A Secret Kept: A Novel

Written by Tatiana de Rosnay

Narrated by Simon Vance

This stunning novel from Tatiana de Rosnay, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestseller Sarah's Key, plumbs the depths of complex family relationships and the power of a past secret to change everything in the present.

A Secret Kept is now a major motion picture starring Melanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Laurent Lafitte (The Crimson Rivers), and Audrey Dana (Roman de Gare)!

It all began with a simple seaside vacation, a brother and sister recapturing their childhood. Antoine Rey thought he had the perfect surprise for his sister Mélanie's birthday: a weekend by the sea at Noirmoutier Island, where the pair spent many happy childhood summers playing on the beach. It had been too long, Antoine thought, since they'd returned to the island—over thirty years, since their mother died and the family holidays ceased. But the island's haunting beauty triggers more than happy memories; it reminds Mélanie of something unexpected and deeply disturbing about their last island summer. When, on the drive home to Paris, she finally summons the courage to reveal what she knows to Antoine, her emotions overcome her and she loses control of the car.

Recovering from the accident in a nearby hospital, Mélanie tries to recall what caused her to crash. Antoine encounters an unexpected ally: sexy, streetwise Angèle, a mortician who will teach him new meanings for the words life, love and death. Suddenly, however, the past comes swinging back at both siblings, burdened with a dark truth about their mother, Clarisse.

Trapped in the wake of a shocking family secret shrouded by taboo, Antoine must confront his past and also his troubled relationships with his own children. How well does he really know his mother, his children, even himself? Suddenly fragile on all fronts as a son, a husband, a brother and a father, Antoine Rey will learn the truth about his family and himself the hard way.

By turns thrilling, seductive and destructive, with a lingering effect that is bittersweet and redeeming, A Secret Kept is the story of a modern family, the invisible ties that hold it together, and the impact it has throughout life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Sep 14, 2010
• ISBN: 9781427210944

Tatiana de Rosnay

Tatiana de Rosnay is the author of eleven novels, including the New York Times bestselling novel Sarah’s Key, an international bestselling sensation with over two million copies sold in thirty-five countries worldwide. Together with Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer, and Stieg Larsson, she was named one of the top ten fiction writers in Europe in 2009. Tatiana lives with her husband and two children in Paris. Visit her online at www.tatianaderosnay.com

Reviews for A Secret Kept

[shuffy2_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What would you think if just as your sister confesses she remembers something from childhood about your mother's death--- she drives off the road? Antoine surprises his sister Melanie with a trip to their childhood vacation spot for her 40th birthday but long forgotten family secrets and a tragic accident spoils the walk down memory lane. A heart-broken, post-divorce Antoine ends up investigating Melanie's unfinished confession as she lay in the hospital. As a fan of Sarah's Key I wanted to like this book more than I did! While it was a fun, quick read- I figured out the twist early on and at the end of the book, I was left with a feeling of disappointment. I wanted to like the characters but just couldn't connect. It wasn't horrible but not rememberable...

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have found a new (to me) author to love. Her name is Tatiana De Rosnay and today I read her A Secret Kept. I didn't get a thing done but read that book; a wonderful book about a broken extended family.I read it because our R/L B/C has chosen another book of hers: Sarah's Key to read for our November book and I just wanted to familiarize myself with the author, never having heard of her.The story begins when Antoine, probably early 40s and just coming off a divorce involving 3 children, invites his sister Melanie, on a trip for her birthday. She has no family of her own. He wants to take her back to where they used to vacation when they were children before their mother passed away.On the return home, with his sister driving, she turns to him and says that she has remembered something 'huge' from their childhood and wants to tell him and that it is very upsetting. Upset and not paying attention to the road, she drives off the road and while Antoine is not injured, Melanie is terribly injured and is in hospital for an extended amount of time and has a very long home recovery period. She remembers nothing of their conversation.Antoine begins a journey to find out what occurred so many years ago in his family that changed their whole lives.This book is written very well and there are little unexpected twists and turns throughout it with many characters woven in and out of the story. I loved it and gave it 4 stars.

