A gripping novel of family secrets that will leave you in tears

Wow what a depressing and yet boring book. I ended up quitting about half way through, which I almost never do. I just couldn't finish it. And this is from a person who was adopted at birth in the late 60's. I thought it would really hit home for me, but it was just too long winded and boring for me. I kept wanting to tell the woman to get over it please, it's been decades.

A heartbreaking and illuminating story of love, loss and redemption, full of twists and turns and an ending that leaves you reaching for the tissue box. Kerry Fisher is a gifted author who expertly captures family dynamics on every page. In novel after novel, she paints authentic and moving portraits of motherhood and marriage, revealing all the heartaches, triumphs and mysteries with humor, grace and style. "The Secret Child" sensitively delves into the horrible guilt and isolation a young mother faces when she finds herself pregnant with a baby she can't possibly keep. The consequences of her decision play out over many decades, as her longing for her secret child takes her to the edge of reason, threatening to rip her family apart. In the end, Fisher artfully accomplishes a delicate balance of forgiveness, reconciliation and hope for the future.

I liked the story and the characters very much, She did very well showing how one event can color the rest of your life. What I did not like was all the very British cultural references and lingo, from the 60's no less. This made it a bit hard to follow at times, even for someone who has read hundreds of novels with British references. That small thing marred my enjoyment of the book.

I am now about halfway through this book and trying to decide if I will finish it. The main character so far has constantly whined. It,s been a repetitive pity party so far with a story line that could have been condensed into no more than a few chapters. So, I read part two and felt is was better but I consider part one extraneous to the story.

Kerry is one of my favourite authors and I always look forward to reading her work, I downloaded The Secret Child to then be able to save it for Christmas, as you can see that didn't quite go to plan.
Kerry's strength is in her characters and how realistic they become within the pages of her books, with this heartfelt story of Susie, who gives her child up for adoption. It is set back in the late 1960's moving us forward through the events and life.
I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like to give up a child not because you wanted to for various reasons, but because your family was embarrassed by you. It wasn't the done thing.
How Susie's decisions affect her future years like a domino effect, but not only hers - her family and how she makes friendships.
Kerry describes the decades with subtle reminders of music, fashion, and family differences. How times really have changed from generation to generation, with some things staying the same.
A family saga that will keep you turning the pages, but not wanting it to end. With storylines that you will take to your heart, you will question the personalities and decisions made. Making this an interesting thought provoking read.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was probably the most emotional book I have read in a while. My first for the new year. It was so good. Grabbed me from the first page and would not let go. I could have just sat and read all day and night if I did not have other things that I had to do and people to take care of.

Kerry Fisher did a wonderful job of pulling me in and had me hanging on for dear life. I wanted to know what came next and had a very hard time putting it down.

I won’t go into what this book was about because there are so many great reviews already doing that. I will say have a big box of Kleenex handy while reading this book. It’s worth every single tear you will shed. I promise. It’s just a good book that will keep you wanting more.

I honestly cried so much reading this book that my eyes are sore now. But like I said, it was worth it. I will read more by this author.
Just a wonderful story of love, loss and bringing back together again. A love story for everyone.

I’ve read two previous books by this author and this is definitely my favourite to date. I absolutely loved it. From start to finish I was gripped. Apart from having to make (a quick) dinner I read this in one sitting.

While reading this I felt the author took out my heart and squeezed it until I cried. I’ll now be adding this to the rare collection of books that made me cried.

The author wrote this in such a great way I felt as if I was there with the characters. I felt their pain, I went through the different emotions with them.

A truly brilliant read. Can’t wait to read more from this author.

THE SECRET CHILD by Kerry Fisher is a gripping novel of family secrets, guilt and regret, that will leave you in tears. I normally read psychological thrillers, mystery, suspense thrillers, so this was a nice break. I loved her book, The Silent Wife, so was anxious to read her new book, The Secret Child. And I was not disappointed. This is another winner! What an emotional family drama, from the 1960's …I am at a loss for words.
It was the decision that changed the rest of her life…

Susie did something that she knows she will always regret: giving her baby son up for adoption, to keep her infidelity secret from her family. The baby wasn’t her husband Danny’s child. Her mother convinced her that her marriage would be over if Danny returned home from his fifteen-month tour of duty, and found her with another man’s child.
She had no choice…in those days…and had to give her son, Edward up for adoption.
“In less than twenty-four hours, I’d be giving you away forever. I had the rest of my life to work through the madness of trying to conceal another man’s baby from my husband.”

