Lee’s Review of Secrets: Hidden Legacies: Book 1
Back Cover Synopsis:
In the wake of a devastating argument, Josh and Sheila's marriage is left hanging by a thread, their faith shaken. Amid this turmoil, Josh makes a startling discovery: a hidden journal from the past, penned by a mysterious woman, revealing a long-buried secret that shatters everything he thought he knew.
Sheila, caught between the shattered promise of a perfect union and life’s harsh realities, finds herself drawn to a photograph discovered among her grandmother’s belongings - a discovery that ignites a desperate search for answers.
As they grapple with the revelations, Josh and Sheila confront the ultimate question: Can their marriage withstand the weight of these hidden truths, or will the deepest buried secret be the final blow that tears them apart for good?
Lee’s Review:
Have you ever read a book and thought, at the end, that this is the book that she (or he) was born to write? This is one such story. This is one such story. V. R. Biwott wrote a deeply personal and relevant story, a God-honoring romance and mystery novel about the modern racial tensions of today.
As the story begins, Josh, a white man, is separated from his wife, African-American Shelia. Biwott expertly jumps back and forth between three storylines: Josh's and Sheila's current separation and hurt feelings, flashbacks that show how Josh and Sheila met and fell in love and later fell apart, and Loretta, a slave in the 1800s from a journal that Josh finds and reads.
What Biwott does so well, is present a realistic picture of how the biases from each person’s background can tear an interracial marriage apart. Biwott doesn’t depict one partner as worse than the other: both did and said hurtful things, and both need forgiveness. Both have forgotten to put God at the center of their lives and let bitterness and resentment fester to the point of nearly breaking. The rising tension was done beautifully, as minor, seemingly inconsequential arguments fester and lead to increasingly hurtful and damaging actions and words.
I also loved the Loretta storyline. In the 1800s, she is a young slave, and then secretly sold to a family who treats her with kindness and respect…and then the story develops in awesome and unexpected ways. I won’t reveal what happens next, but it’s so good! In addition, Lamar (who is black) and Amy (who is white) are great supporting characters who are romantic foils for Sheila and Josh, respectively. Initially, there is a small attraction between Josh and Amy and Lamar and Sheila, but they seem to pale in comparison when Josh and Sheila finally meet and fall in love and have a genuine connection.
Overall Review: I finished the book in just a few days, I was completely engrossed! I had to find out what happened with Josh, Shelia, and Loretta! It was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!
A Favorite Line from the Book: Shelia: “You know Lamar … Jesus’s directives are simple; it’s we humans that make them complicated. I choose to uncomplicate my life and focus on what He says, then let the chips fall where they may.”
Content warning: This book was written with adults in mind. Discussions of sex both inside and outside of marriage. Also, racial violence is discussed and depicted, and racial sexual violence is discussed. Also, one character over-consumes alcohol. Having said all that, I think it would be a good book for older teenagers to read and discuss with their parents.
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