What do you think?
Rate this book
The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes
In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child. CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve Russell died, because she was there. And she also knows what happened to the missing infant, because two decades ago she made the devastating choice to raise the baby as her own. Now Timothy Gleason is facing the death penalty, and she has another choice to make. Tell the truth, and destroy her family. Or let an innocent man die in order to protect a lifetime of lies...
522 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Diane Chamberlain
62 books14.1k followersDiane Chamberlain is the New York Times, USA Today and (London) Sunday Times best-selling author of 28 novels. The daughter of a school principal who supplied her with a new book almost daily, Diane quickly learned the emotional power of story. Although she wrote many small “books” as a child, she didn’t seriously turn to writing fiction until her early thirties when she was waiting for a delayed doctor’s appointment with nothing more than a pad, a pen, and an idea. She was instantly hooked.
Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C, and a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.
More than two decades ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which changed the way she works: She wrote two novels using voice recognition software before new medication allowed her to get back to typing. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she’s able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.
Diane lives in North Carolina with her significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and their odd but lovable Shetland Sheepdog, Cole
Diane was born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey and lived for many years in both San Diego and northern Virginia. She received her master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University. Prior to her writing career, she was a hospital social worker in both San Diego and Washington, D.C, and a psychotherapist in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, working primarily with adolescents.
More than two decades ago, Diane was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, which changed the way she works: She wrote two novels using voice recognition software before new medication allowed her to get back to typing. She feels fortunate that her arthritis is not more severe and that she’s able to enjoy everyday activities as well as keep up with a busy travel schedule.
Diane lives in North Carolina with her significant other, photographer John Pagliuca, and their odd but lovable Shetland Sheepdog, Cole
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,516 reviews
July 29, 2011
Why? Why do I do it to myself? Why do I, once a book finds its way onto my bookshelf, feel a personal responsibility to usher it safely, chapter-by-chapter, to Read-dom and its ultimate resting place (be that the 'favourites' bookshelf or the charity shop)?
The cover even warned me: "For fans of Jodi Picoult this is a must read". I've had my fill and then some of JP and her creative writing class assignments.
But somehow I'm still labouring under the misapprehension that, if only I could just get rid of the crap, my bookshelves would be an ambrosial orchard, heavy with literary fruits ripe for the re-reading.
More likely, I'll be lying on my deathbed saying, "I wish I hadn't read so much shit"...
The cover even warned me: "For fans of Jodi Picoult this is a must read". I've had my fill and then some of JP and her creative writing class assignments.
But somehow I'm still labouring under the misapprehension that, if only I could just get rid of the crap, my bookshelves would be an ambrosial orchard, heavy with literary fruits ripe for the re-reading.
More likely, I'll be lying on my deathbed saying, "I wish I hadn't read so much shit"...
September 23, 2018
A solid gripping story, heartfelt and beautifully written and good physcholical thriller that kept me turning the pages
This is also know as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes.
Every now and then I enjoy a Diane chamberlain novel and this one really did hold my interest. There are quite a few novels on the market in the last couple of years where with the premise of missing childre and while this seems to be a popular topic for authors not all of them are well done, but I think the Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain seems is one of the better ones and a favourite of mine as many of the other novels with this plot line are way too far fetched or just over done.
The Lost Daughter's complex and flawed characters make this book easy to identify with, the story is believable with just enough twists and turns to make this a suspenseful and entertaining read.
Would you live a lie to keep your child? In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child. CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve died - because she was there.
This is also know as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes.
Every now and then I enjoy a Diane chamberlain novel and this one really did hold my interest. There are quite a few novels on the market in the last couple of years where with the premise of missing childre and while this seems to be a popular topic for authors not all of them are well done, but I think the Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain seems is one of the better ones and a favourite of mine as many of the other novels with this plot line are way too far fetched or just over done.
The Lost Daughter's complex and flawed characters make this book easy to identify with, the story is believable with just enough twists and turns to make this a suspenseful and entertaining read.
Would you live a lie to keep your child? In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child. CeeCee Wilkes knows how Genevieve died - because she was there.
September 1, 2008
What makes a mother? Genes? Childbirth? Love? And once a mother bonds with her child, is there anything that can break that bond? Diane Chamberlain’s novel “The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes” gives us the story of a teenage mother and her child. But there’s a lot more to it than just that and one small review can’t possibly describe the incredible and fascinating twists and turns the story takes.
CeeCee’s mother died when she was just twelve. But she left her daughter a legacy of letters. Each letter intended for different days, some special some not, in CeeCee’s future life. And each chapter in this book that’s about CeeCee opens with quotes or paragraphs from one of those letters. An intelligent and gifted child, CeeCee completes her schooling early and is currently working towards getting into college and waiting tables when the book opens. But CeeCee is starving for love and naïve as only a 16 year old can be. Even when the reader sees the train wreck coming, you still wince and want to rail at CeeCee for her actions. Her love and longing for love results in her involvement in an unspeakable crime—at 16. Now, she’s on the run with a newborn and before she can figure a way out of this mess, she’s in love again…with the newborn she names Cory. Thus begins the live of Eve, formerly CeeCee.
Eve lives as a single mother and eventually loves and marries. But she can never stop looking over her shoulder. And 26 years later, the dead mother’s body is discovered. Now a man stands accused of murder and CeeCee/Eve is the only one who can prevent his death. To admit her involvement will destroy her family and their careers. To do nothing will destroy her.
As I read this story, I found myself trying to think of what I would have done if I were CeeCee. Lured into something she would never have considered…except for love. Forced into circumstances she could never have imagined…except for love. Then trying to build a life and find some happiness. And finally having to make decisions I couldn’t imagine in my worst nightmare. Does this make her strong? Or weak? Ms. Chamberlain’s ability to blur the absolute lines of right and wrong is incredible. Her portrayal of life in a southern college town is scarily bang on. Her characters become people you know or people you would like to know, to talk to, to ask questions of. But you’re still aware it’s fiction. And you quietly thank whatever deity you prefer that it is.
“the Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes” is about motherhood and mothers. It’s about family and what makes a family. It’s about love and forgiveness and repentance. This is a book I’m glad I read. It made me think and made me reconsider absolutes. This is one I can’t recommend highly enough for those who are looking for more than a quick escape read…because this is surely not that. But it is a book that will draw out your emotions from one end of the scale to the other. And sometimes…that’s just what we need.
CeeCee’s mother died when she was just twelve. But she left her daughter a legacy of letters. Each letter intended for different days, some special some not, in CeeCee’s future life. And each chapter in this book that’s about CeeCee opens with quotes or paragraphs from one of those letters. An intelligent and gifted child, CeeCee completes her schooling early and is currently working towards getting into college and waiting tables when the book opens. But CeeCee is starving for love and naïve as only a 16 year old can be. Even when the reader sees the train wreck coming, you still wince and want to rail at CeeCee for her actions. Her love and longing for love results in her involvement in an unspeakable crime—at 16. Now, she’s on the run with a newborn and before she can figure a way out of this mess, she’s in love again…with the newborn she names Cory. Thus begins the live of Eve, formerly CeeCee.
