The Forgotten Secret

by Kathleen McGurl

A USA Today bestseller! 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.

Readers LOVE The Forgotten Secret!

‘WOW! I can’t begin to find the right words to describe just how much I adored this… Had me hooked from the first few pages… Unputdownable.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A story you really live, wonderfully told… Absolutely compelling.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘A compelling and gripping story that will hook you from the very first page… I highly recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I cannot say how much I loved this book! It was wonderful… I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Just so delightful… Such a wonderful book and easily the best book I’ve read so far this year.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘I am totally lost for words… I can’t praise this book enough and will be telling family and friends to read this ROLLER COASTER EXTRAVAGANZA OF A BOOK.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

• ISBN13: 9780008236991
• Publish Date: 1 March 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HQ Digital
• Edition: Digital original
• Format: eBook (EPUB)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.co.uk

Reviews

[Lynn]

With duel timeline, The Forgotten Secret, set in Ireland follows Clare Farrell who inherits a run-down farmhouse in Co. Meath and Ellen O'Brien, living in the same area one hundred years earlier.

When re-visiting the farm her Uncle Pádraig left her in his will, Clare's filled with nostalgia, whilst looking at the potential the run-down building has. A view not shared by her husband. Back home, with the support of her grown-up sons, she decides to seize an opportunity to build a new life for herself away from her verbally abusive marriage.

I admit, I didn't know much about Irish history before reading this novel and what little I knew was from a British perspective. Like Clare, I remembered the media and the news telling us about 'terrorist' incidents via the BBC. Therefore, I appreciated the research the author did and how she incorporated it into the narrative so I could understand the conflict between the UK and Ireland from an Irish point of view too.

'I felt a pang of excitement and nerves. Too right I wanted to see!! It could be a cellar, or a buried box of treasure, or an entrance to a secret tunnel...I realised I had probably read too many Enid Blyton books in my childhood, but then again, who wouldn't be excited uncovering a concealed trapdoor?'

Clare's enthusiasm for rebuilding her life is enhanced by her surroundings. Despite visiting her uncle's farm as a child, there's plenty to discover about the place and the past and I admired how she embraced her findings enough to research and seek out further information. Ellen's life, in contrast, highlights the difficulties of living in a politically volatile era where it is easy to end up in a situation which doesn't reflect your true views and feelings. I liked how the narrative highlights Ellen's plight and concerns and how a century later, the secrets are uncovered.

Overall, a delightful novel reflecting the lives of two women who have to overcome difficulties within their lives. It's insightful and all ties up beautifully at the end.

3.5 stars

***arc generously received courtesy of HQ Digital via NetGalley***

[zooloo1983]

I must say I seem to be enjoying the historical fiction genre at the moment and this one is told in a dual timeline. I found it so easy to lose myself in 1919 and 2016, and when the main character in 2016 has a very similar surname as me, well that’s me done. I have to read it!!

In 1919 with Ellen, with the excitement of her new job as an upstairs maid in a small Irish town, in the height of the resistance against the British, it reminded me of Downton Abbey (which I love). In 2016, Clare Farrell has inherited a dilapidated farmhouse in Ireland and once the probate has been settled she finds a way to leave her controlling husband and with the support of her sons moves to Ireland. But how are they both connected?

The writing by Ms McGurl was so easy to lose myself into, and I found it all very believable. The only thing I found to be too easy was Clare initially leaving Paul if he was as controlling as we are shown how could she up and leave so easily? However, in The Forgotten Secret, it works. The writing is seamless as we alternate between past and present and McGurl has created two extremely strong, fascinating and courageous women.

You can see how much research has gone into The Forgotten Secret and before you start the book, McGurl explains the background which was interesting to read. This helped me as I know very little of the history in Ireland at this time. This is a page turner but of one where you want to savour the pages and the characters do not let you rest until their story has been told, no matter how painful for them at times.