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rosnay does a great job of creating a air of mystery about a woman gone - so good, in fact, it reminded me quite a bit of DuMaurier's Rebecca, that adulated young woman who is not whom she seems to be. I found Antoine credible as we follow him through his quest of finding out the truth, struggling with his history and family. The extraneous plots - like his new found wealth and Pauline's death - were, in my mind, unnecessary. Similarly, the theme of death was just too exploited (carcasses, deaths, a mortician... really?) and almost became laughable in the end. However, I really enjoyed the unfolding of the family's relationships and dramas, the uncertainties and the beautiful love story that reshaped a boy and his sister.A word about the English: when I was reading the scenes in Noirmoutier, in particular, I struggled with the words. Having spent all my summers in France, I found it unnatural to read about these memories in English and found myself translating them into French! It is a testimony, I think, of Rosnay's mastery of her two languages and of her ability of transposing a culture into another language.

[margaretdebuhr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sooooo disappointing - Her first book is one of my all time favorite books so I could hardly wait to get my hands on this one. There is nothing to it. I kept waiting up to the last page for something to happen or be revealed.,

[hemlokgang · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is story of family secrets, kept and revealed. An accident leads to revelation upon revelation within a family who have remained silent for a generation. The writing is fair, the plot is interesting, but the overall effect is somewhat bland.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Antoine Rey, recently divorced father of three. He still loves his ex-wife, struggles to relate to his teenaged children, and has no relationship to speak of with his father. As his sister Melanie turns 40, he decides to surpise her with a trip to the vacation town they went to as children up until the time their mother (Clarisse) died in her mid-thirties. The "secret" is about Clarisse's death. As the book opens, Melanie suddenly remembers something from the past and is about to tell Antoine when she loses control of the car.This was a light read. I found the plot somewhat interesting. The secret was, in my opinion, hardly earthshattering -- though it may have been to young children. I kept wondering if there would be more, but there wasn't.Similarly, the characters were only somewhat interesting. They seemed either stereotyped (teenagers), under-developed (Melanie) or simply unbelievable (girlfriend Angele).The one bright light in this book was Antoine himself. The author did a good job of portraying the struggles of a middle-aged man examining the meaning of his past and his prospects for the future.

[njmom3 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is essentially a book about death - a death that happened a long time ago that is never resolved for the family, death of the young, a near death experience, and impending death. One of the characters is even a mortician. The title and book jacket imply a family story with its relationships and connections over the years. That is not what the book delivers unfortunately.

[tvordj · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I didn't like this as much as Sarah's Key. I found it a bit non descript really. A man in his 40s takes his sister to the seaside resort where they spent their childhood summers to celebrate her 40th birthday. He's newly divorced and lonely, still loves his ex-wife, having trouble coping with his teenage children. The holiday weekend brings back a lot of old family memories for both of them, memories especially of their mother who died in 1975, the year after their last family visit there. Since then, he and his father have not had much of a relationship, probably due to the father's grief and later, his remarraige. Thus Antoine doesn't really know how to show his feelings, not even to his kids. During the weekend we are also taken back to things that happened on the last summer there when they were children and it's alternated with short letters written from one person to someone that's obviously their lover. You can pretty much see where this is going. On the drive back to Paris, his sister takes the wheel and is about to tell him something she remembered from their childhood, a long lost memory that was brought forward on the weekend. It upset her so much that she loses control of the car and they are in a serious accident. She forgets what it was and he doesn't know and won't push her. While she's in hospital, he meets with a very sexy mortician, as you do, and this perks him up considerably. Back in Paris while his sister recovers, he tries to connect with his kids, the older two of the three having their own problems. When his sister finally does remember, they are all shocked though I don't really see why. I suppose it's the difference in the time we live in. Even if the memory and the incident that it's about were shocking at the time, I don't get why it's devastating to find out now. Surprising? Even a bit of shock at first? Yes. Anyway, it's not a bad book but it's not as emotionally engaging like Sarah's Key was, not for me.

[elizabeth49 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Slow start, but it gets much better towards the end.

