Be Captivated by the beautiful Belle-îlle-en-Mer

• Book: Her Mother’s Secret
• Location: Belle-Île-en-Mer, Sauzon
• Author: Rosanna Ley

Review Author: Bookliterati72

Her Mother’s Secret is set mainly on the beautiful French Island of Belle-Île-en-Mer in Southern Brittany, and follows Colette as she returns to the Island after sixteen years away to care for her dying mother.  Returning home means she has to confront the past and try and forgive her mother and find out what secret her mother was keeping. Whilst there she befriends Ètienne, who has also returned to the Island after the death of his mother to sell her house, and Élodie who Colette’s mother, Thea, looked after as a child.

The plot is narrated by Colette, Étienne, Élodie and Mathilde, Élodie’s mother who was once close to Colette’s mother.  There are also sections of Thea’s diary from just before her coming to the Island and up to the point where she was asked to leave by Mathilde.  What these characters all have in common are secrets, either secrets they have themselves or are affected by a secret kept by others, than have made them, or a member of their family leave the Island.   The island seems to have healing properties, the characters grow and as their relationships develop they find they can help each other.  All realise that sometimes you have to go back and confront your past before you can move forward with your future.  All narrators gradually reveal their stories, and Thea’s diary gives an insight into her past, leading up to the secret she has kept that has caused the distance between her and Collette.

I have read a few of Rosanna Ley’s other books and I love her writing style.  She is a very descriptive writer, she captures the sense of a place; the sights, smells, sounds and tastes of he chosen setting. You can envisage eating fresh fish, surrounded by the pastel coloured houses, with the scent of the salt from the sea, the warmth of the sun on your face and the chatter of the locals around you.  Reading one of her books really is a feast for the senses and  makes an enjoyable experience.   She also writes with a great understanding of people, there feelings, their relationships, how they interact with others; her characters are very real, you feel that you know them and you become part of their journey.

Her Mother’s Secret is a wonderful and compelling  read, about secrets, lies and their rippling effect on those around them.  The characters will captivate you and the  setting of Belle-Île-en-Mer is, as it name implies, a beautiful island brought to life through Rosanna Ley’s writing.   A brilliant book, perfect for your summer holiday.

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