Louise, Susie’s daughter, feels the effects of that decision echoing down through the years – her mother has always been difficult, too strict with her but not strict enough with her sister Grace, who is wild and out-of-control. And Danny, Susie’s husband, adores her, but has always sensed something wrong at the heart of their marriage.
Over the years, Susie tried to get pregnant again, and finally in 1977, they had their second daughter, Grace …but it still didn’t fill the whole missing in her heart.

The story is told from two perspectives (Susie and Grace) and how her choice impacted on the family to come. This novel was heartbreaking at times to read, and even not being blessed with children, I still could feel the vivid pain.
Many thanks to my favourite publisher, Bookouture via Netgalley for my copy. I definitely won’t be forgetting this book too soon. Highly recommended!

Redeeming portion of Fisher's Secret Child is experienced toward the end of the novel. Prejudice and taboo public opinion of pregnancy in the 60's leads Susie to be forced to give up her son for adoption. Demons plague Susie her entire life due to this one event. Fisher explores the challenges that affect Susie's husband and daughters. Sad Psychological results of peer pressure and ramifications of the time period. "A copy of this book was provided by Bookouture via NetGalley with no requirement for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

Gripping and well-written, this book takes you on an emotional journey that spans over many years... as babies grow into adults, and new parents become grandparents. It's beautiful, but heartbreaking at times and occasionally difficult to read.

In 1968, Susie gives up her baby for adoption. She already has one child, and wishes to keep this one. Her husband would be thrilled with another baby... if it were his. Susie gets pregnant and gives birth while husband Danny is away in the Navy. Even if she wanted to lie, she could not. There is no way the timing would add up. Encouraged by her mother who reminds her that she cannot afford to take on her and the children when her husband inevitably kicks her out, she spends her pregnancy out of town before going to the Mother and Baby Home in London to give birth. She cares for her perfect little son for weeks before he is taken away and given to a new family. She counts those weeks she had him as one of the most memorable times in her life, even many years later.

She's managed to get away with giving birth while her husband is gone, and no one knows a thing. Her mother is the only one around who knows her secret. But Susie can't let him go. She felt she had no other good option, but she longs to be with her son again. All of her life experiences including her marriage, her first daughter, and the second daughter that comes along eventually, are tainted by this huge secret. It has changed her very being, and it affects everyone around her... but they don't know the cause.

It's easy to feel for each and every one of the characters, and the author does a fantastic job getting the reader attached to the story. She packs an amazing amount of love, sorrow, and regret into about 350 pages. Though many parts of it made me sad, now I'm sad that it's over! 4.5 out of 5, rounded up!

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and Bookouture, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

I adore Kerry Fisher's writing. Her stories are hard hitting and emotional and stay with me for a long time. I save her books as treats, knowing they will always entertain and take me right into the characters' lives and their dilemmas so for a few days I am lost, completely and utterly at the mercy of this author and the spell she weaves with her wonderful stories. And this book... WOW! From the very first, emotional chapter, I was hooked. And the story just kept getting better and better, more and more addictive until I gave up all pretence of trying to do other things and gave myself over to the persistent demands of the characters to be heard. A beautiful, poignant tale covering a very sensitive topic and doing justice to all the characters involved. Loved them all. Lived their lives and their dilemmas, cried with them. What more can you ask for in a book? I'm still thinking of them and will do so for a long time. Brilliant author! Fabulous book! Very highly recommended.

Susie is married to Danny in the sixties and they have a daughter Louise but when Danny is away on a long tour of duty in the navy Susie gets pregnant by another man. Convinced that the only option she has is to give the baby up for adoption she goes into a mother and baby home and leaves her son there..... something that will have a profound affect on her life!

