The Secrets She Keeps by Deb Caletti

The Secrets She Keeps by Deb Caletti is a book to savor.  I have read and recommended Caletti’s YA fiction (e.g., The Nature of Jade) and I was expecting another YA title, but this novel is geared more to adults because of its reflections on marriage and divorce. The Secrets She Keeps alternates between two stories, one set in the summer of 1951 and one in the present day. Both occur at Tamarosa Ranch, which offered a haven for women needing a six week residency in Nevada in order to obtain a quick divorce in the 50’s. Today, that ranch is significantly run-down when two sisters, Callie and Shaye, arrive independently to escape their own situations and help their aunt, Nash.

It is Nash who narrates the story of herself as a teenager left in charge during that long ago summer. Through her recollections, we meet several society guests: timid Ellen, out-to-shock Veronica, pregnant movie actress Lilly. The chapters truly interweave so well and yet I easily found myself immersed in each time period. In the present, sisters Callie and Shaye are both experiencing marriage issues and reflecting on their own life choices as they try to understand what might be motivating a now elderly Nash’s unusual activities.

I read The Secrets She Keeps quickly, but did not want it to end because I had so much affection for the characters and respect for Caletti’s wry observations.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

• “You know way too much about each other when you’re married; that’s one of the problems.  Another is that you know way too little.”
• “I considered making brownies and eating the whole pan of them while polishing off a bottle of wine.”
• “One thing Nash has realized about love … is how powerful and powerless it makes you feel at the same time.”
• “It was shocking the amount of trouble well-meaning people could cause.”

And those are just from the first few chapters. I am rating The Secrets She Keeps as highly recommended for a certain audience – this story of sisterhood and friendship is one not to miss if you are looking for a “feel good” read this summer by an award-winning author.

Note for Teens: Novelist describes Caletti’s writing for young adults as featuring “teenage characters with strong, authentic voices…. filled with humor, insight, compassion, and inspiring messages“ and suggests starting with Honey, Baby, Sweetheart which was a National Book Award Finalist.