Single mother Lee has the daily routine down to a science: shower in six minutes. Cut food into perfect squares. Never leave her on-the-spectrum son Mason in someone else’s care. She’ll do anything ― anything ― to keep his carefully constructed world from falling apart. Do anything to keep him safe!
The opening of this novel is hard to read as a woman watches death reaching out to grab her, and your heart stops beating along with hers. The story presented to you covers some difficult problems, rape, murder, lies, and betrayals. The central characters are a group of women who are friends and you learn – from the way the book unfolds – how hard life can be for some. Lee, a single mother, has a wonderful son named Mason, who possibly suffers from Aspergers, the book doesn’t exactly say, rather, you just get to live with him. Mason is sharp, bright, and has a gifted mind and his tutor, Noah, teaches him how to survive this world. Lee adores both Mason and Noah and is rapidly falling for Noah. Lee’s best friend, Grace, is loved by Mason, much to Lee’s heartfelt jealousy and all are surrounded with secrets. Lee’s other two friends are Carol and Alice, they have decided to go away for a trip to the mountains and insist Lee accompany them. She is constantly looking after mason and everyone insists she take a break and Noah volunteers to take care of the boy.
The story is very slow in parts and covers and recovers the heartbreak of betrayal and lies and you gradually begin to see the evil in the memories that the women try to hide. The more I began to see into the lives and the pasts of these women, the more I wanted to back away. I love reading and this novel is very well constructed but I must confess, at times, it was very hard to take. As some of the subplots unravel, you have a gut-wrenching feeling that as bad as the story is that you’re being told, in your heart, it’s going to get worse.
The ending is a shocker so be prepared. In the wonderful world our writers create for us, I had a yearning for my childhood tales but Cinderella and Snow White vanished from this magic wood and they won’t be returning any time soon. An absorbing and entertaining tale.
Now available in bookstores