Eve lives as a single mother and eventually loves and marries. But she can never stop looking over her shoulder. And 26 years later, the dead mother’s body is discovered. Now a man stands accused of murder and CeeCee/Eve is the only one who can prevent his death. To admit her involvement will destroy her family and their careers. To do nothing will destroy her.
As I read this story, I found myself trying to think of what I would have done if I were CeeCee. Lured into something she would never have considered…except for love. Forced into circumstances she could never have imagined…except for love. Then trying to build a life and find some happiness. And finally having to make decisions I couldn’t imagine in my worst nightmare. Does this make her strong? Or weak? Ms. Chamberlain’s ability to blur the absolute lines of right and wrong is incredible. Her portrayal of life in a southern college town is scarily bang on. Her characters become people you know or people you would like to know, to talk to, to ask questions of. But you’re still aware it’s fiction. And you quietly thank whatever deity you prefer that it is.
“the Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes” is about motherhood and mothers. It’s about family and what makes a family. It’s about love and forgiveness and repentance. This is a book I’m glad I read. It made me think and made me reconsider absolutes. This is one I can’t recommend highly enough for those who are looking for more than a quick escape read…because this is surely not that. But it is a book that will draw out your emotions from one end of the scale to the other. And sometimes…that’s just what we need.
June 8, 2010
The worst sort of crossover novel--the only reason I am glad I read it as an ebook is that some trees were spared. It is to literature what Cheez Whiz in a can is to a triple cream brie. This is not a book for reading; this is a book for avoiding.
That's right, I didn't like it.
What is it that makes this book so painful to read? Is it the utter unbelievability of the plot? The flatness of the characters? The awkward and embarrassing writing and the gratuitous and entirely off-putting "romance?" Could it be that the mix of all of these is what makes the whole so toxic?
The book starts with the late afternoon lovemaking of the presumably agoraphobic Corinne and her fiance of five years, Ken. Corinne wants to tell Ken her "big news"--she drove on a freeway today! But he doesn't like to be talked to before sex, or afterwards, either. He's also not terribly happy that she's pregnant, and he's not willing to set a wedding date. So after an entirely unsexy sex scene, and the nap, Ken finds out that he's been taken off a news story for some reason that his boss doesn't explain. Cory's phone is full of missed calls and unlistened-to voicemails. Something is going on with some other people we don't know, and there's going to be a press conference.
And suddenly, we're back in 1977 with a 16 year old diner waitress in North Carolina: the titular CeeCee Wilkes. She meets her soul mate, a 22 year old psychology student named Tim Gleason. CeeCee's mother passed away four years ago, and CeeCee's only recently sprung from her series of bad foster homes and is living on her own. Tim's parents are also dead, but he's living in their mansion with his PTSD Vietnam vet brother Marty--CeeCee thinks Marty is creepy, but finds personal fulfillment in cleaning up after the Slovenly Brothers. Dirty underwear draped over the edges of bureau drawers? No problem, because they are Tim's dirty underwear.
But there's another sibling--the missing Andi, who is in prison on death row for murdering a photographer who came to the house one day and raped her. So the Slovenly Brothers' Brain Trust comes up with a plan to commute her sentence: they will kidnap the governor's wife and hold her hostage until Andi is freed (I guess? Not clear if they'd accept life without parole). But they need CeeCee to be the guard.
Why does she agree to do this? Because there would presumably be no book if she doesn't. Oh, sure, there's some "twoo wuv" mumbo jumbo, but it's not even remotely credible. They Brainy Boys tell her they are part of a group called SCAPE, and some of those members are going to help. It's going to all work out just fine--they'll get the governor to cave into their demands in about half an hour, they'll all go underground and change their identities.
The only question CeeCee really wants an answer to is "how will we be together after this all goes down?" She never gets it. But she agrees.
And at this point? I gave up. I went to the library and spent about 40 minutes scanning the rest of the book. And I only did that because this is for my book club.
The governor's wife is eight and a half months pregnant, and prone to hemorrhaging. CeeCee is left alone with no phone, no way to contact the Smart Boys, and of course the woman goes into labor, hemorrhages and dies. CeeCee delivers the baby and runs away with it. This happens in about 8 hours. We are then treated to tedious chapters of how CeeCee changes her name, covers her tracks, relies on the kindness of strangers and grows up, raising the baby (Corinne--had you guessed it?) as her own.
Blah blah blah--a skeleton is discovered when breaking ground for a subdivision. Within seconds, dental records confirm it is the governor's wife, missing these 30 years. Twelve hours later, Tim Gleason is located in California, extradited to North Carolina, and now CeeCee/Eve watches the proceedings on television, worried that Tim will name her.
When he doesn't, she does it herself, setting up a mother-daughter drama of betrayal and lies of a melodramatic and self-indulgent sort. Not only did my mom lie to me about who my real family was, but she also made me OCD! That bitch! But Eve's got rhumatoid arthritis, so she's especially pathetic in prison, so that's enough to reconcile them. Plus, the governor is easily manipulated into giving up his quest for vengance--carefully raised and nurtured all the years his wife was missing--after a 45 second conversation with Cory. (So--maybe the scheme to force him to release Andi might have worked?
Everybody has a happy ending, Cory gets to have TWO! families that love her and want to give her money and support and yadda yadda, and she finds out her fiance of the last 5 years never actually got around to divorcing his wife and she decides she doesn't need him and by the way, she's over her agoraphobia without therapy or medication either. But she keeps the baby and blah blah blah resolutioncakes.
All this in under 250 pages--and I didn't even mention that CeeCee's dead mother wrote her a bunch of letters as she lay dying, for CeeCee to open at various times in her life, so she could offer guidance. Too bad it didn't occur to her to write a letter about not appearing in bad novels.
That's right, I didn't like it.
What is it that makes this book so painful to read? Is it the utter unbelievability of the plot? The flatness of the characters? The awkward and embarrassing writing and the gratuitous and entirely off-putting "romance?" Could it be that the mix of all of these is what makes the whole so toxic?
The book starts with the late afternoon lovemaking of the presumably agoraphobic Corinne and her fiance of five years, Ken. Corinne wants to tell Ken her "big news"--she drove on a freeway today! But he doesn't like to be talked to before sex, or afterwards, either. He's also not terribly happy that she's pregnant, and he's not willing to set a wedding date. So after an entirely unsexy sex scene, and the nap, Ken finds out that he's been taken off a news story for some reason that his boss doesn't explain. Cory's phone is full of missed calls and unlistened-to voicemails. Something is going on with some other people we don't know, and there's going to be a press conference.
