These Things Hidden

These Things Hidden
By Heather Gudenkauf
Mira, 2011. 337 pgs. Fiction

This novel is told by four different women who all have a connection to one innocent little boy named Joshua. Allison has just been released from prison for a horrible crime and now must deal with her estranged family and the hatred of her small community. Brynn is Allison's sister and is trying to escape the shadow of her perfect sister who turned out to be not so perfect. Joshua's adoptive mother, Claire, believes that everyone should be given a second chance but she doesn't realize what that second chance might do to her family and Charm is just trying to do the right thing in life.

As the story unfolds, each woman takes a turn revealing just the right amount of the story to keep me flying through the pages. Sometimes having multiple narrators bothers me but I can't imagine this story being told any other way. It is through each woman's voice that the reader can better understand the story and the character's feelings and motives. Lies can be devastating but even good intentions can have unforeseen consequences.

AL