Liane Moriarity Has Written an Engaging Novel

the Husband’s Secret: The trouble with the truth is that it can change everything

Photo by author, Dunelair © Sue Moran Thole

Lately, my friends and I have been seeking lighter reads.

When my stepson, Tim, handed me the Husband’s Secret with his hearty endorsement, I began it immediately so we could discuss it while he was here over the Thanksgiving holiday.

At first, there seemed to be too many characters for my tired brain to grasp, but they quickly became focused in separate chapters for each of the three couples and their children. Then, of course, I queried Tim about my ideas of how the story was unfolding.

He gave me a helpful clue: the story was about how the characters lived with the dark secret, how individuals were affected once they learned the husband’s secret, and how the revealed truth forced them to reassess all aspects of their lives.

Although it seemed the secret was a bad one, and indeed it was, Moriarty tells the story with a light touch. She is a master of conversations.

I was sure I knew the secret well before the author revealed it, but I could never have guessed how the couples would connect through the children’s school and how many other secrets were floating about.

To clarify, the author does not reveal all secrets to all characters, nor does she provide tidy endings to all parts of the story. However, she does some clever accounting of alternate possibilities, and I found her creative epilogue satisfying.

Moriarty has written a fine novel that pushes the reader to consider many facets of relationships, marriages, and child rearing — of life itself. While all the characters have flaws, the author’s sensitivity fosters empathy in the reader. And isn’t that why we read novels?

Perhaps these Medium writers have already read this engrossing novel:

Dennett, Penny Grubb, Nancy Elliott, Trista Signe Ainsworth, pockett dessert, Hollie Petit, Ph.D., Bronwen Scott, Jane Frost (Jane Grows Garden Rooms), Chloe S., B.R. Shenoy, Mary Chang Story Writer, Barb Dalton, Louise Peacock, Judy Kelling, Rhonda Carrier, Yana Bostongirl, Rosy Gee, Ellie Jacobson