Reviews

Secrets My Father Kept, by Rachel Givney

matildai's review

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

 Set in Poland on the brink of the Second World War, 16-year-old Marie’s primary concern is the disappearance of her mother fifteen years prior.

Marie’s father Dominik a well-respected and innovative doctor at the local hospital is silent on the matter.

Dominik has devoted his entire life in caring for his daughter yet a dark fear haunts him. With the clock ticking down to a devasting world war, Dominik is committed to keeping Marie safe. This means he needs to find her a husband who is able to protect her when he no longer can.

Marie however, has already met the man she wants to marry a childhood friend Ben, who also happens to be Jewish.

It’s a turbulent time, but Marie is determined to find her mother and discover the truth her father is hiding.

I got this book as a blind date book in October 2021.

It was wrapped in brown paper with three words:

  • Poland
  • Disappearance
  • Sacrifice
Secrets my father kept is not a book that I would actively choose to pick or read. However, it’s important to read outside your comfort zone.

While this book was slow to get into, those three words describe the book perfectly.

The book has three points of view. Marie and Dominik in the first half, and then halfway through we get a past point of view of Marie’s mother.

There were many times when I wanted to give up on this book, as I felt like it dragged.

The last few chapters tied up the story nicely and make you realise the lengths a parent will go to ensure the safety of their child. 
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zarakearns's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

tien's review

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emotional inspiring mysterious slow-paced

3.75

The older I get, the more picky I find myself to be with my reads. Although the past year and a half may have something to do with my taste in reading. I just won't put up with anything that really upsets me and lacks patience with slow paced book or ones where I'm pretty sure I know how it will end. <i>I would usually checked the ending of the book before I DNF'd</i>. I pretty much figured out the 'secrets' in <i>Secrets My Father Kept</i> before I'm halfway through and that's the reason it took me so long to read it. I just didn't have much patience for it after that. I wasn't sure if I was going to keep reading but I did make myself and found that it was totally worth persevering for.

I enjoyed WWII novels as even as we witnessed the horrific things people can do to each other, we also witness the bravery, resilience, and greatness of heart others have. This particular novel is a pre-war setting; 1939 in Krakow. Main characters are Polish with their own set of challenges which mostly are not WWII-related but the upcoming holocaust affected them too. Both characters are intelligent, strong, and easily likeable. Their story is a wonderfully heart-warming reminder of how vast & deep a mother's love can be.

<img src="https://cdn.graciousquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/A-mothers-love-for-her-child-is-like-nothing-else-in-the-world.-It-knows-no-law-no-pity.-It-dares-all-things-and-crushes-down-remorselessly-all-that-stands-in-its-path.-Agatha-Christie.jpg" width="200" height="200" alt="description"/>

<i>My thanks to Penguin Random House for this paperback copy of book in exchange of my honest thoughts</i>
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