Tracie Peterson

Dear Readers,

House of Secrets by Tracie Peterson has not been an easy book to review.  The story line itself was very interesting to read, but the subject matter is not one that is easy to talk about.  Mental illness and the effects it has on all those who are part of the family. 

Bailee, Geena and Piper have known a terrible secret about their father and they have finally come to the conclusion that they need to confront him about it.  They all meet in a cottage the family owns in Washington and that is where the secrets of their family come to light. 

This was an interesting look at a family dealing with a member's illness.  How it has gone on to affect them all into adulthood.  How it is not a solitary problem, but one that affects any and all that come into contact with the person. 

I think the saddest line that kept repeating itself in the story is "I was just trying to protect you."   The father says it, the older sisters say it and a couple of people say it that were part of the story when the girls were younger.  Secrets can be fun, keeping a secret about a surprise party is always exciting.  Not telling someone what Christmas presents you bought them makes for a memorable Christmas morning.  But other secrets are just harmful.  A child in a dangerous situation needs to tell someone who can help.  If a doctor knows that a patient has a terrible disease, they have to tell.  If a parent does suffer from mental illness a child needs to know when it is age appropreate.   We must also then make ourselves available to become someone who can be trusted with the information and help in anyway we can.

This is not a light read, but a very good one to help us understand what it is like to grow up in this situation.

Happy Reading