Pandora's box-we are all warned against opening it, since legend says that all manner of horrible ills will result. However, when faced with a Pandora's box-like situation, most of us are tempted to discover the hidden truths that could exist inside. Liane Moriarty's novel explores what can happen when secrets are revealed.
Cecilia Fitzpatrick has what she thinks is a nice life-a husband, three daughters, and a successful Tupperware sales business. Everything changes when she finds her own Pandora's box-a letter from her husband, marked "only to be read in the event of my death" and hidden away in the attic. Although her husband is very much alive, and tells her not to read the letter, she ends up reading it anyway. The result is life-changing, of course.
Cecilia's life intertwines with those of two other women, Tess and Rachel, who live in her Sydney, Australia neighborhood and are involved in the same Catholic church. All three have very different lives and challenges. Tess is taken aback when her husband confesses that he is in love with another woman-her cousin and best friend since birth. Rachel is grappling with the horrible effects of the murder of her teenaged daughter almost thirty years before.
I have to admit that I was a bit put-off by the flowery cover and title worthy of a bodice ripper. However, given the positive reviews I decided to give the book a chance and am glad that I did. It does wrap up a bit too neatly, but there are also twists and turns along the way. The problems faced by the women feel real, and their moral quandaries understandable. It would certainly qualify as chick-lit, but only in the best way, meaning that it is an intelligent and absorbing read.
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