death. When she tells him of her find he seems overly concerned that she should not open the letter, which only serves to inflame her curiosity more – Why doesn’t he want her to read it? What harm could it do? How bad could it be? What would you do?What is revealed is so startlingly unexpected I audibly gasped!!! I did not see that coming AT ALL!!
From then on the author deftly inter weaves the lives of all the characters together and, through the use of cleverly crafted short chapters, manipulates the reader to keep turning the pages.
It is a story synonymous with that of Pandora’s Box; it’s a story of the far-reaching effects of opening a small, and seemingly innocuous, letter. How secrets can change and unravel so many lives. It is about accountability, responsibility, trust, love and forgiveness; it’s about the things we know and about the things we don’t know: about the twists and turns of fate and whether we truly get to decide our direction in life.
This is the first of Liane Moriarty’s books that I have read and I shall certainly be reading more of her books. A real page turner and a brilliant read! Engrossing, gripping and wholeheartedly absorbing - you will simply NOT want to put this book down!
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LibraryThing member mcelhra
Liane Moriarty has done it again. Just like What Alice Forgot, The Husband’s Secret has stayed with me long after finishing it, thinking about what I would do if I were Rachel, Tess or Cecilia. I was riveted for the first half of the book, trying to figure out what the secret was in Cecilia’s
Ultimately, the ending turned out to be surprising, yet very satisfying. It’s hard to go into detail without spoiling the plot. The Husband’s Secret would be an awesome book club pick – there is so much to discuss. And I think most women will relate to at least one of the three women in the book and wonder what the heck they would do if put into the same situation as Rachel, Tess or Cecilia. With this book, Ms. Moriarty has earned a spot in my list of favorite authors – I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
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husband John-Paul’s letter. I had multiple guesses and none of them were right. I was shocked when the secret was revealed and was riveted for the second half of the book trying to figure out how in the world it could possibly end in a way that would satisfy me.Ultimately, the ending turned out to be surprising, yet very satisfying. It’s hard to go into detail without spoiling the plot. The Husband’s Secret would be an awesome book club pick – there is so much to discuss. And I think most women will relate to at least one of the three women in the book and wonder what the heck they would do if put into the same situation as Rachel, Tess or Cecilia. With this book, Ms. Moriarty has earned a spot in my list of favorite authors – I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Loved this book! Characters well developed and story kept me reading well into a work night!
LibraryThing member amusedbybooks
After reading and loving both The Hypnotist's Love Story and What Alice Forgot, I knew I had to read Liane Moriarty's latest novel The Husband's Secret. Holy crap, I was not disappointed! Moriarty's two previous novels were definite page-turner's. The story-lines lend themselves to wanting to know
The Husband's Secret centers around three women: Cecilia Fitzpatrick, Tess O'Leary, and Rachel Crowley. All three are tangentially related via the secret but when the novel opens they don't know that yet. The husband referred to in the title is the husband of Cecilia, John-Paul (fyi, I don't know why, but reading this hyphenated name over and over again really drove me crazy. Just call him JP people!). Cecilia and JP have three daughters and live a very happy, very suburban life. However, one day when JP is on a business trip, Cecilia stumbles upon a letter that was written to her when their first daughter was born by her husband to Cecilia to only be opened in the event of his death. Cecilia is shocked to find this letter and asks JP about it. Having made the decision not to open it already, when she talks to JP he is so weird about the whole thing that she knows what is in the letter has to be damaging so now she really wants to open it. Contained within is the secret and holey moley people, what an earth-shattering secret it is!
Meanwhile, Rachel Crowley works at the school where Cecilia's three daughters go. Rachel's daughter used to attend this same school as well, but then she was murdered when she was just a teenager. They never caught the murderer and Rachel has been haunted by this the rest of her life. She is consumed by it.
Finally, we have Tess O'Leary. She too is happily married with one young son. One day her husband and her best-friend/cousin, Felicity, announce to Tess that they have fallen in love. Naturally, this shatters her world and she grabs her son and flees to her mother's house and quickly enrolls her son in the same school where Rachel works and Cecilia's children attend.
