A review by maigahannatu
Every Secret Thing by Ann Tatlock
4.0
Beth is a new teacher at the school she attended in high school. Taking on the new job and living on campus (the school is both a day school and a boarding school), memories of one of her teachers come to the surface. At the same time, one of her students and her bond over their love for writing and of books. The old teacher comes back into her life and her troubled student and he help each other in unusual ways.
The book is good. There are a lot of references to classic literature, but the author gives enough explanation and quotes that she doesn't assume her readers know what she's talking about. The book is written in 2007. Written in 2019 with today's Child Safety Policies at schools, she would surely have been fired for having a student alone at her house. Even in 2007 she should have known better even though in this instance it is a positive helpful relationship. It surprised me a bit, though, that the author seemed clueless about the dangers of one-on-one relationships with students, especially in a boarding school situation.
The book is good. There are a lot of references to classic literature, but the author gives enough explanation and quotes that she doesn't assume her readers know what she's talking about. The book is written in 2007. Written in 2019 with today's Child Safety Policies at schools, she would surely have been fired for having a student alone at her house. Even in 2007 she should have known better even though in this instance it is a positive helpful relationship. It surprised me a bit, though, that the author seemed clueless about the dangers of one-on-one relationships with students, especially in a boarding school situation.