And suddenly, we're back in 1977 with a 16 year old diner waitress in North Carolina: the titular CeeCee Wilkes. She meets her soul mate, a 22 year old psychology student named Tim Gleason. CeeCee's mother passed away four years ago, and CeeCee's only recently sprung from her series of bad foster homes and is living on her own. Tim's parents are also dead, but he's living in their mansion with his PTSD Vietnam vet brother Marty--CeeCee thinks Marty is creepy, but finds personal fulfillment in cleaning up after the Slovenly Brothers. Dirty underwear draped over the edges of bureau drawers? No problem, because they are Tim's dirty underwear.
But there's another sibling--the missing Andi, who is in prison on death row for murdering a photographer who came to the house one day and raped her. So the Slovenly Brothers' Brain Trust comes up with a plan to commute her sentence: they will kidnap the governor's wife and hold her hostage until Andi is freed (I guess? Not clear if they'd accept life without parole). But they need CeeCee to be the guard.
Why does she agree to do this? Because there would presumably be no book if she doesn't. Oh, sure, there's some "twoo wuv" mumbo jumbo, but it's not even remotely credible. They Brainy Boys tell her they are part of a group called SCAPE, and some of those members are going to help. It's going to all work out just fine--they'll get the governor to cave into their demands in about half an hour, they'll all go underground and change their identities.
The only question CeeCee really wants an answer to is "how will we be together after this all goes down?" She never gets it. But she agrees.
And at this point? I gave up. I went to the library and spent about 40 minutes scanning the rest of the book. And I only did that because this is for my book club.
The governor's wife is eight and a half months pregnant, and prone to hemorrhaging. CeeCee is left alone with no phone, no way to contact the Smart Boys, and of course the woman goes into labor, hemorrhages and dies. CeeCee delivers the baby and runs away with it. This happens in about 8 hours. We are then treated to tedious chapters of how CeeCee changes her name, covers her tracks, relies on the kindness of strangers and grows up, raising the baby (Corinne--had you guessed it?) as her own.
Blah blah blah--a skeleton is discovered when breaking ground for a subdivision. Within seconds, dental records confirm it is the governor's wife, missing these 30 years. Twelve hours later, Tim Gleason is located in California, extradited to North Carolina, and now CeeCee/Eve watches the proceedings on television, worried that Tim will name her.
When he doesn't, she does it herself, setting up a mother-daughter drama of betrayal and lies of a melodramatic and self-indulgent sort. Not only did my mom lie to me about who my real family was, but she also made me OCD! That bitch! But Eve's got rhumatoid arthritis, so she's especially pathetic in prison, so that's enough to reconcile them. Plus, the governor is easily manipulated into giving up his quest for vengance--carefully raised and nurtured all the years his wife was missing--after a 45 second conversation with Cory. (So--maybe the scheme to force him to release Andi might have worked?
Everybody has a happy ending, Cory gets to have TWO! families that love her and want to give her money and support and yadda yadda, and she finds out her fiance of the last 5 years never actually got around to divorcing his wife and she decides she doesn't need him and by the way, she's over her agoraphobia without therapy or medication either. But she keeps the baby and blah blah blah resolutioncakes.
All this in under 250 pages--and I didn't even mention that CeeCee's dead mother wrote her a bunch of letters as she lay dying, for CeeCee to open at various times in her life, so she could offer guidance. Too bad it didn't occur to her to write a letter about not appearing in bad novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2008
Wow, I could not put this book down! This book would make a great movie. I can't wait to read others by Diane Chamberlain!
May 5, 2023
DFN @ 50%. I normally love Diane Chamberlain but this one is too unbelievable.
August 6, 2020
Gripped gripped gripped. could not put it down. Think this is my favourite Diane Chamberlain so far
August 3, 2016
This was my July Pick-For-Me book for Goodreads’ Bibliophile Beauties Group (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...). I get really nervous when someone picks a book for me because on my to-read list I have a lot of popular reads and they always select one that is extremely popular, just like this book. Most of the time I end up being disappointed because the hype doesn’t actually match the quality of the book. BUT this book’s hype did!
This was an extremely good book! 4.5 stars!! I rounded up to 5.
Now onto the book:
This was a 500-page page-turner. I felt so attached to this book by the end and caught my self a couple of times tearing up. The sadness that CeeCee experienced as a kid and her youngness and wanting for love was heartbreaking. I believe a lot of young criminals that act with older people had exactly the same experience that CeeCee had. All she wanted was to be loved again.
The letters of love and advice from CeeCee's mom throughout the book was really touching and it gave great knowledge to CeeCee’s mother.
The love that Eve and Cory had was amazing. Reading about how Cory realizes that her mother did the best that she could to raise her, and she shouldn't resent her mother for that was amazing. As a daughter this really opened my eyes and will stay with me for a long time.
This book also taught me that blood is one thing and that helps set the bond between people, but so does being there for each other. And being a part of each others’ lives. You don’t have to be blood related to be a family.
All in all, this book was amazing and I highly suggest it to everyone. It had great: strong female role models, well developed characters and a lot of life lessons (without making you realize it).
I am so glad this book was picked for me because to top it all off, it is also my S book for the A-Z challenge. (I just realized that while writing this review- hehe!)
This was an extremely good book! 4.5 stars!! I rounded up to 5.
Now onto the book:
This was a 500-page page-turner. I felt so attached to this book by the end and caught my self a couple of times tearing up. The sadness that CeeCee experienced as a kid and her youngness and wanting for love was heartbreaking. I believe a lot of young criminals that act with older people had exactly the same experience that CeeCee had. All she wanted was to be loved again.
The letters of love and advice from CeeCee's mom throughout the book was really touching and it gave great knowledge to CeeCee’s mother.
The love that Eve and Cory had was amazing. Reading about how Cory realizes that her mother did the best that she could to raise her, and she shouldn't resent her mother for that was amazing. As a daughter this really opened my eyes and will stay with me for a long time.
This book also taught me that blood is one thing and that helps set the bond between people, but so does being there for each other. And being a part of each others’ lives. You don’t have to be blood related to be a family.
All in all, this book was amazing and I highly suggest it to everyone. It had great: strong female role models, well developed characters and a lot of life lessons (without making you realize it).
I am so glad this book was picked for me because to top it all off, it is also my S book for the A-Z challenge. (I just realized that while writing this review- hehe!)
July 20, 2008
I loved this book. It was so hard to put down. If I had not needed sleep, I would have read it in one sitting.
March 2, 2008
Overall, a really great book. Despite the gumption she often showed as a teenager, with all of her big plans, I really believed that CeeCee was still naieve enough to succumb to Tim's charms.
My one criticism is in the character development of Cory during the last quarter of the novel. CeeCee/Eve was incredibly fleshed-out as a character, but I found Cory a bit lacking. First, the transition of her from a girl too scared to stay in college at Chapel Hill alone to one that cuts off her family completely to move in with a boyfriend is just too fast. Perhaps it would take a separate novel to illustrate the complicated Cory-and-Ken relationship. Then, I didn't really believe Cory's inital reaction to the revelation that she was Russell's daughter. She got to the "Will they accept me?" question far too quickly.