All three stories I found equally fascinating and once the secret is revealed you really want to understand how the women deal with it. Who knows how you would react to something equally earth-shattering. It's hard to explain how emotional this book is without revealing too much but I am trying to do my best. Let's just say when you read it, you want to talk about it. I was telling my husband the plot and his eyes were getting bigger as he was finding it more and more fascinating and twisted. This book would be perfect for a movie! Please, I urge you, read this book, you will not be disappointed!
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what happens next, and I can easily say that The Husband's Secret is her biggest page-turner yet!The Husband's Secret centers around three women: Cecilia Fitzpatrick, Tess O'Leary, and Rachel Crowley. All three are tangentially related via the secret but when the novel opens they don't know that yet. The husband referred to in the title is the husband of Cecilia, John-Paul (fyi, I don't know why, but reading this hyphenated name over and over again really drove me crazy. Just call him JP people!). Cecilia and JP have three daughters and live a very happy, very suburban life. However, one day when JP is on a business trip, Cecilia stumbles upon a letter that was written to her when their first daughter was born by her husband to Cecilia to only be opened in the event of his death. Cecilia is shocked to find this letter and asks JP about it. Having made the decision not to open it already, when she talks to JP he is so weird about the whole thing that she knows what is in the letter has to be damaging so now she really wants to open it. Contained within is the secret and holey moley people, what an earth-shattering secret it is!
Meanwhile, Rachel Crowley works at the school where Cecilia's three daughters go. Rachel's daughter used to attend this same school as well, but then she was murdered when she was just a teenager. They never caught the murderer and Rachel has been haunted by this the rest of her life. She is consumed by it.
Finally, we have Tess O'Leary. She too is happily married with one young son. One day her husband and her best-friend/cousin, Felicity, announce to Tess that they have fallen in love. Naturally, this shatters her world and she grabs her son and flees to her mother's house and quickly enrolls her son in the same school where Rachel works and Cecilia's children attend.
All three stories I found equally fascinating and once the secret is revealed you really want to understand how the women deal with it. Who knows how you would react to something equally earth-shattering. It's hard to explain how emotional this book is without revealing too much but I am trying to do my best. Let's just say when you read it, you want to talk about it. I was telling my husband the plot and his eyes were getting bigger as he was finding it more and more fascinating and twisted. This book would be perfect for a movie! Please, I urge you, read this book, you will not be disappointed!
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LibraryThing member nyiper
Wonderful, wonderful!!!! I just plain love the way she writes and have read all of her novels---this one was beautifully put together---Moriarty definitely knows how to tell a story with many pieces that she ties together. Hopefully she is quite busy with another book!
LibraryThing member muddyboy
Throughout this novel one wonders what one would do if confronted by the dilemma that drives the plot: Cecilia discovers a sealed letter from her spouse that is labeled "to be opened in the event of my death" . She is torn between curiosity and loyalty. Several stories are developed that tend to
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distract the pathway to the book's finale. Of course, Cecilia opens the envelope and its contents are totally unexpected. (no secret affairs) The author obviously took a lot of care growing and maturing her characters. Ultimately, three very diverse women's lives are interwoven with regard to men and children that surround them. Show Less
LibraryThing member dpappas
I have read two other books by Liane Moriarty (What Alice Forgot and The Hypnotist's Love Story) and enjoyed them so when I saw all the hype about this book I decided to buy it. This book definitely lives up to the hype and I am really glad that I bought it.
This book follows three different women;
Cecilia's husband's secret is not that hard to figure out but I feel like the story is still interesting. I love that the story switched the point-of-view between the three women. I really enjoyed all of the women's stories and liked how they sort of intertwined. I was so hooked in this book and just didn't want to put it down. I just felt this spark of electricity run through me as I read this book.
I absolutely loved the ending and how it showed what could have happened if certain characters had taken different actions. I would highly recommend this book, especially to book clubs.
This book follows three different women;
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Cecilia, Rachel, and Tees. Cecilia is the first one that readers meet. She discovers a letter that her husband, who is still alive, had written to her for her to read upon his death. She struggles with whether or not she should read the letter. Little does she know that the letter contains a secret that will turn her world upside-down.Cecilia's husband's secret is not that hard to figure out but I feel like the story is still interesting. I love that the story switched the point-of-view between the three women. I really enjoyed all of the women's stories and liked how they sort of intertwined. I was so hooked in this book and just didn't want to put it down. I just felt this spark of electricity run through me as I read this book.
