BOOK SYNOPSIS
A gripping, emotional book that asks the question: What does it take to be a parent?
Brand new from the bestselling author of The Last Days of Us
In one split second, Aidan Whelan’s perfect world is changed forever when his wife Rowan and three-year old daughter Milly are involved in tragic accident.
Helena O’Herlihy and her husband James have been struggling in their marriage but a knock on the door telling her that James has been involved in a car crash, has Helena rushing to his side.
When Aidan and Helena bump into each other at Dublin City Hospital, they soon begin to wonder if it’s more than just coincidence that brought them there. Why were Rowan and James in the car together on that fateful morning?
Through their pain and tears, they form a bond as they try to piece together what really did happen on the morning of the crash. As the lies begin to unravel and secrets are uncovered, can Aidan save what’s left of his family and Helena her marriage?
The plot of this emotionally charged drama centres around three characters Helena, her husband James and Aidan who was the father of three children Callum (14) Jack (10) and Milly (3) and married to Rowan who had been friends with James since they had met at University. A fatal traffic accident in which Rowan is killed and James and little Milly both sustain serious injuries is the catalyst for a tale of hidden secrets, grief, parenting, selfishness and poor judgement that will pull at the reader's heart strings and cause you to experience a wide range of mixed emotions.
Helena was a complex character who, even before the accident had been struggling to cope with her overwhelming feelings of grief due to her infertility issues. Helena had always wanted to have a child of her own, a little baby for her to hold in her arms and shower with love and affection but despite all the treatments and courses of IVF, her dreams always had the same heart breaking conclusion. Helena had always trusted James but as the details of the accident began to emerge, she struggled to comprehend why her husband had been in the car with Rowan and Milly on that fateful morning. Had he been cheating on her? Had Helena's desire to have a baby driven him into the arms of another woman?
Aidan was also mystified when he was informed who his wife had been with at the time of the accident but that was only one of a number of issues that he found himself dealing with in the aftermath of Rowan's death. Whilst struggling with his own feelings of grief and guilt, he also had a young daughter who was fighting for her life in the hospital,a overbearing father in law who took every opportunity to aim barbed digs in Aidan's direction. Then there was Callum who appeared to be lost in a raging storm of teenage angst mixed with overwhelming feelings of anger and grief.
A all to realistic vibe of authenticity permeated the pages of the scenes which were set within the walls of the hospital. Our own daughter spent a number of months in the ICU when she was first diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis and I remember all too vividly the sombre atmosphere, the only sounds being the beeps of the various machines that were sometimes the only thing that were keeping a patient alive. The lonely meals in the canteen and the eerie atmosphere of the hospital corridors after darkness had fallen.
Despite not liking Aidan when he was first introduced into the story, I found myself liking and feeling a lot more empathy towards him than I did either Helena or James. My absolute favourite character was little Milly, she was so adorable and the author's characterisation of her youngest character were so realistic and believable.
This is a beautifully written,character driven drama which is set in Ireland and has a plot that is emotionally charged, powerful and at times heart breaking. The author is obviously a very talented writer and knows how to weave together a story which draws the reader into the lives of her cast of well rounded and realistic characters. I admit that it did take a while for this story to hook me in but that was more to do with my own state of mind than the actual story itself. Although the ending was a bit too rose garden and rainbows for my liking, I did enjoy the journey through the trials and tribulations of the author's characters lives and I would gladly read more of this author's books in the future.
AUTHOR INFO
Caroline Finnerty is an Irish author of heart-wrenching family dramas and has published four novels and compiled a non-fiction charity anthology. She has been shortlisted for several short-story awards and lives in County Kildare with her husband and four young children. Her first title for Boldwood The Last Days of Us, was published in June 2021.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS...
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/carolinefinnertywriter
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/cfinnertywriter
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Newsletter Sign Up: https://mailchi.mp/7cd89acfa3d7/carolinefinnerty
PUBLICATION DATE: 8th February 2022
PURCHASE LINK.....
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mothers-Secret-heartbreaking-unforgettable-novelist-ebook/dp/B09F8ZS4S1/ref=sr_1_3?crid=CAWYAE1WGJET&keywords=a+mothers+secret&qid=1644948140&s=books&sprefix=A+mothers+%2Cstripbooks%2C180&sr=1-3
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