Customer Reviews

House of Secrets

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I'm having the hardest time putting into words how great this book was. To be totally honest, I wasn't sure what to expect after looking at the front cover and being less than impressed. However, Tracie Peterson has always written excellent contemporary novels, and I should've never doubted that this novel would be equally as good.

This was the second time this year that I've read a Christian book that dealt with mental illness. The family in House of Secrets has lived their lives based on years and years of secrets that were all rooted in the mother's illness of paranoid schizophrenia. And truly, no one felt the weight of those secrets more than Bailee, the main character. To be told as a child that you're responsible for your two sisters, and then on the flip side, to be told that it's your fault if anything happens to them was heartbreaking to read. As a result, Bailee's childhood was so far from normal, it wasn't even funny.

The emotions were all over the place, too. Fear, hurt, regret, and anger were all portrayed so realistically that I felt like I was part of the story. Mind you, I've got enough drama in my own life that I don't need to borrow these folks', but I couldn't help but wonder how I would react if faced with a situation like this. Would I be like the church members whose reacted with disdain and judgment, or would I be more like Mark--unafraid to step in to be a rock for Bailee in her time of need?

Trying to describe this book has been so hard to do. That's why I said in the beginning that I'm having a hard time putting my thoughts into words. Sometimes, books come along that are so broad and meaningful, there's really nothing left to say except it was a great book. I can't wrap up years of lies, secrets, and omissions in a nice box with a pretty little bow through a review. It's impossible. So, I'll close by saying if you're a fan of Tracie Peterson's contemporary novels, get your hands on this book. It will challenge your thinking through some difficult subjects that will make you wonder how you might respond if faced with the same situations. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to read it.

Tracie Peterson's contemporary books are few and far between but I feel like they blow her historical romances out the park. I wish that she wrote more of them but the few that she has published have been gems in the rocks. I had been slightly disappointed with the last few historicals she's put out so I was a bit hesitant in picking up this one but I was very glad that I did when I finished.

This book handles a subject very rarely talked about in Christian fiction, schizophrenia and mental illness. I could probably count on my hands the number of times it's been mentioned in Christian fiction. I'm not sure why authors tend to stay away from the subject unless they feel like the reader does not want to read about it. I know that there are some Christians who do not believe in mental illness, depression or seeing psychiatrists and that it is an issue that just depends on praying harder. Peterson does not portray that mentality in any way in this book.

The book portrays a family's situation with dealing with the aftereffects of a family member suffering from that condition. It's something that has stuck with the three girls their entire lives as they and their father kept secrets from each other in order to protect themselves. It's hard to read what the girls' mother did to them and to herself and entirely the whole family. They can never understand exactly what was going on in her head and even though they eventually come to healing, it's always going to be a question they will wonder about. The portrayal of the Christians in the past who didn't help out the family is sad but unfortunately true as well.

I did have some minor qualms in the story. Bailee becomes a Christian rather quickly though in her defense, this is something that she has probably been thinking about for many years. I also honestly could have done without the romance part of the book. I would have been more impressed if Mark had just stayed a close friend and maybe hint a romance in the future. The ending seemed a bit rushed to me especially considering how much had happened and needed to be thought over by the characters.

Overall though, I was quite pleased with the story. This book is a complete 180 from Peterson's historical romances. It's written in first person and the story seems to be more serious in tone with lots more character development than her other books. I do hope she continues to write more contemporaries in the future especially with these hard hitting subjects. I know that I will definitely be picking it up.

"I leaned hard against the door and slid to the floor. At last I was being drawn back to that house of secrets - to those hidden memories of loss and sorrow. For so long I had fooled myself into believing the past would never catch up with me. But now the moment of truth had come...and if there was a hell, I just knew that demons were dancing in delight." (excerpt pg 29)

In the novel House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson, Ballie Cooper and her two sisters are headed back to their summer house in Bremerton, Washington for a surprise trip from their father. What is intended to be a happy reunion for them becomes shrouded by memories from the past.

Closing my eyes, I tried not to think of those last days at the summer house, but I couldn't help it. I could see it all as if it were yesterday.

"What's Daddy doing?" Geena asked.

We girls had gathered on the upstairs landing that overlooked the open downstairs living area. "He's making Momma her cocoa," I told them.

" I want some," Piper said, her six-year-old voice a little louder than I would have liked.

Of course, given the fact that Momma was playing her rock music as loud as the stereo would allow, I didn't figure Dad would hear us.

