Review of A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnay

Book:  A Secret Kept
Author:  Tatiana de Rosnay
Published by:  St. Martin's Press
Pages:  303

From Goodreads:  It all began with a simple seaside vacation, a brother and sister recapturing their childhood.  Antoine Rey thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister Mélanie’s birthday: a weekend by the sea at Noirmoutier Island, where the pair spent many happy childhood summers playing on the beach.  It had been too long, Antoine thought, since they’d returned to the island—over thirty years, since their mother died and the family holidays ceased.  But the island’s haunting beauty triggers more than happy memories; it reminds Mélanie of something unexpected and deeply disturbing about their last island summer.  When, on the drive home to Paris, she finally summons the courage to reveal what she knows to Antoine, her emotions overcome her and she loses control of the car.

This book is about a family that soon discovers a secret from their past that they never really knew about.  Antoine and Melanie's mother died when they were young and a recent trip starts sparking unexplainable memories and a desire to find out the truth.  

While the family secret is the main catch of this story there is also so much more.  It's really about family, how they interact and the people that are not necessarily related to us that we call family.  It is told from Antoine point of view and follows his 'semi mid-life' crisis.  His world is falling apart and he clings to the one thing that keeps him going...his desire to uncover the past and his family's secret.  

The writing is lovely and told with a grace and elegance that captures the readers and transports them to France.  I felt like I should be sitting at a little outdoor Bistro sipping some wine while reading this book, instead of snuggled in bed avoiding the snow.  While, I did enjoy this book it was a little hard for me to connect to the main characters.  They were in a different place in their lives than I am in mine so it was hard to completely sympathize.  The discovery of the secret did keep me engaged, but I found myself losing interest in the other parts of the novel. 

I think this was a good novel and would definitely recommend it to any adult.  I give this book ★★★.