Every Secret Thing [Paperback]

Ann Tatlock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

From a Christy-award-winning novelist comes this multi-layered love story-a rich, complex interweaving of character, mystery and divine epiphanies.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Donna Tartt meets Jamie Langston Turner in this engrossing novel from Christy Award–winner Tatlock (All the Way Home). Beth Gunnar has returned to her alma mater, Seaton Prep, to teach English. She is haunted by an unresolved mystery from her student days—the unexplained disappearance of a favorite teacher—but discovering what happened to Mr. Dutton is not all that absorbs Beth's attention. She reconnects with a high school flame and becomes something of a surrogate mother to a precocious, charming student named Satchel Queen. Beth's Christian faith also deepens, though Tatlock handles that theme with a refreshingly light touch. The dialogue is snappy, and Tatlock's prose is charming (There seemed to be no clear answer to the mystery that was Theodore Dutton, with all the whys left dangling before me like fruit gone bad on the vine). Overall, Tatlock's produced a winner and the ending offers a good setup for a sequel, although the twists and turns in the romantic subplot are predictable, the character of Beth's best friend, Natalie, is underdeveloped, and it's hard to believe that bookish and literarily sophisticated Beth doesn't cotton to the symbolism in the book of Hosea, which her father patiently explains. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"...captures your heart and even your mind from the very first page.... Ann Tatlock is a remarkable writer!" -- Cheri Clay, christianreviewofbooks.com

"...much more subtle than a typical mystery novel--but perhaps that's what makes it worth reading." -- Robin Snyder, Christian Book Previews.com

"Believable characters and original dialogue keep the story moving and compelling." -- Linda Lee, armchairinterviews.com

"Every Secret Thing filled me with hope." -- AJ Cooper, ReaderViews.com

"Every Secret Thing seeps its way into the readers' consciousness and remains long after the last page is finished." -- Rel Mollet, titletrakk.com

"Her prose is graceful and unselfconscious with just the right amount of imagery to make it memorable...." -- Violet Nesdoly, blogcritics.org

"Tatlock's prose is simply exquisite." -- Michele Howe, faithfulreader.com

"This novel is rich, and deep, and one of those soul journeys worth taking." -- Deena Peterson, deenasbooks.blogspot.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764200054
• ISBN-13: 978-0764200052
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I knew I wanted to be a writer from the time I tapped out my first stories on my grandfather's old manual typewriter in the summer of 1973. I studied English and theology in college and later went on to earn my master's degree in journalism from Wheaton College Graduate School. I worked as a writer and editor for Decision magazine from 1987-1992, when I left to pursue fiction writing fulltime. I find great satisfaction in my work, and I especially enjoy hearing from my readers. In addition to writing, I also teach at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, and online through the Christian Writers Guild.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings........, December 21, 2007

By 

Jane Beckwith (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Every Secret Thing (Paperback)

I liked this book. It's better than most Christian fiction books. I loved the fact that the main character had a passion for books and I wished there had been even more demonstration of her literary knowledge in the story. Anne Tatlock's portrayal of someone in relationship with God is very good--nowhere is she preachy--she allows God to maintain His mystery. The character development disappointed me, however, in it's lack of intensity. I never believed that Elizabeth loved Ray, so when things didn't work out between them, I thought, "oh well." The character of Lennon isn't fully developed, so once again, when Beth falls in love with him I also thought "oh well". Overall, good, but not great.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simple and Vivid, October 19, 2007

By 

Anna (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Every Secret Thing (Paperback)

When I read Ann Tatlock's beautiful novel All the Way Home in high school, I was introduced to a Christian author who, for the first time in my experience, seemed to care quite a bit about the literary value of her writing. I was enchanted by the book's lyrical prose and intricate storyline. Since then, Ms. Tatlock's novels A Room of My Own and I'll Watch the Moon have become favorites of mine as well. Her work was the prototype for me, in a sense - my introduction to truly well-written Christian fiction.