Still, a pretty fantastic book!
My one criticism is in the character development of Cory during the last quarter of the novel. CeeCee/Eve was incredibly fleshed-out as a character, but I found Cory a bit lacking. First, the transition of her from a girl too scared to stay in college at Chapel Hill alone to one that cuts off her family completely to move in with a boyfriend is just too fast. Perhaps it would take a separate novel to illustrate the complicated Cory-and-Ken relationship. Then, I didn't really believe Cory's inital reaction to the revelation that she was Russell's daughter. She got to the "Will they accept me?" question far too quickly.
Still, a pretty fantastic book!
November 27, 2014
What a twisted web of lies that was spun... slowly loosing control, and finally letting it catch up to you...
CeeCee Wilkes met a handsome man while waitressing at a diner. Tim Gleason was 12 years older than her and quickly had CeeCee wrapped around his finger. She was sixteen, and made a decision that would haunt the rest of her life. A scheme to kidnap the Governor's wife goes horribly wrong and CeeCee makes a decision that will impact everyone's future. Twenty years pass, and just when she thinks she's put this behind her-- It comes back up into the news.
I was wavering between 3-4 stars on this one. Couldn't put it down once I started it, but the ending felt rushed and a little too perfect for me. I struggled to believe that Cory would completely abandon her family to fall for Ken- didn't seem realistic to me, and while I appreciated the ending, I also felt rushed through it all, and it didn't feel quite as legitimate as the rest of the book was.
One thing is certain: I will be reading more by Ms. Chamberlain!
CeeCee Wilkes met a handsome man while waitressing at a diner. Tim Gleason was 12 years older than her and quickly had CeeCee wrapped around his finger. She was sixteen, and made a decision that would haunt the rest of her life. A scheme to kidnap the Governor's wife goes horribly wrong and CeeCee makes a decision that will impact everyone's future. Twenty years pass, and just when she thinks she's put this behind her-- It comes back up into the news.
I was wavering between 3-4 stars on this one. Couldn't put it down once I started it, but the ending felt rushed and a little too perfect for me. I struggled to believe that Cory would completely abandon her family to fall for Ken- didn't seem realistic to me, and while I appreciated the ending, I also felt rushed through it all, and it didn't feel quite as legitimate as the rest of the book was.
One thing is certain: I will be reading more by Ms. Chamberlain!
August 11, 2014
Set in the state of North Carolina, The Lost Daughter tells the story of a vulnerable and naive sixteen-year-old orphan, CeeCee Wilkes, whose mother passed away when she was just twelve-years-old. CeeCee never knew who her father was, and after spending the past four years of her life in various foster homes, CeeCee finds herself working as a waitress in order to save money to eventually go to college. Due to her mother's death and her years in foster care, CeeCee is starving for love and affection. This need in her result's in CeeCee falling for a despicable man, Tim Gleeson, who seduces and manipulates her and gets her involved in an unspeakable crime. Soon CeeCee finds herself having to change her name and identity and go on the run with a newborn baby girl. CeeCee can never stop looking over her shoulder as she finds herself having to live a life riddled with lies to try to hide her past crime.
The novel is compelling and captivating with a lot of unexpected twists and turns throughout the plot. The book was completely unpredictable; I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next. I was engrossed from the very first page, which is something that doesn't happen to me very often. I found Diane Chamberlain's ability to blur the lines between right and wrong incredible. The author has a fantastic writing style which kept me gripped from chapter to chapter. The book really made me think about what I would have done in if I was in CeeCee's place. The moral questions it raises over and over again constantly make you question your own morals.
Diane Chamberlain's characters are all complex, interesting and well-defined, especially the characters of CeeCee and Cory. I found myself finding it easy to empathise with them. The novel follows CeeCee throughout 30 years of her life and I found it interesting how CeeCee changed over the course of the story. While I wouldn't make the choices CeeCee made, I understood why she done what she did and I truly believed that CeeCee had felt she had done the right thing.
Diane Chamberlain is often compared to Jodi Picoult, but in fact, she's is a much better writer than Picoult. This is one book that will have you thinking about it long after you've finished reading the final page. I really enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future!
A well-deserved five stars!
Please note, this novel as known as The Lost Daughter in Europe and as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes in the United States.
The novel is compelling and captivating with a lot of unexpected twists and turns throughout the plot. The book was completely unpredictable; I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next. I was engrossed from the very first page, which is something that doesn't happen to me very often. I found Diane Chamberlain's ability to blur the lines between right and wrong incredible. The author has a fantastic writing style which kept me gripped from chapter to chapter. The book really made me think about what I would have done in if I was in CeeCee's place. The moral questions it raises over and over again constantly make you question your own morals.
Diane Chamberlain's characters are all complex, interesting and well-defined, especially the characters of CeeCee and Cory. I found myself finding it easy to empathise with them. The novel follows CeeCee throughout 30 years of her life and I found it interesting how CeeCee changed over the course of the story. While I wouldn't make the choices CeeCee made, I understood why she done what she did and I truly believed that CeeCee had felt she had done the right thing.
Diane Chamberlain is often compared to Jodi Picoult, but in fact, she's is a much better writer than Picoult. This is one book that will have you thinking about it long after you've finished reading the final page. I really enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more of this author's books in the future!
A well-deserved five stars!
Please note, this novel as known as The Lost Daughter in Europe and as The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes in the United States.
April 19, 2019
“You got dealt some crappy cards. But you're the one who has to decide how to play them.”
WOW! What a page-turner this was. This book completely caught me off guard. Very emotional. Well developed plot. Complex characters. And some really thought provoking moments about motherhood and life choices. Loved it!
January 17, 2015
WHEW! 500 pages of non-stop reading enjoyment with lots of suspense to boot! The letters of love and advice from CeeCee's mom throughout the book really added to my reading experience.
I look forward to reading more books by Diane Chamberlain, The Midwife's Confession next.
October 22, 2012
First, the title is completely wrong; it is not the secret life of CeeCee, it is the secret life of Eve. Second, everything in the novel is contrived, overdone, melodramatic, and soap operatic. For example, CeeCee is so gullible as to agree to the whole kidnapping shenangins (despite being supposedly so intelligent) without once looking up Andie's case in microfiche at the local library. Then, Tim and Marty are surprised the Genevieve is pregnant (despite having stalked her to plan for the kidnapping...oh yeah, we find out later that Tim did know she was pregnant and thought it might be his baby, really? He chose to kidnap a pregnant woman even though that would compound the difficulty?). The plot was paper thin; my note on page 115 (of a 500 page book) as soon as CeeCee comments on Genevieve's hair color is "so Corinne is really the Gov's daughter kept for all these years."