"We're supposed to be asleep," eight-year-old Geena said.

Just then our father crossed the room to switch off the music. I fully expected our mother to complain, but there wasn't as much as a word. I couldn't tell if she was even still in the living room. Maybe she had gone to bed.

Without the music playing, however I could hear another sound. It was our father and he was muttering and talking to himself. He was also crying. At least that was what is sounded like. I heard him sniffing and saw him wipe the back of his hand against his eyes.

"Why is Daddy crying?" Geena asked in a hushed whisper.

So it wasn't my imagination. He really was crying. I'd never seen this before and it scared me. Something must be very wrong if he was that upset.

"I have to do this for the girls." His words were as clear as those Geena had spoken. I shook my head and leaned closer to the rail.

"It's for them. They will be safe."

He took a prescription bottle from his pocket and opened it. I was mesmerized by the scene. What was he doing? What did he have to do for the girls - for us? (pg 34).

I received House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. This is a book of redemption and one that shows how sometimes our past can hold us back from moving forward in the life that God has planned for us. It shows us what happens when a secret from 15 years ago causes one sister to want to end their silence and that the truth must be revealed. I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and is my second book by Tracie Peterson. I know my readers will enjoy this bit of Christian suspense found within its pages.

Sometimes a book lands in my lap where I stay up until 3am devouring each word on every page. I force myself to stay away, pushing my eyes to their limits. It is worth it to me. It is very rare that a book bothers me so bad I can't finish it. I will read everything and anything. It is just as rare that a book grips me so strongly that I have to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning breathing in all 305 pages.
Meet three sisters; Bailee, Geena and Piper.

Meet the father, work-a-holic.

I always find some sort of emotional attachment when there is a story surrounding a mental health disorder, whether fiction or not. Peterson writes in a way that is raw and real. I guess that is why I felt compelled to gobble every morsel this book had to offer instead of savoring it.
Meet the mother, a dead paranoid schizophrenic.

Bailee works for a quickly growing publishing company ran by her friend Mark and his father. Mark wants to send Bailee to New York to head their new office there. Before she can even make her decision, her father calls, demanding her and her sisters meet them at the family summer house.
The same summer house that holds the memories and they key to unlock the mysteries of their mothers death.

Memories are dominating in Baliee's life. She was the oldest, left in charge of the other two. Memories flood her soul before she can even step over the threshold of the summer house.

All three sisters must break through the memories and tear down the barriers that make them the women they turned out to be. Each one entering their own emotional state, each one with questions being answered. The common denominator between the three is that each must heal.

Answers become clear, the truth becomes known. A family is shocked and thrown into turmoil, only to find their way back to the center. A family can rebuild the love and trust, and that is exactly what they will do.

The love story doesn't start or end with the family. There are some hidden gems scattered within the pages.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. It is listed as Christian/Contemporary Fiction as Bailee struggles with her belief in God and Mark shares his love for God. But this is not a preachy book, nor is it full of scripture. I think anyone can enjoy it just the way it is.

Having gone through a similar situation (mental health) I wrote a punch of poetry while I was dealing and healing. Darkness Falls: A Collection of Poetry

This book deals with some very difficult issues. The overall feel of the book is very dark and a bit depressing, yet I just couldn't put it down. The author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the story and making you feel what the characters are feeling. I also thought the author did a good job of portraying true Christian love and friendship in Mark's character.

The book appears to be very well researched and the author seems to have a very good understanding of mental health issues and the impact they have on the families.

Though the Gospel presentation is a little weak (us "accepting God" rather than repentance) it is there and the issue of our sin, the necessity of repentance, and our need for a sinless Savior are mentioned.

I must mention that I received a complimentary review copy of the book from Bethany house publishers.

Tracie Peterson is known for her historical fiction, but I was curious to see what a contemporary fiction from her would be like. Well, let's just say that when it comes to women's fiction she doesn't hold back. We jump right into a family dealing with long held secrets that are about to come out. Bailee, Geena and Piper are heading back to the summer home they haven't been to in 15 years, since their mother died. They saw the events leading up to her death and have kept quiet all these years that they know their dad is the one who killed her. They have decided that it is time to find out why. They don't realize that it is just the beginning of all the secrets their family has been hiding. Abandonment issues, mental disorders, paranoia and so much more are uncovered and Bailee starts to understand why she won't commit to a relationship and why she feels so protective of her younger sisters.