I absolutely loved the ending and how it showed what could have happened if certain characters had taken different actions. I would highly recommend this book, especially to book clubs.
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LibraryThing member mchwest
What a good book! Much different then anything else I've read for quite some time. A twisty plot that makes you say, what would I do, and who would I forgive,and who wouldn't I… also the twist at the ending makes me know this author is someone to watch!
LibraryThing member BookfanMary
Three women, really no more than acquaintances, find out how very connected their lives really are.
I enjoyed The Husband’s Secret. It’s not a whodunit because the reader finds out way before the end of the novel. I think it’s more a whatwouldyoudo? That makes it a perfect choice for book
I enjoyed this entertaining novel. One minute it’s dramatic and the next it’s quite funny. Liane Moriarty is a gifted story teller (I loved What Alice Forgot) and I look forward to reading more of her novels. Recommended.
I enjoyed The Husband’s Secret. It’s not a whodunit because the reader finds out way before the end of the novel. I think it’s more a whatwouldyoudo? That makes it a perfect choice for book
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groups. It also asks how far would you go to protect a loved one?I enjoyed this entertaining novel. One minute it’s dramatic and the next it’s quite funny. Liane Moriarty is a gifted story teller (I loved What Alice Forgot) and I look forward to reading more of her novels. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member A_Reader_of_Fictions
To say that I was surprised by the quality and beauty of The Husband's Secret would be an understatement. In fact, I almost didn't pick Moriarty's novel up at BEA, but did so at the behest of a publicist, one whose name I wish I'd noted so that I could thank her. My hesitance to read The Husband's
The basic premise, the one that the blurb points to, is a sort of retelling of Pandora's box, a woman's life transfigured when she opens something she perhaps oughtn't. On a basic level, this is true. Cecilia Fitzpatrick does find a letter addressed to her to be opened on the event of her husband John-Paul's death. She calls him to ask about it, and he makes her promise not to open it. She agrees, but secrets it away curious. When John-Paul comes home early from his business trip and ventures in the middle of the night into the attic, which he avoids due to claustrophobia, to claim the letter, Cecilia pulls it from its hiding place and reads. From this moment, a certain chaos does enter the world, and lives and marriages are tested.
What the blurb only barely hints at is that this story is not just about Cecilia. Tess and Rachel are but a footnote of the blurb, but they have equal share in the story of The Husband's Secret. Though initially not tied together seemingly in any way, the lives of the three weave together inexorably as the pages pass. The story is a dark one, moving and gorgeously-written.
Though the subject matter may be a bit melodramatic, I found the story endlessly compelling and it almost made me cry, which is the equivalent of saying most readers will want to keep a box of tissues handy; I am not one who cries easily. Despite the scale of the drama within, The Husband's Secret actually feels quite down to earth, thanks to the personalities of these three women who inhabit its pages. Rachel, Tess, and Cecilia are all good women, whose lives have been thrown off kilter by personal tragedies, past or present.
Cecilia does it all. She's a brilliant wife, mother, homemaker, and brings in a hefty income doing Tupperware parties. She appears to other women, like Rachel and Tess, as one of those women who has everything together, and who has been blessed in life. Cecilia's three daughters are bright and affectionate. She and her husband love one another deeply, and have, until very recently, always had a very satisfying sex life. Opening the later, though, must change everything, one way or another. And, no, the letter's not about a secret affair.
Tess, like Cecilia, is a woman of vast achievement. She's a successful account manager for the advertising company she runs with her husband, Will, and cousin (also best friend) Felicity. Her son, Liam, is the source of some concern, as he is being bullied at school, but otherwise life is happy. One day, out of the blue, Will and Felicity sit her down to explain that they've fallen in love. Tess, questioning both of her relationships, leaves their home in Melbourne and takes Liam to Sydney, where they stay with her mother and he can attend a school his bully does not attend. In this break from her day-to-day life, Tess has space to evaluate what role Felicity has always played in her life and what she wants her life to be from here on out.
Rachel, a grandmother, has been a largely unhappy woman ever since her daughter Janie was murdered, strangled to death and left in a park, the murderer never located and brought to justice. She's always suspected Connor Whitby, but has no proof. Her one small joy in life, her grandson, will soon be wrested from her, as her son, Rob, and daughter-in-law, Lauren, are moving to New York City. With this announcement, Rachel descends even more heavily into her desire for closure in Janie's case.