The set up was nauseating (CeeCee is an orphan and her mom died of cancer and was raped and wrote these amazing letters for her and...blah!). The post-kidnapping was unbelievable (really there are so many organized nice, caring people in SCAPE that CeeCee is able to start over virtually painlessly???).
Corinne is not a likeable character in any way; I get that Eve/CeeCee was an overbearing mother, but jeez the woman can't even drive herself around the block. However, she successfully got through college and job interviews, etc. Oh, and when it really matters she can muster up the courage to drive to see her "real" father and talk him into helping Eve. Ugh. Double ugh. And then it turns out that Ken is also lying to her.
I felt like Chamberlain was following Ken Follett's advice about changing the plot every three pages a bit too literally. It would have been nice if she didn't keep trying to startle the reader and instead created something believable and less dramatic.
This novel was a page turner, I will give it that much. If it had come in on library reserve next month while I will be on vacation I might have given it a better rating simply because I would have read it sitting on the beach with a daquari in hand. Then again, maybe I'm just saying I only would have liked it if I was drunk.
The set up was nauseating (CeeCee is an orphan and her mom died of cancer and was raped and wrote these amazing letters for her and...blah!). The post-kidnapping was unbelievable (really there are so many organized nice, caring people in SCAPE that CeeCee is able to start over virtually painlessly???).
Corinne is not a likeable character in any way; I get that Eve/CeeCee was an overbearing mother, but jeez the woman can't even drive herself around the block. However, she successfully got through college and job interviews, etc. Oh, and when it really matters she can muster up the courage to drive to see her "real" father and talk him into helping Eve. Ugh. Double ugh. And then it turns out that Ken is also lying to her.
I felt like Chamberlain was following Ken Follett's advice about changing the plot every three pages a bit too literally. It would have been nice if she didn't keep trying to startle the reader and instead created something believable and less dramatic.
This novel was a page turner, I will give it that much. If it had come in on library reserve next month while I will be on vacation I might have given it a better rating simply because I would have read it sitting on the beach with a daquari in hand. Then again, maybe I'm just saying I only would have liked it if I was drunk.
May 18, 2012
I have read more than 100 pages and to be honest I think the story line is making no sense what so ever. Totally unrealistic. So stupid.Can't say more without spoilers, so I will shut up. For now!. Not sure if I can finish this book with so many idiots in it.
Update May 17 2012: Well, I nearly quit reading this book after what I wrote above.Glad I sticked with it, only because there were so many raving reviews.
What I do not like:
The story is crazy, very unrealistic: Especially the kidnapping. It was so weird, giving a 16 year old such a big job to do while she did not know what she had to do. If you are kidnapping someone,you want to be sure the person who is in care of the prisoner, can handle his or her own. In this book that was not the case at all.
2: The coincidences all through this book. 1 example: All of a sudden the husband of the kidnapper pops up to be the president of the school where Eva is teaching.
If this is not enough, then her daughter go's to the exact same school Ceecee was in. Come on now!
What I do like about this book:
I like that her subjects are not doing the most obvious things. I liked that Eve's daughter did not like her mum, and that Eve made a lot of mistakes bringing her up. Normally the main character is the best mum on the planet.I liked the mental illnesses that were in this book.
I am not done yet. Still have to read about 30% but it is getting better and better.
Update May 18 2012. Okay finished it. I think this is a book I would consider a beach read. It is easy to read, sometimes it can be annoying but if you do not expect too much it is a nice read.
Sometimes I am in the mood for easy reads so I will try another Diane Chamberlain book. 3.5 stars.
Update May 17 2012: Well, I nearly quit reading this book after what I wrote above.Glad I sticked with it, only because there were so many raving reviews.
What I do not like:
The story is crazy, very unrealistic: Especially the kidnapping. It was so weird, giving a 16 year old such a big job to do while she did not know what she had to do. If you are kidnapping someone,you want to be sure the person who is in care of the prisoner, can handle his or her own. In this book that was not the case at all.
2: The coincidences all through this book. 1 example: All of a sudden the husband of the kidnapper pops up to be the president of the school where Eva is teaching.
If this is not enough, then her daughter go's to the exact same school Ceecee was in. Come on now!
What I do like about this book:
I like that her subjects are not doing the most obvious things. I liked that Eve's daughter did not like her mum, and that Eve made a lot of mistakes bringing her up. Normally the main character is the best mum on the planet.I liked the mental illnesses that were in this book.
I am not done yet. Still have to read about 30% but it is getting better and better.
Update May 18 2012. Okay finished it. I think this is a book I would consider a beach read. It is easy to read, sometimes it can be annoying but if you do not expect too much it is a nice read.
Sometimes I am in the mood for easy reads so I will try another Diane Chamberlain book. 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
This is my 5th book by Diane Chamberlain and once again, I love another one of her books. She drew me in from the very first page to the very last page and I could not put it down! 5 stars!!
April 13, 2020
Visad maniau, kad tokie romanai man nepatinka, kol neperskaičiau D. Chamberlain knygos. Tada "Pribuvėjos išpažintis" labai įtraukė, tiesiog mėgavausi istorija. Kadangi nusimatė laisvo laiko (Velykos namie), norėjau tikrai puikios istorijos, o ši Chamberlain knyga jau senokai gulėjo lentynoje (gavau iš anytos). Ir tai buvo puikus sprendimas.
Istorija kaip visad neeilinė, pilna paslapčių. Eva Eliot dirba psichoterapeute, turi nuostabų vyrą ir augina dvi dukras. Deja, jos ir šeimos gyvenimas paremtas melu ir sprendimu, kuris buvo priimtas prieš daugelį metų. Visi įvykiai išlenda aikštėn, kai atnaujinamas gubernatoriaus žmonos pagrobimo ir mirties tyrimas.
Stipri ir jaudinant istorija yra tik dalis, ką radau knygoje. Visų pirma tai stiprūs charakteringi veikėjai. Labai patiko pagrindinė veikėja Eva Eliot, jos tvirtybė, išmintis bei prisiimta atsakomybė, nebūdinga šešiolikmetei, labai žavėjo. Antra, mamos ir dukros santykių tema. Kiek mergaitei svarbus santykis su motina ir kaip per didelė meilė gali pridaryti žalos. Rašytoja meistriškai įpynė šias temas.
Kiek glumino faktas, kad Eva būdama psichologe,dirbančia su jaunimu, savo pačios šeimoje darė didžiules auklėjimo klaidas., neieškojo pagalbos dukrai Korinai. Žinau, kad profesinė etika neleidžia konsultuoti artimų žmonių, bet juk problemos užuomazgas galėjo ir pastebėti. O gal toks rašytojos tikslas ir buvo, nes norėjo parodyti, kad ir pas specialistus šeimose gali būti problemų, arba kaip sakoma "batsiuvys lieka be batų".