[loosha_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Siblings recall the past to uncover the secret of their mother's life and death. A quick easy book to read, a romantic French setting, however the 'secret' is less than remarkable and the story lacks suspense. And, come on, a beautiful mortician riding a Harley, hey.

[detcheverry_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

great read - hard to put down - Antonio seeks answers from his mother's past while dealing with his children, his sister (her accident) and all issues after divorce from his wife.

[bhowell_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I agree with many of the comments made by other Librarything reviewers. This is a good diverting read for the beach/airplane but not very literary. Nevertheless, I think that the character development of Antoine Rey was skillfully handled by the author and that this book is better overall than "Sarah's Key" which I have also read. Ms. De Rosnay can write a good story which entertains us and she is only going to get better. Antoine is a newly divorced father of two struggling with loneliness in his newly single life, and bored and uninspired at work. He takes his sister for a weekend trip to the north coast of France for her birthday. Their stay in the charming resort village awakens mostly happy memories of their holidays there when they were young children and their mother was alive. On the long drive back to Paris, the sister remembers something that causes her to lose control of the car and a terrible accident occurs. In the aftermath, Antoine becomes obsessed with the mysterious early death of their mother and searches for answers. The secrets of the Reys family are gradually laid bare. At the hospital waiting for his sister to come out of surgery, Antoinne meets his new love interest, Angele, and she is, I agree, a contrived silly character...still, amusing.I suspect that in French the writing may be more skillful. I noticed that in portions of the book the clusters of short sentences appear clumsy but in French that can be utterly charming and natural. And the translator loves to dangle those prepositions.I have now passed the book on to my daughter-in -law and will be interested in her comments.

[iamaleem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dull, tiresome and annoying would best describe this authors 2nd novel. Her first book, Sarah's Key was extremely overrated IMHO and there was no need for the uninteresting material presented here to be published/translated.

[spotteddog_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was not as good as her earlier book. And, the "secret", once discovered, did not seem worthy of all the angst!

[busyreadin · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was expecting great things from this book based on reading Sarah's Key. Unfortunately, this book didn't meet those expectations. It is the story of the disfunctional Rey family and the secrets they kept

[gcilib_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was really looking forward to reading this book after reading Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay and I wasn't let down. I think, as did other reviewers, that I knew the big secret early on in the book and the climax, when Antoine found out the secret, was somewhat disappointing. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and after a recommendation, my mother has already purchased it for a Christmas gift,

[markmeg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good. A birthday celebration for his sister Melanie results in an accident and Melanie and Antoine come to terms with their mother's death, her lesbian affair, his father's cancer, grandmother's hatefulness, kids difficult ages and his divorce. A new love for Antoine apprises him of the fact that you can't have all the answers. Some things just have to move on.

[susiesharp_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Poor Antoine what a midlife crisis he’s having not only dealing with his own feelings about his divorce, his ex-wife and his children but it seems that everyone around him is having a crisis of their own. Antoine is going through what I think every divorced parent goes through with their children. What is nice is it is from his POV there are so many books out there about what women go through in a divorce it was refreshing to hear the father’s side.This is the story of a brother and sister trying to remember the life of their mother but this book is so much more than that. It is about the family dynamic and the lies parents tell their kids to keep them happy. Which brings me to the question was Antoine better off knowing about his mother’s past? Did it change or fix anything? Did he really achieve any closure?This was a good book I really liked Antoine and I did leave it caring about him but I just felt like the secret could have gone on being a secret as the revealing of it didn’t seem to really amount to anything.Beautifully read by, Simon Vance3 ½ Stars

[hscherry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Everyone always says that second books aren't that great. Having absolutely loved Sarah's Key, I was nervous about this one, but de Rosnay didn't let me down. Not quite up to the standard of her first book, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Couldn't put it down & was almost sad when I came to the end.. Here's hoping her future work will be just as good!