All three women are likable and sympathetic, even when they make choices that aren't necessarily good ones. They face moral dilemmas with no good solution, and just try to muddle through. The Husband's Secret really considers whether choices should be made to protect the children or because they are morally right. Though I can't say that I'm necessarily in agreement with the way that each storyline wrapped up, each woman is so well-characterized that the routes they take do make sense.
Powerful, heart-wrenching literary fiction with a focus on women, The Husband's Secret is a lavish novel. Bear the warning of the Pandora comparison in mind, for the the tale is not a happy one. Liane Moriarty's writing and characterization have convinced me to add the rest of her adult novels to my to-read list. I can only hope I find them as moving and well done as this one.
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Secret stemmed from the cover (which bears an unfortunate resemblance to that of Black City) and the blurb (which makes the novel sound like a stereotypical novel about infidelity). If either of these reasons are holding you back, do not let them as The Husband's Secret is women's fiction at its finest.The basic premise, the one that the blurb points to, is a sort of retelling of Pandora's box, a woman's life transfigured when she opens something she perhaps oughtn't. On a basic level, this is true. Cecilia Fitzpatrick does find a letter addressed to her to be opened on the event of her husband John-Paul's death. She calls him to ask about it, and he makes her promise not to open it. She agrees, but secrets it away curious. When John-Paul comes home early from his business trip and ventures in the middle of the night into the attic, which he avoids due to claustrophobia, to claim the letter, Cecilia pulls it from its hiding place and reads. From this moment, a certain chaos does enter the world, and lives and marriages are tested.
What the blurb only barely hints at is that this story is not just about Cecilia. Tess and Rachel are but a footnote of the blurb, but they have equal share in the story of The Husband's Secret. Though initially not tied together seemingly in any way, the lives of the three weave together inexorably as the pages pass. The story is a dark one, moving and gorgeously-written.
Though the subject matter may be a bit melodramatic, I found the story endlessly compelling and it almost made me cry, which is the equivalent of saying most readers will want to keep a box of tissues handy; I am not one who cries easily. Despite the scale of the drama within, The Husband's Secret actually feels quite down to earth, thanks to the personalities of these three women who inhabit its pages. Rachel, Tess, and Cecilia are all good women, whose lives have been thrown off kilter by personal tragedies, past or present.
Cecilia does it all. She's a brilliant wife, mother, homemaker, and brings in a hefty income doing Tupperware parties. She appears to other women, like Rachel and Tess, as one of those women who has everything together, and who has been blessed in life. Cecilia's three daughters are bright and affectionate. She and her husband love one another deeply, and have, until very recently, always had a very satisfying sex life. Opening the later, though, must change everything, one way or another. And, no, the letter's not about a secret affair.
Tess, like Cecilia, is a woman of vast achievement. She's a successful account manager for the advertising company she runs with her husband, Will, and cousin (also best friend) Felicity. Her son, Liam, is the source of some concern, as he is being bullied at school, but otherwise life is happy. One day, out of the blue, Will and Felicity sit her down to explain that they've fallen in love. Tess, questioning both of her relationships, leaves their home in Melbourne and takes Liam to Sydney, where they stay with her mother and he can attend a school his bully does not attend. In this break from her day-to-day life, Tess has space to evaluate what role Felicity has always played in her life and what she wants her life to be from here on out.
Rachel, a grandmother, has been a largely unhappy woman ever since her daughter Janie was murdered, strangled to death and left in a park, the murderer never located and brought to justice. She's always suspected Connor Whitby, but has no proof. Her one small joy in life, her grandson, will soon be wrested from her, as her son, Rob, and daughter-in-law, Lauren, are moving to New York City. With this announcement, Rachel descends even more heavily into her desire for closure in Janie's case.
All three women are likable and sympathetic, even when they make choices that aren't necessarily good ones. They face moral dilemmas with no good solution, and just try to muddle through. The Husband's Secret really considers whether choices should be made to protect the children or because they are morally right. Though I can't say that I'm necessarily in agreement with the way that each storyline wrapped up, each woman is so well-characterized that the routes they take do make sense.
