It is 1973 and Watergate is on everyone's lips. Lucy Painter is a children's book illustrator and a single mother of two. She leaves New York and the married father of her children to live in a tightly knit Washington neighborhood in the house where she grew up and where she discovered her father's suicide. Lucy hopes for a fresh start, but her life is full of secrets: her children know nothing of her father's death or the identity of their own father. As the new neighbors enter their insular lives, her family's safety and stability become threatened.
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"Lucy, after certain events in her life, evolves around a world of her own making and lets others take care of many of her responsibilities until it dawns on her that something needs to change. It was an OK read but leaves a lot of questions unanswered about why she did some of the things she did." — Nancy (4 out of 5 stars)
"Lucy, after certain events in her life, evolves around a world of her own making and lets others take care of many of her responsibilities until it dawns on her that something needs to change. It was an OK read but leaves a lot of questions unanswered about why she did some of the things she did."
" Good book. At times it was hard to get through bc it would drag on but it picked up and ended up being a good read. I am considering reading more from this author. "
" Not quite a waste of my time but close. Characters that seem to have been inspired by 'The Help' but not nearly as well developed, secrets reminiscent of 'Ya Ya Sisterhood' but lots of loose ends. An interesting premise and story disappointingly told. "
" It really is page turner. You don't want to put it down. "
" I felt just like the heroine while reading this book - lost in a dream. It's a very poetic book and while it has a dreamlike quality about it, it gets to the messiness and grittiness of life and how secrets and lies have far-reaching consequences. Loved it! "
" A good story on the different twists in life. "
" Great at capturing "coming of age," but couldn't relate to the main character. Couldn't figure out why she doesn't reveal all secrets by the end. Very repetitive about her art -- didn't get it. "
" Reads like a mystery, as there are many intersecting stories of secrets. Quick read, and well written. "
" Layered novel about a nontraditional family in transition. I liked the writing and the character development. It was the kind of novel that left me thinking at the end. "
" Was pretty annoyed by the heroine, but by the end of the book, I liked her more...the moral is very try - keeping secrets never works. "
" It took awhile for me to have any sympathy for this woman. She made some poor choices that affected everyone around her. This novel is full of secrets and lies and the consequences. I ultimately liked the characters and the direction it went, surprises and all. "
" I know the professional reviews were quiet good, "
" I finished this book and wasn't sure how I felt. It was interesting at times, but I ended up feeling indifferent about it. I'd like to hear what other readers thought. "
" Quick engrossing read. Could have gone deeper, but pretty good anyway. "
" Not a romance... "
" I didn't actually finish reading this book. It tried. I normally give a book 20 pages to engage me, but because this came recommended, I gave it 40 pages. By 46, when the PoV changes to the busybody neighbors, I became annoyed and decided I was done. "
" Book about secrets and lies of omission -- not as "fluffy" as the title suggests. "
" WOW, this was a surprise, very different storyline, single mother, the 70's teenage angst, neighborhood drama, read it in a day and a half. "
" Actually, I couldn't finish the book... that's how bad it was. "
" Not a very interesting book, unlikeable characters, I actually had this on audiobook, and the only reason I kept listening was the reader was such a good narrator! "
" I gave thus book time, but it went nowhere. It is confusingly written and is not worth the time. "
" Not sure who was more annoying, Lucy Painter or her "boyfriend" --- I read it a few weeks ago and now I don't even remember what happened, whether she hooked up with the hunky neighbor, nor do I care...I just wanted to finish it. On second thought, I better change my review to 2 stars. "
Susan Richards Shreve is the author of fifteen novels, a memoir, and thirty books for children. She has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and a National Endowment grant, among other honors. A professor of creative writing at George Mason University and former chairman of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, Shreve lives in Washington, D.C.
Karen White has been narrating audiobooks of all genres since 1999. Honored to be included in AudioFile’s Best Voices, she’s also a four-time Audie Finalist and has earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and Library Journal starred reviews.
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