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Secret Lives [Kindle Edition]

Diane Chamberlain
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (191 customer reviews)

Digital List Price: $5.99 What's this?
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Book Description

Actress Eden Riley's decision to make a film about her mother plunges her into a shattering confrontation with her own past, irrevocably altering her life and the lives of those she loves. Her mother, Katherine Swift, was a renowned children's author who died when Eden was very young. Now Eden, recovering from a divorce and disillusioned with her glamorous life, returns to the childhood home of the mother she barely knew. She moves in with her uncle, archaeologist Kyle Swift and his wife, Louise.

Eden gets more than she bargained for when Kyle gives her the journal her mother had kept from the age of thirteen until her death. Eden is spellbound by the powerfully written, intimate diary that chronicles a life of hardship, madness and tragedy. But her fascination turns to horror when she discovers the shocking truth about her mother's life.

Eden turns for comfort to Ben Alexander, Kyle's colleague, not knowing that Ben has a secret of his own that could ruin Eden and her career. Now Eden must make a heartbreaking decision as she struggles to lay the ghosts of the past to rest and come to terms with her own future.

Shifting gracefully between Eden's world and Katherine's, Secret Lives seduces with the power of its images and the lyricism of its prose.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Actress Eden Riley discovers her true relationship to the "uncle" who raised her and embarks on a steamy affair with an archeologist after she returns home to film her deceased mother's life story. "Although one significant secret in this many-layered novel will fail to surprise readers, the brisk, atmospherically evocative narrative is absorbing reading," said PW.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • File Size: 424 KB
  • Print Length: 496 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Diane Chamberlain Books, Inc.; 3 edition (June 28, 2010)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B003U8WUMA
  • Text-to-Speech: Enabled
  • X-Ray: Enabled
  • Lending: Enabled
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,524 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
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Customer Reviews

Great story line and well written. carolyn hastings  |  53 reviewers made a similar statement
The more I read, the more interesting the book became, until it was hard to put down. Diana  |  43 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
101 of 107 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Secrets Abound! November 29, 2001
Format:Paperback
Secret Lives is the fourth book by Diane Chamberlain that I have read, and the books just seem to get better and better! Eden Riley, a much sought after actress has decided to make a movie about her famous mother, Katherine Swift, an author of children stories. Eden's mother died when Eden was young and she hardly knew her mother, yet Eden heard all kind of stories about her. Eden comes back to the family "homestead" in the Shenandoah Valley, moves in with her uncle Kyle and his wife, and is presented with numerous journals by her uncle, which her mother wrote throughout her life.

Eden comes to discover that things are not what they appear to be, as she discovers her mother for the first time. Secrets are revealed, truths uncovered, not only about herself, but about her entire "family" as well. While seeking the truth, Eden comes to trust and rely on her uncle's colleague, Ben Alexander, and eventually realizes the love that has been missing in her life. Yet, Ben is also hiding a secret, which could eventually be disastrous to Eden, to her career and to her child as well.

Chamberlain weaves suspense, mystery, adventure, and romance all into one page-turner! As always, her ending will surprise the reader and have one asking where one missed the clues!! The story line is intense, yet the characters are powerful, can stand on their own and are able to draw the reader into their lives.

Another great story by Chamberlain!

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29 of 31 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Chamberlain Hits The Mark Again July 20, 2010
Format:Kindle Edition
Chambelain hits the mark again with this moving tale of a woman who delves into her mother's past, only to discover things about herself she never knew, and that she will have to come to grips with. Beautifully written with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
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40 of 47 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling Story May 19, 2001
Secret Lives by Diane Chamberlain is an entertaining, highly original story that like all good novels, stays with you long after you've finished the last page. Eden and Katherine Riley are two intriguing strong willed women, and their stories compelling.

I have read many novels dealing with agoraphobics, but none in which the sufferer took up residence in a cave. Diane Chamberlain makes you understand Katherine's feelings of terror and panic when away from the cave, you can almost experience Katherine's emotions and wish that the story would hurry up and move back to the cave. I have read all of Diane Chamberlain's books and this is by far her best work. If you're new to her writing, this is one book that you can not miss!

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars My First Diane Chamberlain book- WOW!!
My heart was captured and lovingly transported through each and every page. This is a wonderful story - masterfully told. Read more
Published 8 days ago by S. Greer
3.0 out of 5 stars An easy read but a little predictable
Note: This review, as well as many more, can also be found on my blog, The Baking Bookworm (www.thebakingbookworm.blogspot.ca). Read more
Published 24 days ago by The Baking Bookworm
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great read!!
Can't I just repeat the accolades I've offered for her other books? Diane is a great author and I am anxiously awaiting her new books!
Published 26 days ago by M in Florida
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Engaging
Some pieces were somewhat predictable, but still had enough complexity to keep the reader engaged. Hard to put down towards the the end!
Published 1 month ago by Sara L. Preston
2.0 out of 5 stars Good book, yet I couldn't finish it
It's hard for me to rate this book. The author says that this is one of her favorite books because writing it taught her about pacing and keeping a story interesting. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kimberly Weiss
5.0 out of 5 stars love Diane Chamberlain
Always a great read! Looking forward to her next book! An entertaining and quick read and always with a twist that I wasn't expecting.
Published 1 month ago by Gayle Sabol
4.0 out of 5 stars Secret Lives
Excellent writing! Keeps reader totally involved. Story covers topics of mental illness, child molestation, incest and agorophobia. Recommend highly for adults.
Published 1 month ago by Mz
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Escape
I really enjoyed the book - for me it was total escapism, but very entertaining. I found myself hurrying through to finish because I wasn't sure how she'd wrap up the loose ends,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by joanne K
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good author.
Really good author. Always enjoy reading Diane chamberlain's books. Easy reading. Always find I don't want to put the book down once I start.
Published 2 months ago by laura
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it
How do you love someone so much even though it I'd forbidden...it's all here in Secret Lives. I had read this year's ago and still enjoyed it.
Published 2 months ago by Kathy J. Maher
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More About the Author

I grew up in Plainfield, New Jersey where, at the age of twelve, I wrote several dreadful novellas, read and admired only by my family. When college rolled around, I forgot about writing and received my bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from San Diego State University. I was a hospital social worker in San Diego, and later in Washington DC. I also had a private psychotherapy practice working mainly with teenagers. All the while, I was writing on the side. I viewed my writing as a hobby, but it quickly became a passion. I finally decided to take a class in 'writing the novel.' I was very shy about showing my work to the instructor, but when I finally did, he loved it! He encouraged me to aim for publication and I decided to go for it. A few years later, my first novel, PRIVATE RELATIONS, was published.

Since then, I've written about a book a year- twenty-one at last count. I now live in North Carolina, the beautiful state where many of my books are set and where I'm ten minutes from my grandbabies. I share my life with my soulmate, John, who's a photographer as well as my muse, and with my two shelties, Keeper and Jet.

Are you wondering what my books are about? One of my readers in Japan had this to say about my work: "You make me believe life is beautiful even if it is full of pain and rage." Her words touch me deeply. They hang on the wall above my computer and help me remember exactly what it is I'm trying to achieve in my stories. I hope you'll enjoy them.

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