What Lies Behind Paperback – August 23, 2012

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going to throw this out right away before I get on with the review: This book had me on the brink of tears almost from the beginning. With Alzheimer's Disease a part of my family's history, it was only too easy for me to project myself on Lily and Lisa's family story. But even without my personal connection to the disease and the effects it can have on a family, the story still evoked plenty of emotion.

Told interestingly in a two-string linear format, the bulk of the story follows the life of Lillian Sullivan from her young childhood as the well-raised child of socialites through her ultimate final home in a nursing home. Beginning during the roaring 20s and ending, today, Lily lives through the Great Depression, World War II and a constantly changing world.

Faced with pressures and stigmas that come with the time period and her place in society, Lily makes plenty of wrong decisions, which negatively alter her life. At same time, she faces challenges beyond her control. Raised to always keep her emotions concealed and behave as a lady, Lily's attempts to please her parents by doing so. Ultimately, this creates barriers between herself and romantic relations and with her children and ultimately grandchildren.

Lillian has a lot going for and against her, but she is no saint. Neither is her granddaughter for that matter. But both were so relatable, it was possible to forgive them their faults and sincerely hope their strengths could ultimately help them.

The result of Lily's life leaves the once happy and bubbly child a bitter and nearly broken woman late in life. I can't say much more about that without giving away too much of the plot, but it was well done. I honestly wondered how Cynthia would manage to get the story from those extremes in the beginning to the end, but she did it and the journey made sense.

Let's just say I was no longer on the brink of tears during the last quarter of the book. I admit reading this book hurt. A lot. I don't think I've cried this hard during a book since I read The Five People You Meet in Heaven or maybe Catching Fire. That should give you an idea that while it pried tears out of me, they were good tears. It's good when a book can give you emotions without overtly forcing them.

Mixed between years of Lillian's life -- which transitioned amazingly well when you consider the book covered the better part of a century -- we witness a few months of her granddaughter Lisa's life. Lisa was never close to her grandmother, and begins to learn more about pieces in her family's history after finding some old papers.

Though she recognizes she can never ultimately know the whole story, because the one person who can tell it is beyond recalling, her natural inquisitiveness leads her to look. At the same time, without knowing, she seems to face similar parallels to her grandmother's life, though her end choices and end results are different.

Perhaps the most beautifully heartbreaking part of this story is for the reader to see how similar these two women are, but neither will ever know how close their connection is beyond blood. Though their story resolves as well as it could, I was still left with a little bittersweet ache that stuck with me after I put the book away.

On a lighter note, I don't think it gives too much away to say that at multiple times in Lily and Lisa's stories, the men in their lives had me saying "those dicks" right out loud.

For me this was a painful and heavy read, but in a wonderful way. I flew through the pages of these books in an evening. Though the story left my heart hurting a little and my brain working a lot, this was a well-crafted story I am glad I read.

Special thanks to Cynthia for letting me read this. Extra thanks for her patience.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

From the moment I picked up Cynthia Hill's "What Lies Behind" I simply could not put it down. Alternating between Lillian and Lisa's connected story was as smooth and as rhythmical as cross-country skiing. I loved how the complementing stories of grandmother Lillian and grandaughter Lisa began with stories of Lillian's own grandmother. Beautifully written and expertly resolved, this story is a must read for any woman who can relate to the complexities of navigating what it means to be a grandmother, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend and a granddaughter. It's a story of love, loss, joy, pain, pretense, hardship, history, whispers, realities and revelations. What lies behind... a question I think... a question whose answer is revealed over the course of Lillian's story but perhaps more importantly begs a personal answer from each of the readers themselves. What lies behind each of our daily presenatations and known family history? If this book is any indication... it's worth finding out. Enjoy this book and the beauty of the story created by Cynthia Hill... and then share it and savour it... and hope she writes another book soon!

I enjoyed this book even though it is not the type of book I normally read. Good to stretch my mind. It did remind me of some aspects of my family so it was very relate-able. Times were so different in the days of Lilian's life but it sounded like my grandmother. Check out this book for a good read.

Cynthia has done a lot of period research for this book. It is totally different from her first book, Idol Hands. She is very versatile and seems to be able write about any subject. I and several of my friends are waiting for the next one. However we realize that with 4 children and a full time job it must be difficult to find the time to write.Great job Cynthia!

The writing within this lovely story is very well done, very well presented and rounded.

The story itself is how its portrayed in the blurb, and runs along nicely.

I can't say it was one of those books I kept having to pick up, as its mild and the story isn't like....quick, quick I need to know what the secret is, as for me, I didn't see what the big hush hush was.

We all have loved ones and sometimes we do not sit and think that they had a life too, they had choices, they may have taken the wrong choices sometimes as we do all. This comes out for me in this story that we tend to 'take our loved ones for granted' and we don't see that they lived, they were are persons such as you or I am who takes walks down paths that we shouldn't, couldn't or wouldn't had.

I found the grandmother intriguing and the story of 'her Walter' very touching.

There are some sad moments and some happier moments among the chapters of this book.

Pay attention to the headings of each chapter, it will let you know if you are reading past or present day events.

If you are looking for a women's fiction that is easy to read and follow, then this is the book for you. If you love 'family' type books, then again, this is the book for you. I enjoyed it as I like both.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review her book, it was a pleasure to do so