Two Old Women, first published in 1993 and again in 2013, is a story first told to the author, Velma Walis, by her mother, while sleeping under the stars, collecting fire wood for the winter. The story is legend, handed down from generation to generation, person to person. This tale impressed on me that a person’s worth or abilities should not be set by age or gender. You may not know what you are capable of unless challenged and given the opportunity to let your talents and skills come forward and if given that opportunity, a person may have value in their community. Also, the art of storytelling is an important thing among us. It’s an expression of our dreams, our fears, our hopes and so much more, whether it’s spoken, written or delivered in some other medium. The author expresses what storytelling means to her and her people in this novella.
I enjoyed the last book by this author (The Wife Upstairs), so I decided to read another of her titles. This multi-layered psychological thriller by Freida McFadden, called Want To Know a Secret, is set in an upscale neighborhood on Long Island and turned out to have twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and gave me a jolt. This 399-page novel is a quick read because you won’t want to put it down! Nice casual read for the summer.
The protagonist, April Masterson, is a housewife who lives with her husband and 7-year-old son in a wealthy, close-knit neighborhood on Long Island. She has a popular YouTube baking show called April’s Sweet Secrets, that she records from the kitchen in her home. She can tell you the secret to making gooey brownies or melt-in your mouth cookies. She is described as young and attractive and seems very open and likeable as a character. The author relays the story via the narrative of different characters, April, her neighbors – Maria and Julie, and April’s mother – Janet.
The novel opens with April recording an episode of her show. While recording, she receives a text message telling her that her son is not where he is supposed to be. April is sent into a panic looking for her son in the back yard and then around the neighborhood before finding him at a new neighbor’s home, next door, at the Coopers. Her son insists that the neighbor, Maria Cooper, told him that April gave him permission to go to her house but April doesn’t believe him. Why would this neighbor lie?
April is relieved that her son is back safe, but the strange texts continue, along with negative posts on her YouTube show revealing things that April thought only she knew about herself. The texter also threatens to release a damaging photo of her if she tells anyone. She worries – who could be doing this and why? She becomes paranoid of everyone and her every move wondering who is doing this.
April is pleased she has a young, new neighbor next door, but as she gets close to her neighbor Maria, April sees a side of her that is concerning. Maria seems to be a very jealous wife and will go to extreme lengths to strike out at someone she does not like or is threatened by. April begins to suspect that Maria may be the one targeting her, however, she’s not sure exactly why.
At this point I was rooting for April, wanting her to find out who was this crazy person doing this to her. But then a twist. The narrative above is relayed via April’s point of view. But then the author switches to one of April’s close friends, who is also a neighbor. It is then that it is revealed to the reader that April is being watched and targeted for a reason. She has committed a crime in the past that her neighbor and friend doesn’t want her to get away with.
On the surface, it seems like the typical high-end neighborhood – mom’s getting kids to school and soccer games, the PTA meetings and fundraisers, husbands going to work. But looks are deceiving and money sure isn’t everything. This book moves quickly with twists and turns, scandals, threats, and a surprise ending. Psychological abuse, multiple realities, murder, deception, and betrayal are just a few things to deal with during this read.