Skaityti tikrai buvo nenuobodu. Įvykiai vystėsi vienas po kito, aikštėn kilo vis daugiau paslapčių. Rašymo stilius lengvas ir sklandus. Knyga susiskaitė per kelias dienas ir kaip ir tikėjausi, praleidau laiką puikiai. Man ji patiko net labiau nei "Pribuvėjos išpažintis", kurią pasirinkau pažinčiai su šia rašytoja. Chamberlain tiesiog moka įtraukti skaitytoją į istoriją ir atrodo lyg žiūrėtum gerą filmą. Ne veltui ji yra talentinga bestselerių autorė.
Istorija kaip visad neeilinė, pilna paslapčių. Eva Eliot dirba psichoterapeute, turi nuostabų vyrą ir augina dvi dukras. Deja, jos ir šeimos gyvenimas paremtas melu ir sprendimu, kuris buvo priimtas prieš daugelį metų. Visi įvykiai išlenda aikštėn, kai atnaujinamas gubernatoriaus žmonos pagrobimo ir mirties tyrimas.
Stipri ir jaudinant istorija yra tik dalis, ką radau knygoje. Visų pirma tai stiprūs charakteringi veikėjai. Labai patiko pagrindinė veikėja Eva Eliot, jos tvirtybė, išmintis bei prisiimta atsakomybė, nebūdinga šešiolikmetei, labai žavėjo. Antra, mamos ir dukros santykių tema. Kiek mergaitei svarbus santykis su motina ir kaip per didelė meilė gali pridaryti žalos. Rašytoja meistriškai įpynė šias temas.
Kiek glumino faktas, kad Eva būdama psichologe,dirbančia su jaunimu, savo pačios šeimoje darė didžiules auklėjimo klaidas., neieškojo pagalbos dukrai Korinai. Žinau, kad profesinė etika neleidžia konsultuoti artimų žmonių, bet juk problemos užuomazgas galėjo ir pastebėti. O gal toks rašytojos tikslas ir buvo, nes norėjo parodyti, kad ir pas specialistus šeimose gali būti problemų, arba kaip sakoma "batsiuvys lieka be batų".
Skaityti tikrai buvo nenuobodu. Įvykiai vystėsi vienas po kito, aikštėn kilo vis daugiau paslapčių. Rašymo stilius lengvas ir sklandus. Knyga susiskaitė per kelias dienas ir kaip ir tikėjausi, praleidau laiką puikiai. Man ji patiko net labiau nei "Pribuvėjos išpažintis", kurią pasirinkau pažinčiai su šia rašytoja. Chamberlain tiesiog moka įtraukti skaitytoją į istoriją ir atrodo lyg žiūrėtum gerą filmą. Ne veltui ji yra talentinga bestselerių autorė.
November 3, 2020
For an audible listen, this passed the time pleasantly enough, without being too taxing. The story line was interesting, and raised some questions about the complicated web of lies that can change our entire lives. Once that first line is drawn, the others must follow in order to keep the illusions going. But at what cost? To ourselves and those around us...
I was able to stay interested enough to continue listening, but I was having some difficulty swallowing some of the basic realities of the story. CeecCe's willingness to become involved in the plan, the speed at which forgiveness and resolution occurred at the end, the plan itself which was doomed from day one. I never connected strongly with any of the characters, but it might have been because in the back of my mind I was certain I'd have never chosen as CeeCee did, so I kept coming up with "yeah buts" as she continued on her path.
I'd put this in the category of easy beach read. I kind of appreciated that in the current climate, as a break.
I was able to stay interested enough to continue listening, but I was having some difficulty swallowing some of the basic realities of the story. CeecCe's willingness to become involved in the plan, the speed at which forgiveness and resolution occurred at the end, the plan itself which was doomed from day one. I never connected strongly with any of the characters, but it might have been because in the back of my mind I was certain I'd have never chosen as CeeCee did, so I kept coming up with "yeah buts" as she continued on her path.
I'd put this in the category of easy beach read. I kind of appreciated that in the current climate, as a break.
August 22, 2018
I reluctantly abandoned this book at about 60% as it’d become a chore rather than a pleasure to read. It felt very long – like I’d been reading it for months and, apart from events at the beginning of the book which had been pretty much flagged up in the blurb, nothing much seemed to happen. I guess it’s a story about relationships but, aside from the letters from the mother to her child(which I enjoyed) I found the relationships pretty dull. And the bits about SCAPE seemed far-fetched. It just didn’t work for me.
April 27, 2017
3.5 stars for me. This was a pretty good "what if" book. A young girl who has not had a proper bringing up, is duped into doing something for love that changes many lives. It's hard to pick a side of right or wrong in this one and it's hard not to say too much without revealing the plot. Good writing and good narrative.
June 8, 2022
Labai patiko❤
Tikrai viena is stipriuju Chamberlain knygu, nors kol kas buvau susidurus tik su 3 knygom, kurios nebuvo tokios stiprios, bet visos kitos kaip visada bomba❤
Buvo labai sunku atsiraukti- jauciausi kaip narkomane, kuri netgi dabre skaite tarp klientu skambuciu- man tai retai kada budinga- todel jei taip elgiuosi, knyga tikrai ypatinga💞
Man sunku nusakyti net savo jausmus siam kuriniui- visi jausmai taip persipine❣️Pagrindinis dalykas, kodel dievinu Chamberlain knygas, nes Jos niekada nebuna nuobodzios- juose yra ir romano, trilerio, detektyvo, gyvenimisku istoriju elementu🤩
Sis pasakojimas labai intensyvus su daug isgyvenimu, detaliu ir labai tikroviskas, dar viena istorija, kuri parodo, kaip vienas sprendimas gali apversti ir pakeisti gyvenimus netgi 10 ar daugiau zmoniu...skyriai trumpi, daug kur pasakojimas kartojasi is skirtingu pusiu, bet tikrai nevargino pasikartojanciu detaliu skaitymas, knyga neistesta- reikiamo formato❤
Si knyga man primine mane- kai buvau jauna ir naivi, bet tai jau visai kita istorija, nors paauglystes uzsispyrimas ir arogancija pas visus panasi- galvojam jog visada zinom geriau uz mama ir teti kol nebuna per velu...
Labiausiai bijojau, kad Sesiles nepaliktu kaleti iki gyvos galvos, vienoj vietoj buvau pyktelejus ant Kores, kad tokia savanaude buvo... Labiausiai jaudinantis dalykas man buvo Sesiles mamos laiskai, manau jei man reiktu anksti atisveikinti su man brangiais zmonemis- pasielgciau taip pat:
"Tebunie sie laiskai mano palikimas tau, Sesile. Negaliu palikti pinigu, nes neturiu, uztat palieku tau pacias meiliausias mintis. Esu tikra, kad vaikams paliksti desimteriopai daugiau.
