Review of "The Husband's Secret: A Novel" by Liane Moriarty

This book revolves around three women in Sydney, Australia, all of whom have a connection to St. Angela primary school.

Cecilia Fitzpatrick - whose three girls attend St. Angela - helps organize school activities, has a thriving Tupperware business, and is happily married to handsome businessman John-Paul. One day, while Cecilia is searching the attic for her souvenir piece of the Berlin Wall, she comes across a letter from John-Paul.....to be opened in the event of his death. Cecilia tries to resist, but eventually reads the missive - which dramatically changes her life.



*****

Tess O'Leary lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband Will and their six-year-old son Liam. Tess and Will run an advertising business with Tess's first cousin (and best friend) Felicity. Tess is thrilled for Felicity - who recently slimmed down and looks beautiful - until Will and Felicity announce 'they've fallen in love.'

The lovers even suggest an outrageous plan in which Will, Felicity and Tess will all live together and raise Liam. Tess is beyond furious and whisks Liam off to Sydney, where they stay with Tess's mom.



Tess manages to get Liam enrolled in St. Angela school, just in time for the Easter egg hunt.

In Sydney, Tess also becomes reacquainted with her old boyfriend, Connor Whitby, who's now the gym teacher at St. Angela. Connor is an attractive guy who rides a motorcycle.....so he's something of a heartthrob among the schoolgirls (and their moms).



*****

Rachel Crowley is the school secretary at St. Angela. She's an unhappy, bitter woman who's still reeling from the death of her teenage daughter Janie over two decades ago. Janie was found strangled in a playground, and the murderer was never caught. Nevertheless, Rachel is convinced Connor Whitby is the killer, because he was the last known person to see Janie alive.



Rachel gets some solace from her toddler grandson Jacob, whom she adores. However Rachel's son Rob and daughter-in-law Lauren are taking Jacob to New York for two years - for Lauren's job - and Rachel can't bear it. As far as Rachel is concerned Lauren should just forego her career, stay put, and have another baby.



I have empathy for Rachel, but she's an unlikable person. She's cool to her son; pretends not to like Lauren's gift of delicious macarons; is obsessed with her own concerns; and purposely prolongs her misery (IMO).

*****

Cecelia, Tess, and Rachel aren't friends, but their lives touch during activities like school registration; St. Angela's Easter hat parade (which is adorable, with the kids wearing homemade chapeaus); a Tupperware Party; etc.



In spite of their busy lives, the three women are constantly brooding: Cecilia obsesses about the contents of John-Paul's note; Tess thinks about her cheating husband and disloyal cousin; and Rachel imagines what Janie would do if she was alive.....date; go to college; marry, have kids; and so on.

Events in the book lead to a dramatic climax, after which no one's life will be the same.

Engaging secondary characters add interest to the story. These include: Cecilia's 10-year-old daughter Esther - whose obsession with the Berlin Wall adds a touch of humor;



Tess's young son Liam - who senses dissension in the family and tries to fix it;



Tess's mom - who supports her daughter all the way;



Tess's aunt and uncle (Felicity's parents) - who are in an impossible situation. What do you say when your daughter steals your niece's husband?



I enjoyed the book. Liane Moriarty has a deft hand with plotting and skillfully weaves the elements of the story into a coherent whole.

My biggest quibble - I didn't like the epilog. In this last section, the author focuses on 'what might have been.' I'll give some made-up examples to avoid spoilers: IF Tess had gone to Frederick's of Hollywood instead of Victoria's Secret, she'd have seen her husband buying lingerie for his mistress, divorced him, and married a plumber. IF Cecilia had been a physicist instead of a Tupperware representative, she'd have solved the riddle of dark matter....you get the idea. This kind of thing adds nothing to the story because it didn't happen. It's just a waste of time.

Overall, this is a well-written, compelling novel that I'd recommend to readers who like a good tale with a moral.....actions have consequences!

Rating: 3.5 stars