G1020 Book Review of Secrets of the island by Linda Hughes

Name of Book: Secrets of the Island

Author: Linda Hughes

ISBN: 978-1-947309-39-5

Publisher: Deeds Publishing

Type of book: Mackinac Island history, secrets, family lore, ancestry quest, WW2, grandfather and grandchildren relationship, shell shock, friendships, healing, pregnancy, love

Year it was published: 2018

Summary:

Generations of secrets have left the Sullivan family in a mire of deceit. When Red Cross nurse Harriet escapes the trauma of WWII and sequesters herself in her grandfather's cottage on Mackinac Island in Lake Huron, she has no inkling about her ancestry. But when one strange and shocking clue after another surfaces; disclosing lies, corruption, madness, and murder; family members realize that not only do they not know their forebears, they don't know who they are themselves. Who's a member of this clan and who is not? This family tree has more branches and brambles than anyone imagined, and it's up to Harriet and her loved ones to straighten it out. This tale of romantic suspense will leave you wondering about your own heritage. What secrets are hidden in your family tree?

Characters:

While I enjoyed the main characters, i do feel that the story could have benefited from being longer than it was, or at least if the reader read the prequel before starting this book. Most of the story was about finding out the secrets, which means I didn't get to know the characters as I would have liked to. There are a lot of main characters and whatever ones I thought were main, namely the twins and their parents as well as the friends, werent. In fact I would say that the main characters would be the ones that the family was learning about: Finnbar, Fiona and Maude.

Theme:

History is future

Plot:

The story takes place from 1943 to 1945 it's from multiple characters'points of view. To be fair the readers were told by chapters when points of view switched from one character to another. The story also focused a lot on family rather than the times, which means if you are seeking a ww2 novel about battles and strategies, then this one is not the right one; however if you are seeking a novel about family and discovering secrets during that time, then this is the right read.

Author Information:
(From the book)

As a native Michigander, award-winning author Linda Hughes has been visiting Mackinac Island since she was a kid. She's spent countless hours riding a bike around the shoreline, and perusing the library and church recods to learn about island history. She's built many a cairn, witnessed the Northern Lights on several occasions, and eaten more than her fair share of chocolate fudge. She's a world traveler, having worked in thirteen countries and visited a couple dozen more, but Mackinac Island remains one of her favorite places.

Opinion:

The bad news is that I have finished the story late; the good news is that I really enjoyed it. While it's not an immersively historical fiction tale, ( for example the WW2 and shell shock are used as props of sorts,) I did enjoy learning about the Mackinac Island as well as the family history that the characters are discovering, and those secrets are very unpredictable and will keep the reader guessing in which way the story will go. I haven't read the prequel to the story, but i do feel it's necessary to know it, and no, knowing the prequel will not spoil this story because I gather that these are very different secrets.

This is for HFVBT

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)