Danny and Susie have another daughter Grace but Susie cannot ever get over having to give up her son and as the years go by it eats away at her more and more which ends up with taking it out on her husband and daughters, who obviously can't understand why she is like she is

A brilliant emotional story, working well with Grace taking the narrative in the second part, it wad a sad story with Susie torn apart for so many years by her secret unable to share it with her family but a book that I couldn't put down and one that stayed with me long after I finished reading it

When we first meet Susie, she's actually going by the name Rita and staying in a mother and child home. She's married but has turned up pregnant with another man's child and is trying to keep it all under the rug so she gives this baby up for adoption. for the next 40+ years we see the effect that had on her and her family until one day her secret is revealed and no one knows how to handle the bombshell.

This book will pull at your heartstrings until finally just yanking them out at the end. I loved this book. At first I wasn't a fan cause I'm judgemental and didn't appreciate a married woman having another man's baby and we don't quite get answers to how that happened until about midway through. I'm beyond pleased that I stuck with this story though. The characters and the stories were so beautifully written. I really enjoyed how right in the middle of the book the point of view changes and we go from getting Susies story to now getting her youngest daughters, Grace, point of view.

This book will not disappoint and goes to show just how strong the bond is between mother and baby.

The Secret Child is a powerful and emotionally charged character-driven novel. The story is heartbreaking and well as touching. I didn’t want to put the book down, for even a moment. And, this superbly written story stayed with me, long after I turned the last page.

Susie counted herself lucky to be married to Danny, even though as a military man, he was gone for long stretches of time. When Danny was home, though, he was a kind, loving and devoted husband. And, that was exactly why Susie couldn’t confess her infidelity to him. To make matters worse and add to her list of sins, Susie had given her son away. So every time Susie witnessed Danny with their grandson or her friend Jeanie’s son, her gut would wrench. And each time her insides twisted with guilt, Susie withdrew more into herself.

The carefree, beautiful wife Danny had left with their daughter before deploying overseas, was not the same women he came back to. Susie had become moody, withdrawn and depressed and Danny had no idea why. He tried everything he could think of to make Susie happy, without success. Danny even left the Navy and took a factory job, which he despised, just to be home more. But, Susie’s guilt over giving away her son and now losing her daughter’s affection, was tearing her up inside and stealing the very life out of her. It would be Susie’s estranged daughter, of all people, who would be the one to step-up, comfort her mother, and help her to heal.

The Secret Child is an unforgettable, moving novel. The characters are well-developed and alive. I felt their pain, their brokenness, their trials and their forgiveness. Truly a beautiful story, so well-written that even days later, I was still thinking about it. This is an outstanding novel and one that I will read again and again. Kerry Fisher is fast becoming a favorite author of mine. I will definitely be reading her next book.

Thank you, Bookouture and NetGalley, for my advanced review copy. I absolutely loved it!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
This is the second book I have read by Kerry Fisher. From the very beginning of this book I was hooked. Beautifully written, this was quite an emotional rollercoaster of a read with some interesting characters and a good, strong storyline. I was moved to tears in place highlighting for me the strength of the author’s written words.
4,5 stars

Another deeply emotional well written story from Kerry Fisher.
This was described as a gripping novel of family secrets and it certainly lived up to its billing. The novel opens in 1968 when we meet new mother, Susie, who is giving her baby up for adoption. She already has a small daughter and her husband, who is away at sea, cannot be the father of her second child.
So begins a lifetime of secrets which affect Susie and her emotional relationship with her daughter and husband. As she struggled with her demons, I found myself more and more drawn to her, and was really wanting her to resolve these issues. The story unfolded well, with the surprise involvement of her daughter in helping her mother. The characters of her daughter and husband were also beautifully drawn and we also saw in to their emotions and reactions to the situation in which they found themselves.
Another excellent novel from one of my new favourite authors.

