The Forgotten Secret

I finished a book last night that I have to tell you about! The Forgotten Secret. I read it as a member of the Amazon Prime Reading (not a sponsored post, but a great program if you are an avid reader like me).

The synopsis from Goodreads: Can she unlock the mysteries of the past?

A country at war - It’s the summer of 1919 and Ellen O’Brien has her whole life ahead of her. Young, in love and leaving home for her first job, the future seems full of shining possibility. But war is brewing and before long, Ellen and everyone around her are swept up by it. As Ireland is torn apart by the turmoil, Ellen finds herself facing the ultimate test of love and loyalty.

A long-buried secret - A hundred years later and Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated old farmhouse in County Meath. Seizing the chance to escape her unhappy marriage she strikes out on her own for the first time, hoping the old building might also provide clues to her family’s shadowy history. As she sets out to put the place – and herself – back to rights, she stumbles across a long-forgotten hiding place, with a clue to a secret that has lain buried for decades.

For fans of Kate Morton and Gill Paul comes an unforgettable novel about two women fighting for independence.

My thoughts: First of all, I loved how this author chose to go back and forth between viewpoints. You got to see Ellen O'Brien set in the early 1900's Ireland. Then you get a contemporary viewpoint from Clare. Both stories are completely different, but the way they come together is just beautiful.

A few trigger warnings for this book. It does mention child/infant death and adoption (it was a part of the Irish history). Spousal abuse is also quite a prominent theme in this book. One last one is descriptions of war times. The Ellen part of the story is set during the war in Ireland for its independence.

A few quotes I need to share that I loved (no spoilers, don't worry!)

• Why was it always the case that you left these things too late? All those memories, buried with the last generation. (location 17%)
  
  
• When we're young, we're more interested in the future than the past. (location 34%)
  
  
• 'Watch for the use of language,' she said 'and remember one man's "terrorist" is another man's "freedom fighter".' (location 35%)
  
  
• No one is truly dead until there's no one left to remember them, she told herself. (location 88%)

My thoughts: OMG this book. I literally stayed up THREE HOURS (or so) past my bedtime to finish this book. I love when a book gives you both a history lesson and an incredible story at the same time. This book let me learn about Irish history and read the stories of two incredible women. As above, this book keep me up far later then I should have been just to finish it and see what happened.