Friday, March 10, 2006

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice


Author: Eva Rice
Published by Review
ISBN: 0-7553-2550-8
Genre: Fiction.

"
Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, THE LOST ART OF KEEPING SECRETS is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock'n'roll era.

Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love; but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn't Elvis Presley, a vast but crumblng ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte's sardonic cousin Harry..."



I found this book lovely to read, it's set in the 1950's just as Rock n Roll era is entering. It's about a family who have lost their husband/father to the war and how they struggle to make ends meet without him, and how living in a magnificent house, which many people adore, constantly reminds the family of their husband/father which at times is too hard to bare.

It's about friendship as two girls Penelope and Charlotte become inseparable. I really did like this part of the book, it was great to see their friendship blossom and grow. It's also a story about love, and teenage girls crush on Johnnie Ray and how Elvis Presley influenced boys too.

I found this a lovely read, not overly thrilling to read but I put it into my cosy category. Anyone who grew up in the rock n’ roll era will love this book and especially if they were fans of Johnnie Ray.

I'm also sure there is something everyone can relate to in this book.
I myself give this book 6 1/2-7/10

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