This novel pulls at the heartstrings like you wouldn't believe and left me with a massive lump in my throat. It's the kind of story that has me reaching for the tissues, just in case, and has me doing that weird waving-hand-in-front-of-face thing to keep the tears at bay. Kerry Fisher obviously knows how to draw relatable and realistic characters that worm their way into your heart and I desperately wanted things to work out for all of them. This is a beautifully written story, sad and heartbreaking, moving and thought-provoking, ultimately incredibly emotional. I loved every minute of it!

THE SECRET CHILD by Kerry Fisher is a powerful and emotional story of heartache, motherly love, and family, and I guarantee you will need tissues close by as you devour every word of this tale.

Susie has loved her son, her second child, from the moment she laid eyes on him and even though she was only allowed to keep him for six weeks, he has lived in her mind and heart every day. Conceived at the end of the sixties when her beloved husband was away in the Navy, her mother and the Church soon forced Susie to give away her boy, and with that single decision, Susie's life is altered forever. Anxious, desperate, and heartbroken over a loss that she must hide for years, in the first part of this story we see how Susie's despair impacts her two daughters and her caring husband who cannot understand why she is the way she is.
The second part of the story is years later and Gracie has discovered her mother's secret and embarks on a journey that will change the dynamics of their family forever.

With beautiful, in-depth characters we get to know every part of their personalities and my heart broke for Susie while at times I desperately wanted her to be more present for her daughters, especially Louise. This book made me sad and angry because sadly we all now know what happened to so many women back then, and I really wanted Susie to find some peace in her life and be happy.

THE SECRET CHILD by Kerry Fisher is a stunning story that you will not want to put down once you begin. It is compelling, it is raw, and it is beautifully written, and I highly recommend it to fiction fans that enjoy a dramatic family tale.

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher

I very much enjoyed The Secret Child by Kerry Fisher. This is the second book I have read by this author, having read the Silent Wife not long before this. I was looking forward to reading another book of hers, and I was not disappointed.

The story is set in England in the 1960’s, a time when bearing a child outside of marriage was very much a scandal. When a young Susie finds herself pregnant, while her husband is working away at sea, she faces the heartbreaking reality of being made to put her child up for adoption. It’s not until later on in the book we find out more about the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy, and I wont spoil it for anyone, but the development of the story only makes the situation harder to bear.

The story is told from Grace’s point of view for most of the book and is excellent in portraying the mothers pain of losing her child in this way, a pain which never dies, and the ramifications of this for her and her family’s future.

Towards the end of the book the story switches to the viewpoint of her daughter Grace, and this adds a further layer to the story which only enriches it. The relationships between the family are a distinct part of the book and it is interesting to see the differing consequences for each of Susie’s daughters, Grace and Louise, as a result of the situation.

I think this book stands out in the way that it is so relatable, you truly feel yourself in Susie’s shoes. The guilt is both imaginable and believable, and you honestly feel the sorrow and utter helplessness she feels. It’s a very poignant story, full of secrets, consequences and emotion. It has been written with great care and the plot of the story developed brilliantly. It brought me to tears and I honestly could not put it down. Well done Kerry. I will look forward to your next novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book early for an honest and unbiased review.

Kerry Fisher is surely the master of exploring the intricate web of complex emotions surrounding the heartbreaking decision of having a child and then adopting them out. All of her characters were believable and unique and I particularly enjoyed reading about the differences between the two daughters of the protagonists - I felt as though I was reading about my own girls!
I was with the characters all the way - through the pain, guilt, confusion, the lies, sadness and ultimately, the poignant resolution of the narrative. I also thought she did a fantastic job of the convincing dual perspective as well as forcing the reader to ask the difficult question: how much would we be prepared to lie to save our families? I would definitely read more of her books as this one took me on such an emotional journey. Thank you for the wonderful read.

Oh my goodness this book had my emotions all over the place!

I honestly loved the book right from the first page through to the last, it is such a well written, heart tugging story!  It is so well paced for the plot and it has some brilliantly diverse characters too.

I was on a real roller-coaster with my emotions for this one and I definitely needed tissues - it's been a while since I have read a book to make me go  through so many emotions - so well written, a brilliant book!!  5 stars no hesitation - absolutely stunning read x