The Secrets She Carried

The Secrets She Carried by Barbara Davis

Skeletons in the closet. We all have them, lurking in the shadows long before we were born.  Now that the celebration of what used to be known as All Hallows Eve has come and gone, it seems fitting to review a book that tells the haunting tale of a mysterious death, a hidden grave, and puzzling secrets best left in the past.

It is the 1930s. Adele Laveau is on a train headed to Peak Plantation in North Carolina. As tears stream down Mama's face, Adele knows she will never see her again, but when you love someone you want to give them a better life. That's what Mama says. Now Adele must learn to cope with her new life in the Big House on this grand tobacco farm as a lady's maid to the Gavin family. Missus Suzanne is a bitter, pretentious, unhappy woman, addicted to the "tincture" prescribed by the doctor, desperate to bear a child. Who would marry such a woman?  Adele soon finds out when she meets Henry Gavin. Her life and the lives of those who follow her for generations to come will never be the same. The sacrifices we make for love.

New York City 2013. Leslie Nichols reluctantly returns to Peak Plantation , her childhood home, to claim an inheritance.  Half of the estate is now hers due to her grandmother Maggie's death; surprising since they have been estranged for over thirty years.  The other half is bequeathed to caretaker Jay Davenport, Maggie's confidante. As Leslie begins the overwhelming task of sorting through Maggie's possessions, she comes across a faded picture of a tombstone; a grave hidden high on the ridge.  Jay discloses that Maggie hinted in her dying days of a secret she longed to reveal. A powerful secret that Leslie is determined to uncover if only she can decipher the clues.

As you can see, two stories that combine the past with the present. In a span of  over eighty years, the author develops the characters of Leslie's family tree quite remarkably.  For those of you who enjoyed Whistling Past the Graveyard or The Kitchen House, this may be one to choose. It is a heartfelt, lovely portrayal of strong women. A story sure to keep you turning the pages.

You may even shed a few tears.