Someone Else’s Secret, by Julia Spiro

Publication: Lake Union Publishing; July 1, 2020

someone elses secret About the book:

Here’s the thing about secrets: they change shape over time, become blurry with memory, until the truth is nearly lost.

2009. Lindsey and Georgie have high hopes for their summer on Martha’s Vineyard. In the wake of the recession, ambitious college graduate Lindsey accepts a job as a nanny for an influential family who may help her land a position in Boston’s exclusive art world. Georgie, the eldest child in that family, is nearly fifteen and eager to find herself, dreaming of independence and yearning for first love.

Over the course of that formative summer, the two young women develop a close bond. Then, one night by the lighthouse, a shocking act occurs that ensnares them both in the throes of a terrible secret. Their budding friendship is shattered, and neither one can speak of what happened that night for ten long years.

Until now. Lindsey and Georgie must confront the past after all this time. Their quest for justice will require costly sacrifices, but it also might give them the closure they need to move on. All they know for sure is that when the truth is revealed, their lives will be forever changed once again.

From a fresh voice in fiction, this poignant and timely novel explores the strength and nuance of female friendship, the cost of ambition, and the courage it takes to speak the truth.

My Review

Someone Else’s Secret has been in my Kindle library for a few months now, and for some reason I finally decided to start it yesterday. I hate that I waited so long. This is Julia Spiro’s debut novel and although it’s certainly not perfect, this was a damn good read.

Recent college graduate Lindsay is heading to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer to nanny for the Decker family. Georgie is the Decker’s 14 year old daughter who is struggling to find her place in the world, struggling to connect with any friends, and experiencing a first crush on a much older guy. Lindsay is also struggling with how to apply her art degree to the real world, where she fits in society, and her ongoing guilt for the expense of her education. The Decker family is dysfunctional at best with a cold, distant mother and a father who is hard on the young boy, indulges Georgie, and otherwise spends all of his time away from the family.

I feel that any female will be able to relate to both Georgie and Lindsay in some ways. We all remember being insecure about our bodies or our clothes, wanting to make friends, wanting a boy to like us, and so on. Georgie doesn’t need a nanny so her and Lindsay form a relationship that is almost but not quite a friendship. Then the big “horrible moment” happens, the summer comes to an end, and Lindsay and the Deckers go their separate ways.

Something about the point of view was a little strange to me like it was a weird hybrid between first and third person and I will admit that at times this reads slow. However, the author beautifully captured the angst, hopes, and fears of girls/women ranging from early teens to adulthood. My main issue is the ending. It seemed a little rushed and almost too perfect, but otherwise this was an entertaining novel. that I will rate 4 stars.

*I received this digital book through the Amazon First Reads program.