Her Mother’s Secret by Rosanna Ley

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Quercus (14 Jun. 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1786483432
• ISBN-13: 978-1786483430
• Product Dimensions: 13.3 x 2.9 x 19.6 cm

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

For many years Colette has avoided returning to her homeland – the magical island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany – afraid to confront the painful memories she left behind. She is living on the Cornish coast when she hears about her mother Thea’s failing health and realises that the time has come for her to go home. But can Colette ever forgive Thea for what she has done?

Despite Colette’s wariness, romantic Belle-Île still fascinates her. She takes on the running of her mother’s flower shop and makes friends with Élodie from the Old Lighthouse where Thea once worked as a nanny and with the enigmatic Étienne who shares Colette’s mixed feelings about the island. As Thea opens up to her for the first time, Colette finds herself softening and being drawn back into the landscape of her past. But can Belle-Île also be a part of her future?

The ghosts of that past still linger. What happened all those years ago and how did it cause the rift between mother and daughter? It becomes clear that the beauty of Belle-Île hides a devastating family secret – one that Colette is determined to unravel at any cost.

 

Review

Her Mother’s Secret is set mainly on the beautiful French Island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany, and follows Colette as she returns to the Island after sixteen years away to care for her dying mother.  Returning home means she has to confront the past and try and forgive her mother and find out what secret her mother was keeping. Whilst there she befriends Ètienne, who has also returned to the Island after the death of his mother to sell her house, and Élodie who Colette’s mother, Thea, looked after as a child.

The plot is narrated by Colette, Étienne, Élodie and Mathilde, Élodie’s mother who was once close to Colette’s mother.  There are also sections of Thea’s diary from just before her coming to the Island and up to the point where she was asked to leave by Mathilde.  What these characters all have in common are secrets, either secrets they have themselves or are affected by a secret kept by others, than have made them, or a member of their family leave the Island.   The island seems to have healing properties, the characters grow and as their relationships develop they find they can help each other.  All realise that sometimes you have to go back and confront your past before you can move forward with your future.  All narrators gradually reveal their stories, and Thea’s diary gives an insight into her past, leading up to the secret she has kept that has caused the distance between her and Collette.

I have read a few of Rosanna Ley’s other books and I love her writing style.  She is a very descriptive writer, she captures the sense of a place; the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of he chosen setting. You can envisage eating fresh fish, surrounded by the pastel coloured houses, with the scent of the salt from the sea, the warmth of the sun on your face and the chatter of the locals around you.  Reading one of her books really is a feast for the senses and  makes an enjoyable experience.   She also writes with a great understanding of people, there feelings, their relationships, how they interact with others; her characters are very real, you feel that you know them and you become part of their journey.

Her Mother’s Secret is a wonderful and compelling  read, about secrets, lies and their rippling effect on those around them.  The characters will captivate you and the  setting of Belle-Île-en-Mer is, as it name implies, a beautiful island brought to life through Rosanna Ley’s writing.   A brilliant book, perfect for your summer holiday.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my review of Her Mother’s Secret by Rosanna Ley.  Last year I reviewed another of Rosanna Ley’s books The Little Theatre by the Sea, again beautifully written with wonderful characters but this time set in Sardinia, so please have a look.  All likes, shares and comments are much appreciated.