"Every lie you tell, every secret you keep, is a fragile little thing that must be protected and accounted for. One misstep, one miscalculation, and your safe little treasures can topple the perfect life you've built around them."
- All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris
Congratulations to Wanda M. Morris on her debut novel All Her Little Secrets! I was intrigued from the minute I read its African proverb epigraph: "When elephants fight, the only thing that suffers is the grass" and then discovered that it forms the framework of the book's three parts: The Elephants, The Grass, and The Fight.
The premise: In 1979, Ellice Littlejohn escaped small town Chillicothe, Georgia thanks to a full-ride scholarship to boarding school and the unfailing support of Miss Vera. This springboard, along with hard work, determination, and separating herself from her past, earned Ellice an Ivy League education and a career as an attorney. Now working in the legal department of Houghton Transportation, she is the lone Black member of management in a predominantly white - and toxic - workplace. After discovering a shocking crime early one morning when arriving for work, Ellice's career, as well as secrets from her past, are at risk.
I read this in a weekend - its well-written and compelling legal suspense plot had me quickly turning the pages as it alternated between present day and Ellice's difficult childhood. It reminded me of early John Grisham novels sans the courtroom scenes. I appreciated the legal aspects of the novel as well as Ellice's personal story, both past and present. As usual for me, I didn't guess the primary "villain" until the end.
Thank you to Harper Collins | William Morrow and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
- All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris
Congratulations to Wanda M. Morris on her debut novel All Her Little Secrets! I was intrigued from the minute I read its African proverb epigraph: "When elephants fight, the only thing that suffers is the grass" and then discovered that it forms the framework of the book's three parts: The Elephants, The Grass, and The Fight.
The premise: In 1979, Ellice Littlejohn escaped small town Chillicothe, Georgia thanks to a full-ride scholarship to boarding school and the unfailing support of Miss Vera. This springboard, along with hard work, determination, and separating herself from her past, earned Ellice an Ivy League education and a career as an attorney. Now working in the legal department of Houghton Transportation, she is the lone Black member of management in a predominantly white - and toxic - workplace. After discovering a shocking crime early one morning when arriving for work, Ellice's career, as well as secrets from her past, are at risk.
I read this in a weekend - its well-written and compelling legal suspense plot had me quickly turning the pages as it alternated between present day and Ellice's difficult childhood. It reminded me of early John Grisham novels sans the courtroom scenes. I appreciated the legal aspects of the novel as well as Ellice's personal story, both past and present. As usual for me, I didn't guess the primary "villain" until the end.
Thank you to Harper Collins | William Morrow and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review this novel.
