Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Unabridged Audio Version)

I first discovered Liane Moriarty with the release of her hugely successful THE HUSBAND'S SECRET, almost two years ago.  I really enjoyed that book and felt it deserved all of the accolades it received. Moriarty has an interesting way of telling a story that keeps the reader almost in the loop but not quite fully. I appreciate that in her writing because I don't want to know everything right up front. I enjoy peeling back the layers of the characters and story as I read.

BIG LITTLE LIES centers around the parents of Pirriwee Public School's students, and their connected relationships, both past and present. Right away the reader learns there are definite cliques in this group of parents.  One of the ring-leaders is Madeline, a plain-spoken, opinionated mom who speaks her mind, especially when she's defending her friends. Jane is new to Pirriwee, is quiet and keeps to herself. Madeline and Jane meet each other on the way to their children's first grade orientation and Madeline takes an instant liking to Jane and assigns herself the task of filling her in on the who's who and what's what at Pirriwee Public. Celeste is another of Madeline's friends and her twin boys are also in the class. On the outside, Celeste appears to have it all. She's gorgeous, smart and married to a handsome and very successful Perry. When Celeste walks into a room, everyone takes notice, yet Celeste seems not to even notice.

On the day of the orientation, one of the little girls claims that Jane's son, Ziggy, hurt her and though there was no evidence either way of what actually happened, Ziggy was branded a bully and was shunned by much of the class and Jane was singled out as well.  Though Madeline and Celeste stood by their new friend, tensions rose as the months went by until things came to a tragic head at the annual trivia night that resulted in a shocking death.

MY THOUGHTS:

Let me say right off that even though the reader is aware that there is a death involved in the story, Moriarty tells the story so that the victim is a mystery until almost the very end.  The book actually opens with police interrogations of the parents who had attended the trivia night fundraiser. In a style we have come to expect from her, the story is built in sections, not giving away all of the details, but leading the reader down her masterful storytelling path until everything builds to its dramatic crescendo near the end of teh book.  By this time, the reader is familiar with all of the characters, their flaws and their secrets. Littered between chapters are excerpts from the police investigation, giving insight to what many of the characters are thinking.

Along with the great storytelling, another great thing about this book is that it is so current and relevant in today's society. There are so many issues touched upon in this story: bullying, domestic abuse, single parenthood, and sexual assault to name a few. There is so much hiding just beneath the surface of these characters yet they appear normal, and in some cases, envied by others. This story serves as a reminder that even the most beautiful, most confident, and even the most successful people may have things going on in their personal lives that would never be suspected.

I chose to listen to this novel and I really enjoyed it. Caroline Lee did an amazing job with the narration and made all of the players seem so real and easy to distinguish between.  I also really enjoyed the Australian dialect and locale of Moriarty's novels. I was fully absorbed into this audio and time flew when I was listening. I was even surprised by the ending of the book because I didn't know who had been killed until Ms. Moriarty wanted me to know. She has mastered the art of surprise even in a book that many of the details are known from the beginning. That is what I like most about her writing.

The bottom line for me is, this is a really good story with dynamic characters and issues that are real and easy to identify with. I've now read two of Moriarty's novels, one on Kindle and now this audio and I can say that I enjoyed both of them immensely.  In my opinion, you can't go wrong either way.

BIG LITTLE LIES (Unabridged Audio Version)
Author: Liane Moriarty
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Published: July 29, 2014
Length: 16 Hrs

Review: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

I am especially excited to talk about THE HUSBAND'S SECRET by Liane Moriarty because it was such a surprise to me. I didn't really know what to expect and I suppose I was prepared for your run-of-the-mill womens fiction. WELL!! That is not at all what it turned out to be and I couldn't be happier! But before I get more into what I thought about this new release, here's a bit about the book. (No Spoilers)

What would you do if you discovered your husband of many years had been keeping a secret? Not just a little secret but a life-altering, devastating secret that affected many people? That is exactly what happened when Cecelia Fitzpatrick found a letter addressed to her by her husband written some 12 years earlier with the instructions 'To Be Opened Only In The Event of My Death. With her husband on a business trip to the US and Cecelia at home with their three daughters in Australia, she promises him she won't open it. But when John-Paul cuts short his trip and returns home to Australia immediately after she told him that she found the letter, she is even more suspicious and worried about the contents. 

Tess is a happily married mother of one who has a fulfilling job in the ad agency she started with her husband and cousin. She is happy in both her personal and professional life and lives each day with not too much worry of what lies ahead. That all changed in an instant and leaves Tess asking herself how she could've not seen it coming. 

Rachel is an older woman who is still suffering the loss of her teenage daughter some twenty-eight years ago and has never really recovered.  Janie was seventeen when she became missing and was found dead in a park hours later. Though Rachel had another child, a son, she was never able to get over Janie's death or to show Rob the love he needed. 

These three women are connected in different ways and secrets play a big part in those connections. As the truths are revealed, new revelations are discovered that still have the power to change lives forever. Even the most innocent people are forever affected. 

My Thoughts:

I couldn't have been more delighted with this book. It turned out to be much more than I was expecting and it had me riveted. The characters are terrific, even though I didn't really like one of them. OK, it's Rachel. I thought she was a hard woman who didn't think much of people. Granted, its understandable considering what she's gone through in her life, but she was a bit prickly. That being said, I also believe that is what made her such a great character. Cecelia was seemingly so perfect that you didn't want to like her but you couldn't help it. And Tess, well, I felt sorry for Tess - for awhile anyway. 

Aside form the great characters, the story was written very well, laying the story out bit by bit.  I also liked the way the author introduced the connections of the characters in a slow manner, allowing all of the history between them to be revealed and absorbed in a natural way.  This made the story all the more realistic and natural.  Deep inside this story is a mystery that is so powerful and life-changing.  That's the part I wasn't expecting. It made this novel and stand-out for me. One of my favorite parts was actually the epilogue. It was very revealing and I enjoyed that very much. After reading it, I felt like I was the one who held the secrets. It was great!! 

I realized I was really into this book when I found myself thinking of these women throughout my day when I wasn't reading. I'd be making the bed and Cecelia would pop into my mind and I'd start trying to put myself into their situations and wonder what I would do. In my opinion, when a book stays in your mind even after you've finished it, that's a good book!

If you are in a book club this would make a terrific selection. There is definitely a lot to discuss and questions to be asked.  I have to thank my book club She Reads Book Club for choosing this thought-provoking book. I am looking forward to our discussion later in the month! 

Just one last note: My friend Kathy and my Aunt Nancy, who both live in Ohio but do not know each other, saw on my Facebook page that I was reading this book and they told me they were both reading it at the same time I was! I never discussed this book with them and that is what made it so random! They both loved it, in fact, Kathy told me the epilogue was also one of her favorite parts and the book is one of her favorites of the year! I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who just plain loves a great story! 

THE HUSBAND'S SECRET

Author: Liane Moriarty

 Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam  

Published: July 30, 2013

Length: 416 pp

Source: Publisher