Letters to a Stranger by Mercedes Pinto Maldonado

Letters to a Stranger

by Mercedes Pinto Maldonado

Her family is built on secrets and lies. Can she confront the truth she’s been running from for years?

Fifteen years ago, Berta fled from Madrid to London to escape the controlling mother who made her childhood a living nightmare. Now, following her mother’s death, she is forced to return and face the ghosts of her unhappy past.

But it is not long before she discovers that her own bleak memories are nothing compared to the dark deception lurking in her family. How did her sister’s loveless marriage really end? And is the loyal housekeeper really hiding the truth about the strange disappearance of Berta’s father?

As she searches for facts among the fiction, Berta finds a handful of letters that reveal a story more twisted than she could ever have imagined. And as she starts piecing together the sinister family mysteries that have always plagued her, it soon becomes clear that these dangerous secrets are not confined to the past…

Reviewed by Jeff Sexton on

5 of 5 stars

Share
Depressing? Cathartic? Somewhere In Between? This book is all about loss, with a tale of finding yourself in the loss embedded within it. Because of this, it is really hard to decide how I ultimately feel about the book. It is absolutely strong and well written (at least in the English translation), and does an excellent job of creating a world and telling a compelling story within that world while evoking emotions within the reader. But this is one of those books that you're going to want to pick up as zany hilarious romantic comedy as you can find afterwords, just to lift your spirits a bit. Great tale, very much recommended.

Last modified on

Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 22 October, 2019: Finished reading
  • 22 October, 2019: Reviewed