 Mainstream Fiction |
SECRETS NEVER TOLD Rochelle Alers Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books June 2003 (4+) Nathasha Brooks-Harris |
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PLOT SYNOPSIS: |
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From national bestselling author Alers comes the story of a woman on the brink of losing everything--until she discovers her mother's secret diaries filled with decades-old rumors of adultery, voodoo spells, and carnal vices. Soon Morgana must answer the same question her mother asked. Is her marriage worth fighting for?
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REVIEW: |
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Morgana Johnson-Wells is the woman whom most women aspire to be. She has it all: a fine, successful husband with a burgeoning criminal law firm, two loving children, a sprawling home, and she co-owns an elegant gift shop. To the world, her life is seemingly perfect. However, the adage that all that glitters is not gold comes very much into play here.
Morgana's mother dies suddenly and that same night, she learns that her husband, Franklin, has been cheating on her. She finds him in bed with a young, over-ambitious employer and Morgana goes ballistic.
Sick and tired of being sick and tired, Morgana retreats to her hometown of Salvation, Georgia, where she goes to bury her mother. As if that is not enough drama in her frazzled life, she is cleaning out her mother's house and finds several of her diaries. Afraid to read them but equally curious, Morgana does and discovers a plethora of secrets. She learns of adultery, root work and sins of many varieties.
As she reads the diaries, she sees how her mother's life parallels her own. That scares her, at the very least, and she responds by shutting herself away from her husband and giving in to some of her own needs for a change. She meets a handsome artist who comes into town and further complicated matters for her. Indeed, Morgana is at a crossroads.
SECRETS NEVER TOLD is Alers' debut foray into writing mainstream novels. Judging from this initial offering, she is well on her way to making a name for herself in that genre as well as in her beloved romance genre.
All of the writing elements are finely crafted. The characters are richly drawn, realistic and universal. All of them are interesting and enterprising types that are anyone would come into contact with on a daily basis--accessible and down-to-earth, not stuffy or uppity.
From the set-up in the prologue, it's obvious that the characters have issues, secrets and are the people who'll carry a drama-filled story. They never disappoint. In fact, they are sure to keep any reader riveted to see what they'll get into next.
In terms of plot, the set-up foreshadows a storyline replete with conflict, drama and surprises. There are several interesting and unexpected subplots happening, making this book an excellent read. However, this novel is not predictable.
In retrospect, this is a fabulous book and Alers deserves to be commended on a job well done. SECRETS NEVER TOLD is sure to push her into a new height of excellence--where she should be, having written such a fine piece of African-American literature. She raises the bar on writing ethnic mainstream fiction. Aspiring writers should study this book for style because Alers follows all the rules for crafting a wonderfully soul-stirring novel. This is a perfect example of what the experts mean about effectively putting all of the elements of writing in a novel in order to make it work. Readers should pick this one up, read it and reread it. It's that good. It's a keeper! |
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nathasha@romanceincolor.com (30th March 2003) |
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