Myliu tave visa sirdimi,
Mama" 🥺
Tikrai viena is stipriuju Chamberlain knygu, nors kol kas buvau susidurus tik su 3 knygom, kurios nebuvo tokios stiprios, bet visos kitos kaip visada bomba❤
Buvo labai sunku atsiraukti- jauciausi kaip narkomane, kuri netgi dabre skaite tarp klientu skambuciu- man tai retai kada budinga- todel jei taip elgiuosi, knyga tikrai ypatinga💞
Man sunku nusakyti net savo jausmus siam kuriniui- visi jausmai taip persipine❣️Pagrindinis dalykas, kodel dievinu Chamberlain knygas, nes Jos niekada nebuna nuobodzios- juose yra ir romano, trilerio, detektyvo, gyvenimisku istoriju elementu🤩
Sis pasakojimas labai intensyvus su daug isgyvenimu, detaliu ir labai tikroviskas, dar viena istorija, kuri parodo, kaip vienas sprendimas gali apversti ir pakeisti gyvenimus netgi 10 ar daugiau zmoniu...skyriai trumpi, daug kur pasakojimas kartojasi is skirtingu pusiu, bet tikrai nevargino pasikartojanciu detaliu skaitymas, knyga neistesta- reikiamo formato❤
Si knyga man primine mane- kai buvau jauna ir naivi, bet tai jau visai kita istorija, nors paauglystes uzsispyrimas ir arogancija pas visus panasi- galvojam jog visada zinom geriau uz mama ir teti kol nebuna per velu...
Labiausiai bijojau, kad Sesiles nepaliktu kaleti iki gyvos galvos, vienoj vietoj buvau pyktelejus ant Kores, kad tokia savanaude buvo... Labiausiai jaudinantis dalykas man buvo Sesiles mamos laiskai, manau jei man reiktu anksti atisveikinti su man brangiais zmonemis- pasielgciau taip pat:
"Tebunie sie laiskai mano palikimas tau, Sesile. Negaliu palikti pinigu, nes neturiu, uztat palieku tau pacias meiliausias mintis. Esu tikra, kad vaikams paliksti desimteriopai daugiau.
Myliu tave visa sirdimi,
Mama" 🥺
April 13, 2016
WOW! Talk about an emotional read. It was fantastic. OK, you have to suspend the disbelief a bit but, it's fiction.
I have never read anything by this author but I will definitely be checking out more of her books.It was a real page-turner and towards the end my emotions were all over the place.
Any author who quotes or mentions Springsteen is a winner for me.
In 1977, pregnant Genevieve Russell disappeared. Twenty years later, her remains are discovered and Timothy Gleason is charged with murder. But there is no sign of the unborn child.
I have never read anything by this author but I will definitely be checking out more of her books.It was a real page-turner and towards the end my emotions were all over the place.
She felt happy these days, yet there was always an undercurrent of sadness just below the surface ...
They sang "Born to Run" as they walked back to the car.
Any author who quotes or mentions Springsteen is a winner for me.
She had no past. The here and now was where they would begin ...
April 23, 2018
Generously rounding up to 3 Stars
Unpopular opinion.....
I struggled though this one. All the primary characters I disliked, making one bad decision after the next. I couldn’t find sympathy...ugh.
BUT...this will not deter me from Chamberlain’s books. I have loved all the others.
Unpopular opinion.....
I struggled though this one. All the primary characters I disliked, making one bad decision after the next. I couldn’t find sympathy...ugh.
BUT...this will not deter me from Chamberlain’s books. I have loved all the others.
June 13, 2024
Užteko pirmųjų puslapių, kad kūrinys įtrauktų. Iš pat pradžių buvo labai daug nuspėjamų vietų, pagrindinė veikėja buvo naivi ir kai kada pykdavau ant jos, kad taip neapgalvotai elgiasi ar kad pametė galvą dėl vaikino. Bet taip, iš klaidų mokomasi. Kūrinys traukė skaityti, norėjosi sužinoti kaip toliau sekasi Sesilei, o dar kiek daug buvo dramos ir detektyvinių elementų. Puikiai parašytas kūrinys, o jam tik noriu skirti aukščiausią įvertinimą.
June 28, 2016
This review was originally posted on [Between My Lines]
Two facts about The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
Fact 1 : It is known as The Secret Life Of CeeCee Wilkes in the US (no idea why it's different over here, I prefer the US title).
Fact 2 : It is an emotional timebomb. The counter starts ticking on page one and it's just a matter of time until you explode with some very messy conflicting feels.
First Line of The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain:
"She couldn't concentrate on making love."
My Thoughts on The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain:
In some ways this is a very typical Diane Chamberlain book. It features complex characters, moral dilemmas, social workers and family life. But even though it has all the typical elements, her books never feel the same. And that is because her characters are so unique and so lifelike that they draw you and demand all your attention to their story.
CeeCee is the main character in this book and when we meet her she is sixteen years old. Her beloved mother died when she was twelve and since then she has lived in various foster homes. So when she meets Tim, she is gullible and screaming out to be loved. He has his own agenda and uses CeeCee to further his own goals without much thought for the consequences for her.
“You got dealt some crappy cards. But you're the one who has to decide how to play them.”
CeeCee finds herself out of her depth and it all ends with her living under a false identity to hide her past. In some ways I want to reach into the pages and shake sense into her. In other ways, I remember what it was like to be sixteen and in love for the first time and how much you just want to please that person. So I understand just why she did what she did. And I tore up inside for how conflicted and torn she was by her decisions.
“She felt happy these days, yet there was always an undercurrent of sadness just below the surface”
What I love about this book is that CeeCee makes awful decisions but is the very opposite of an awful person. She is a tough cookie in many ways and she suffers endlessly for her youthful impulsiveness. This is a book that puts you in her shoes and you do wonder what you would do if you were her. Despite her regrets, she build a new life and it is a fulfilling life with love and laughter. Unfortunately, in books and in life, secrets never stay buried for long and she is going to have to face the past with devastating consequences for all those who love her.
“The cost of doing something would be terrific; the cost of doing nothing even greater.”
This all makes no sense if you haven't read the book. So I think I'll shut up now and just tell you go read the book if you want an emotional read with memorable characters.
Who should read The Lost Daughter by Diane Chamberlain?
I strongly recommend this book to you if you like well-developed characters, books that make you face moral dilemmas and books about being a mother. Fans of Diane Chamberlain's other books should also enjoy this one. I'd also recommend if you like authors such as Liane Moriarty or Jodi Picoult.
Talk to Trish: If you knew a secret that would tear up your family, would you reveal it or keep quiet? Even if keeping quiet is the morally wrong thing to do? Quite honestly, I don't know. I might just zip my lips to protect those I love. I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you've read the book.
July 5, 2012
This was my first Diane Chamberlain novel and definitely not my last! Why have I not read any of her books until now?! I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a page turner for sure. Hope the rest of her books are just as good.
January 16, 2023
The Secret Life Of CeeCee Wilkes is a book that will haunt you in every possible way, at least that is what it did to me.