This is a pretty heavy book coming from Tracie Peterson but she is really good at women's fiction - not afraid to pull any punches or deal with the hard issues. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here.

House of Secrets
Tracie Peterson

Baillee has lived her whole life with family secrets, some of which she's kept even from her sisters whom she's always tried to protect. But when her father calls them all back to spend time together at their summer home, Baillee discovers secrets don't long stay buried in the place that fostered so many of them. But uncovering the secrets can be as painful as keeping them and with some horrifying realizations.

"House of Secrets" is written like a relationship mystery with layers of secrets that must be discovered, uncovered and hashed out to get to the truth.

A story of pain, dysfunction and betrayal as well as a story of the healing power of faith and truth.

Tracie Peterson is one of my favorite authors. I have read many, many of her books and in my journeys through her writing, she has taken me to the West, Alaska, Southern cotton plantations, colonial Philadelphia, as well as New York and Montana! She has an incredible gift for transporting her readers to another place in another time but this book was set in modern times. Not only that, it did not give me the "happy ending" I normally go for in my reading for pleasure. And yet, I am really glad I took the time to read it, to put myself in the place of someone who is grieving and experiencing something beyond my understanding. Because of the raw emotions her characters displayed, I really empathized and was haunted by the characters in this book. As always, she did a remarkable job.

If I had only one word to describe this book, that one word would be WOW! Seriously, this was an amazing book and I'm so glad to have been given the chance to read it! There were so many things going on throughout the book, that I don't even know where to begin!!
Can you imagine growing up with horrible family secrets, only to discover many years later that while there were many, many dark secrets, that original secret was not what you had once believed? That is exactly what happens to Bailee and her sisters in this story. Growing up, they believed they were keeping an awful secret to protect their family. The secret had haunted all of the sisters throughout their life, so when their dad invited them back to their old summer home where the event had happened many years earlier, they decided to confront him. What they discovered instead were the secrets of their mother's mental illness. While this answered many questions, it also lead to many, many more. The book beautifully deals with their struggles to come to term with the many secrets, and God's place in it all.
I feel like I can not say much more without giving too much away, but it is certainly an amazing read. I could not put this book down and wanted more once it was over. I did feel perhaps the ending was a bit rushed, though I am happy with the outcome regardless so it didn't really affect my opinion of the book overall. I definitely recommend this book to all.

*I received a copy from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

bethanyhouse

Bailee, Geena and Piper grew up in Washington State along with their parents. Their names are sweet and feminine. The family is not too large. Washington State or Seattle is a beautiful place in which to live. Plus, the family's physical needs are handled by a hard working father. However, this family is far from perfect. Mrs. Cooper is mentally ill. She suffers with schizophrena. This is a very serious illness because most of the time, without medications, a person lives outside of reality. For whatever reason or reasons Mrs. Cooper never believed medication could change her life for the better. She spent many hours, days, months and years thinking a serial killer wanted to kill her children. At times she thought of herself as an aide to the FBI. It is hard to grasp what conditions these sisters lived with everyday in their early lives. Even their father, usually at work, could not imagine all that was going on right beneath his nose.

"Yes, I didn't know how to deal with your mother. I didn't know how to help her--especially when she wouldn't help herself."

There is also another sibling. The secret about this child's life is too significant and tragic for me to share with any reader of this review. The neighbors had some idea that the Coopers were strange and different. They just didn't know exactly what was wrong. I think it is most hurtful when we're staring a tragedy right in the face and can't quite grasp the picture. What we see is fuzzy, dark, too light like any photograph that does not come out correctly. I suppose schizophrenia is a little like a mirage in a dessert. A traveller thinks he sees water when really there is not any water within sight.

Bailee is the oldest child. Therefore, Mrs. Cooper blamed Bailee for anything that would go wrong. At other times she involved Bailee in her bizarre behavior.

"I crossed the yard to a building far behind the house. Inside it wasn't much warmer, but at least I was out of the wind. Momma looked frantically around the room and motioned for me to get inside an abandoned cardboard box...It was scary when she closed the lid and put something atop the box...I clutched my doll close to keep from crying."

Sadly, years go by before all of the Coopers, except for Mrs. Cooper, can come together and talk about their lives. The title HOUSE OF SECRETS is so perfect for the novel. Tracie Peterson is a master at making such a complex story so utterly real. At the same time the novel did not leave me hopeless. It is a novel proving that mirages can disappear leaving behind real, life saving waters if we put our faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?"

harrietbeecherstowecenter

traciepeterson.com