Powerful, heart-wrenching literary fiction with a focus on women, The Husband's Secret is a lavish novel. Bear the warning of the Pandora comparison in mind, for the the tale is not a happy one. Liane Moriarty's writing and characterization have convinced me to add the rest of her adult novels to my to-read list. I can only hope I find them as moving and well done as this one.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
A simple letter, but was it really that simple? A letter written long ago. A letter indicating it was not allowed to be opened. A letter that made John Paul’s wife, Cecelia, quite curious.
What harm would be done by opening the letter? Cecelia was dying to open it, but the message John-Paul wrote
Hints about the contents of the letter will peak your curiosity as it did Cecelia’s. When she did open the letter and found out what John-Paul had written, she couldn't believe it. How could this be true? Cecelia the perfect wife and fixer of everything couldn't fix this.
Cecelia was the perfect wife, mother, and town citizen. She knew everyone in town, and she knew everything about the city residents. She remembered Tess when she came back to her childhood town because her husband didn't love her any more. Rachel was also part of Cecelia's circle. Rachel had a few heartbreaking situations in the past. But…what Cecelia found in that letter was going to be more than a heartbreak for Rachel.
THE HUSBAND'S SECRET was focused on this letter, Tess, Rachel and Cecilia. The letter’s secret had to do with an unknown connection between Tess, Cecelia, and Rachel and something that happened in the past that linked them together and something in the present that caused more heartache and pain.
When the book begins, you will think it is going to be a book about a husband’s affair, but it is more sinister than that. It actually is a tragic secret.
THE HUSBAND’S SECRET is about more than keeping secrets, though. It deals with a parent’s love for his/her child and about the lengths parents go to in order to protect their children. It deals with right and wrong, and it deals with the thought - do we really know our spouse or significant other?
Don’t be mislead into thinking it is simply a book about secrets between a husband and his wife. It is far more than that. It is a book about secrets whether they are large or small and about our decisions to reveal the secret or to not reveal the secret.
THE HUSBAND’S SECRET is an excellent read that will keep you pondering life, pondering the decisions we make, and thinking about the secrets most of us have. What is your secret? 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
What harm would be done by opening the letter? Cecelia was dying to open it, but the message John-Paul wrote
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on the front of the envelope said it could not be opened until his death. When Cecilia asked her husband about it, he said he had been sentimental when he wrote it, and that she should just put it away. Obediently Cecilia, the good wife, put it away without opening it. Hints about the contents of the letter will peak your curiosity as it did Cecelia’s. When she did open the letter and found out what John-Paul had written, she couldn't believe it. How could this be true? Cecelia the perfect wife and fixer of everything couldn't fix this.
Cecelia was the perfect wife, mother, and town citizen. She knew everyone in town, and she knew everything about the city residents. She remembered Tess when she came back to her childhood town because her husband didn't love her any more. Rachel was also part of Cecelia's circle. Rachel had a few heartbreaking situations in the past. But…what Cecelia found in that letter was going to be more than a heartbreak for Rachel.
THE HUSBAND'S SECRET was focused on this letter, Tess, Rachel and Cecilia. The letter’s secret had to do with an unknown connection between Tess, Cecelia, and Rachel and something that happened in the past that linked them together and something in the present that caused more heartache and pain.
When the book begins, you will think it is going to be a book about a husband’s affair, but it is more sinister than that. It actually is a tragic secret.
THE HUSBAND’S SECRET is about more than keeping secrets, though. It deals with a parent’s love for his/her child and about the lengths parents go to in order to protect their children. It deals with right and wrong, and it deals with the thought - do we really know our spouse or significant other?
Don’t be mislead into thinking it is simply a book about secrets between a husband and his wife. It is far more than that. It is a book about secrets whether they are large or small and about our decisions to reveal the secret or to not reveal the secret.
THE HUSBAND’S SECRET is an excellent read that will keep you pondering life, pondering the decisions we make, and thinking about the secrets most of us have. What is your secret? 5/5
This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member l-mo
Liane Moriarty is quickly becoming my "easy read" favorite author. As in her other novels, her characters are interesting and captivating, and her story lines are fresh. Fresh is hard to come by in the chick lit genre, so I especially look forward to her books and will continue to do so after
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reading The Husband's Secret. Show Less
Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Women's Fiction — 2014)
Maine Readers' Choice Award (Longlist — 2014)
Australian Book Industry Awards (Shortlist — General Fiction — 2014)
Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List (Selection — 2015)