Every Secret Thing did not disappoint. It is a slowly intriguing story - and by slowly intriguing I mean that while it takes time to draw you in (I found the first few chapters a little dry), by the time you are finished you care deeply about the characters and what happens to them. It is an introspective, character-driven novel. The language is simple. It does not dazzle you on every page. But every once in awhile its simplicity is enlivened by a startlingly apt reflection, or a vivid illustration.

This is the story of Beth Gunnar, a middle-aged single woman who returns to her Delaware roots to teach at Seaton, her high school alma mater. It is the story of three educational generations, so to speak - the mystery surrounding Beth's former teacher, Theodore Sutton; the blossoming of Satchel Queen, one of Beth's students; and of course, Beth herself, her powerful past and her enigmatic future, her "moments of being" and her searching for answers.

Two things impressed me about the novel's themes. One was that an author who so obviously values literature and writing, and who created a character who also values literature and writing, is able to note both the beauty and the ultimate emptiness of that focus. The other is that one of the most climactic and poignant moments in the book is about Jesus - a moment so tender that I reread it multiple times and memorized some of it. It was a moment not inserted as a sermon or so the book could be called Christian, but because it was the right time for it in the story, and it was the right story to be told. It is difficult to achieve that balance in Christian fiction, and brave to attempt it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Simply exquisite, November 1, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Every Secret Thing (Paperback)

When Elizabeth Gunnar returns as a teacher to her childhood preparatory school where she first experienced a sense of being "seen" and of belonging, she finds herself not so well prepared to revisit old, but not forgotten, tender emotions and fractured memories. Before she has time to sort it all out, Beth is inundated with her responsibilities as a full-time English instructor at Seaton Preparatory School in Delaware (the state that no believes really exists).

Finding her feet, Beth meets the other instructors, introduces herself to her students and has to fight one nagging but eventful memory in particular. What really ever happened to her former English teacher, Mr. Dutton? Was he still alive as Beth suspected? Why did he try to end his life after having instilled in his students an appreciation for it? Frustrated with herself for this constant inner-unsettledness, Beth tries to let the mystery go, but every specter of her life back at Seaton is a reminder of something she has failed to come to grips with in the past 20 years.

Despite her unseen angst, Beth is well suited for the task of imparting a contagious love for reading and writing to her students. Enter Satchel Queen, another hurting soul to whom Beth relates --- a kindred spirit of sorts. Satchel (tentatively, at first) opens her thoughts via essays to Beth, and they discuss life, loss and disappointment together in the lonely fall evenings. As Satchel unearths her own personal story of lost love, Beth discovers similar thoughts starting to wander around, jostling her and reminding her that there are some unanswered questions lingering in the backdrop of her heart and mind as well.

An old crush soon re-enters Beth's life, and as they reacquaint themselves, she wonders if romantic love has finally come to stay at her home. But even as hopeful as she is, Mr. Dutton's suicide attempt becomes a focus of conversation between her and Ray, leaving Beth once again pondering the disjunct between Mr. Dutton's eloquent words and his actions. Secrets come to light and more disappointments ensue, but most importantly, Beth has the chance to set things right for herself and for Satchel as Mr. Dutton resurfaces in their town.

With Satchel's need for a family and a sense of belonging to someone, Beth takes a risk and introduces her student to the Duttons. There, Satchel finds part-time employment and, better still, camaraderie of spirit. Beth has to work at trusting her former teacher, seeing with her own eyes that he has changed but feeling with her heart an ongoing betrayal. As the school year progresses, Beth has to let go of some dreams at great cost in order to embrace the possibility of possessing something more worthy. Her languished faith in God is rebirthed, along with a sense of freedom and purpose that she handily passes on to Satchel and those within her sphere of influence.

Ann Tatlock possesses the uncanny ability to unlock the secret reservoirs of the heart, one turn at a time, just enough so that readers aren't frightened away by what she exposes. Then, she gracefully takes the uncertainty and the hurt and uses lovely, promising pictures of hope restored to gently nudge her audience along the way. Tatlock's prose is simply exquisite.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe