Book Review: 3 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Dalene Flannigan (November 5, 2011), Format: Kindle Edition, File Size: 319 KB, ASIN: B00642CEB6
A horrendous, life changing event impacts three young college students. To protect themselves, they swear to keep it a secret. After graduation, they drift apart, each finding ways to escape their past. Twenty years later, one of the friends decides the truth must come out, but at what cost? This story examines each of their lives, how they have reconciled with the past and how revealing the truth will affect them.
The Truth About Us is Dalene Flannigan’s second novel, she has also written a couple of plays. This book is a drama and it is told in an alternating first person narrative by the three main protagonists. Three women who roomed together in college. The story takes place about 20 years after they graduated. Grace is now a successful, independent woman who makes documentary films about violence against women. Erica is struggling with her marriage but loves her two children and is trying to make her life work. For Jude, life has been difficult so she turned to drugs, and became an addict, but recently she has found Jesus, This has led her onto a new path and she is putting her life back together.
The story was well told and intriguing from the first page. Ms. Flannigan is a gifted story teller as she baits the reader, slowly releasing facts while drawing us in. Each of the characters are well drawn, well rounded people who we care about. I found the book hard to put down. First I was curious to find out what the secret was, and then once it was revealed I could understand why they wanted to keep it a secret. I could also see how the secret impacted each of them and lead to their current lives.
The Truth About Us is a standalone book, with a well developed plot and a great ending. If you enjoy reading a good story about women, then I recommend this book.
To Purchase: “The Truth About Us” from Amazon, click here or on picture above
Hi Linda,
Thank you for this review and for posting a review on goodreads.
You asked me how I came up with the idea for “The Truth About Us” I answered this in the Kindle Authors blog interview with:
I’ve come to realize that everything I write is about the space between good and evil, truth and lies, right and wrong. I mean, are there absolutes when it comes to the truth? And, without context, where is the definitive line between right and wrong? It is a grey, murky area and I wanted to explore that in a psychological suspense story.
I started thinking about what I would be willing to do out of loyalty to a friend. How big a secret could I live with? What are the costs of these kinds of secrets? So, I created a story about three friends and a very big secret.
I hope that is not too long an answer!
Regards,
Dalene