Obviously, its a book about motherhood, even though when I started reading it I thought about it more like a mystery and a thriller but toward the middle, it felt that it was really about life, and more about the real-life CeeCee/Eve had than the secret one she had run from.
the beginning of the book was really great, we saw how CeeCee's love and
obsession with Tim had grown we even believed him, well I did anyway, although I felt that what she was doing was very stupid and naive of her, I understood where she came from, I understood her 16 years old mind and her innocence, her need to be loved and cared for, and he charmed her seduced her and pursued her to do the exact thing he wanted her to do, and she fell for all his games.
This book is the kind of book that I absolutely adore because we are so into the life of the characters, we're almost a part of it , I always find myself attached to those people, i was talking about them the whole time like they were actual people I know, I remember telling my mom, they found the body and I was so emotional about it that she asked me, is it someone you know (of course she was joking she keeps track on everything I read so she knew what I was talking about ), but she wasn't 100% joking because she said that i sound like it was someone I knew.
And I feel a kind of loneliness, for being separated from these people, I feel like they gave me a glimpse of their life and now I'm no longer allowed to be in it, it's so weird.
what is so amazing about this book, is that you feel it written from the heart, all the emotions are well expressed and you can see the development of characters, you can see them becoming more mature, and more fragile, or even when you see them becoming stronger that's what makes you so close to them.
there were some lines I read twice or thrice, there were some words I kept repeating, and there were some moments when I couldn't help crying , it's been a long time since I felt this strong for a book ^^ i absolutely loved it and i'll recommend it , to anyone, especially those with some really incredible mothers because they are the ones that well rely to it most, and to those of us who feel so ungrateful and so not giving their mothers what they deserve, this is a book showing how a mothers love has no limits, it doesn't matter if she just gave you birth or if she raised you for your entire life, she loves you the same unconditional love, and we can see 2 kinds of mothers in this book, the ones that are dying and wanting to give their daughters anything, a letter, a promise, anything, and the mother who had not to give birth but raised a child and she was willing to give her anything as well even though she wasn't dying or anything.
I really want to express how much i loved this book , but i can't put it to words so i'll just settle with what i already wrote
Obviously, its a book about motherhood, even though when I started reading it I thought about it more like a mystery and a thriller but toward the middle, it felt that it was really about life, and more about the real-life CeeCee/Eve had than the secret one she had run from.
the beginning of the book was really great, we saw how CeeCee's love and
obsession with Tim had grown we even believed him, well I did anyway, although I felt that what she was doing was very stupid and naive of her, I understood where she came from, I understood her 16 years old mind and her innocence, her need to be loved and cared for, and he charmed her seduced her and pursued her to do the exact thing he wanted her to do, and she fell for all his games.
This book is the kind of book that I absolutely adore because we are so into the life of the characters, we're almost a part of it , I always find myself attached to those people, i was talking about them the whole time like they were actual people I know, I remember telling my mom, they found the body and I was so emotional about it that she asked me, is it someone you know (of course she was joking she keeps track on everything I read so she knew what I was talking about ), but she wasn't 100% joking because she said that i sound like it was someone I knew.
And I feel a kind of loneliness, for being separated from these people, I feel like they gave me a glimpse of their life and now I'm no longer allowed to be in it, it's so weird.
what is so amazing about this book, is that you feel it written from the heart, all the emotions are well expressed and you can see the development of characters, you can see them becoming more mature, and more fragile, or even when you see them becoming stronger that's what makes you so close to them.
there were some lines I read twice or thrice, there were some words I kept repeating, and there were some moments when I couldn't help crying , it's been a long time since I felt this strong for a book ^^ i absolutely loved it and i'll recommend it , to anyone, especially those with some really incredible mothers because they are the ones that well rely to it most, and to those of us who feel so ungrateful and so not giving their mothers what they deserve, this is a book showing how a mothers love has no limits, it doesn't matter if she just gave you birth or if she raised you for your entire life, she loves you the same unconditional love, and we can see 2 kinds of mothers in this book, the ones that are dying and wanting to give their daughters anything, a letter, a promise, anything, and the mother who had not to give birth but raised a child and she was willing to give her anything as well even though she wasn't dying or anything.
I really want to express how much i loved this book , but i can't put it to words so i'll just settle with what i already wrote
August 24, 2008
"Twenty-eight years ago a North Carolina governor's young, pregnant wife was kidnapped. Now her remains have been found and a man charged with her murder. Only one person -- CeeCee Wilkes -- can refute the charges against him. But CeeCee disappeared years ago . . ." (from summary on goodreads.com)
I thought the young naive CeeCee was a believable character. I felt her pain of losing her mother at such a young age. I loved the letters her Mother left her to tell her what to expect from life - giving her the advice a Mom would give their daughter through her years of growing up. I understood how although CeeCee is a very smart young woman that she fell for Tim and the story he told her. I really enjoyed the character development of her throughout the book. I was disappointed with the character development of Cory. I mean I understood why she had phobias without explanation. But I wish they would have been shown or explained exactly what caused them.
I read this book in 2 nights. I really could have finished it one but decided to savor it a little bit. I enjoyed the characters, storyline, twists and turns of this page turner. It was an easy read because it pulled me into the story right away from those first pages. It is a book that I would read again.
I thought the young naive CeeCee was a believable character. I felt her pain of losing her mother at such a young age. I loved the letters her Mother left her to tell her what to expect from life - giving her the advice a Mom would give their daughter through her years of growing up. I understood how although CeeCee is a very smart young woman that she fell for Tim and the story he told her. I really enjoyed the character development of her throughout the book. I was disappointed with the character development of Cory. I mean I understood why she had phobias without explanation. But I wish they would have been shown or explained exactly what caused them.
I read this book in 2 nights. I really could have finished it one but decided to savor it a little bit. I enjoyed the characters, storyline, twists and turns of this page turner. It was an easy read because it pulled me into the story right away from those first pages. It is a book that I would read again.
February 14, 2020
I enjoyed the start to the story and then, briefly, I faltered and wasn’t sure if I would continue to read the story as I could see where the early plot was going - it wasn’t something I was comfortable with. After a thinking break, I continued reading and found that was just one small part of the story; although it was the part of the story that changed lives.
From then onwards I was swept along on the journey CeeCee/Eve undertook and a truly amazing journey it was; so much so that I felt some resentment towards the victims in this plot and had to remind myself that they were the victims, such was Chamberlain’s skill in painting the story from the perspective that she wanted the reader to view events.
The dilemma of conflicting perspectives resolves in a reasonable and acceptable way. It was an enjoyable read and I gave it five stars.
From then onwards I was swept along on the journey CeeCee/Eve undertook and a truly amazing journey it was; so much so that I felt some resentment towards the victims in this plot and had to remind myself that they were the victims, such was Chamberlain’s skill in painting the story from the perspective that she wanted the reader to view events.
The dilemma of conflicting perspectives resolves in a reasonable and acceptable way. It was an enjoyable read and I gave it five stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,516 reviews