The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

The Evening Book Club met April 29th to discuss The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton. Most agreed that the ending was the best part of the book and that it was well worth reading through the entire plot twists and character descriptions to get there.

The story was hard to get into but got better as more was revealed. All of the annoyances and layers were true to life and seemed realistic, especially the unraveling of hidden secrets and the consequences of resulting tragedies. One member was very surprised at the ending while another said that she had picked up clues early in the book.

The descriptions of time and place – World War II England and the post-War years – were very well done. The family home, especially the kitchen in the farm house, was described so perfectly that members could see it. Members said that their opinion of the main characters, Dorothy and Vivienne changed as their true lives were discovered. There was some discussion about Dorothy’s children and how their natures reflected the lives of both Dorothy and Vivienne – especially Laurel, Dorothy’s eldest, who was a lot like the positive side of Dorothy. Vivienne has a more spiritual and introspective life than Dorothy which first appeared in her childhood and resulted in her retreating into herself as an adolescent and on into adulthood. Members generally agreed that Jimmy was a likable character despite his checkered background. He was a good and true friend to both Dorothy and Vivienne. Vivienne’s husband was not as likable and no one really cared about what happened to him...

Club members said that they would likely read another book by Kate Morton. The Forgotten Garden and The House at Riverton were recommended by others.

Have you read The Secret Keeper or any other books by Kate Morton? Add your thoughts to the discussion through the comments!