[acqwoods · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

One of the hardest things for an author or artist to do is to follow up a debut smash hit with an equally smashing second offering. This task was near impossible for Tatiana de Rosnay given the amazing quality of her first book, Sarah's Key (see my review). A Secret Kept has quite a few similarities: a family in France dealing with secrets from many years ago while trying to navigate present tension. Unfortunately the story here was neither as compelling nor as well fleshed out as Sarah's Key.The book begins when Antoine takes his sister Melanie to Nourmoutier for her 40th birthday. As children they had spent weeks there every summer but after their mother died while they were children, the family never returned. The trip stirs up a memory for Melanie that drastically alters their view of their mother and her death. Antoine sets out to learn more about the mother he never really knew. I was disappointed that I had trouble understanding many of the characters' motivations and frequently felt confused by their actions. The ultimate reveal was a bit of a letdown for me. Had I read this book without comparing it to Sarah's Key my review might have been better, but this just couldn't live up.

[craftimommi · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I was really looking forward to reading this book as i enjoyed this authors previous book "Sarahs Key" a good read. Unfortunately i had to force myself to finish this one and i did so, to be able to write this review. The plot has an improbable number of deaths and funerals. Almost as if the author couldnt think of another way to tie the story together. It was a disappointment.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I like this novel better than Sarah's Key. The story is told by Antoine Rey, a middle-aged man dealing with all the tragedies of life. The story begins with Antoine and Melanie celebrating Melanie's 40th birthday at a village the family visited every summer until 1973. The long weekend ends as Melanie wrecks the car when she tries to tell Antoine something she remembered about their mother that last summer. The story descends into the depths of hell as death any dying seem to be everywhere. Antoine delves into the story of his mother and trying to discover her secret. The ray of hope that holds Antoine from the abyss is the mortician, Angele. Many times during the story I felt that certain sections were extra cargo and did not need to be included in the story. Now, I see the symbolism of these random sections. I am not sure that Rosnay portrayed Antoine correctly.

[jackieblem · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Antoine takes his sister Melanie to Noirmoutir Island as a surprise for her 40th birthday. They had gone there often when they were children--at least until their mother died. The biggest surprise is the memory it stirs to the surface of Melanie's mind--one so startling that it causes a car crash. It leads the duo down a long cold trail of trying to discover who their mother was and just what the circumstances of her death actually were. There are several fascinating character studies throughout the book which help to keep the book lively during the slow investigation among closed mouth and estranged family members, old friends, and assorted staff. The most captivating is the evolution of Antoine over the course of the book, and the most satisfying. Set in France, francophiles will thrill to the extensive descriptions of the area and the local flavor of life in France.

[cailin_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I read Sarah's Key and loved it so I was excited to read A Secret Kept. Antoine Rey takes his sister Melanie to the resort they enjoyed as children for her birthday. This trips brings lots of memories, some good, some bad, and more than a few mysteries. I wasn't a big fan of the book, the characters were hard to care about. Antoine seems to be little more than a middle aged man who feels too sorry for himself and has way too much time on his hands.

[lkernagh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This proved to be a fast, non brain-taxing read that I finished in a quick 36 hours. I had an enormously difficult time trying to connect with the main character, Antoine Rey and unfortunately, felt that the portrayal of his midlife crisis - I really cannot call it anything else - was overshadowing the plot of trying to uncover the family secret that had been kept silent from both Antoine and his sister Melanie for decades. The sections regarding uncovering the family secret were intriguing and had potential but the two plots - Antoine's midlife crisis and the family secret - didn't mesh together very well IMO. I think the story would have been better if one of the plots had been given proper main focus. Either way, I think the story then would have had a better chance of becoming a captivating read, instead of the family drama/mystery wrangle-fest I felt it was.

[teeth_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was very well written about a broken family. The author developed the characters and it had afew twists and turns throughout the book. I think I now have a new favorite author.

[bookalover89 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tatiana de Rosnay has proved herself a first class novelist with Sarah's Key. With A Secret Kept, she has confirmed that yet again!

[sydamy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was nervous to read this, as I loved the authors first book, Sarah's Key, and did not want to be disappointed. I am apparently in the minority as I really enjoyed this book. High brow literature it isn't, but a good book? most definitely. It is a completely different type of book from Sarah's Key. Although many sad things do happen. After a birthday weekend with his sister, to a childhood resort, Antoine, a divorced father, digs into his past and tries to find out about his mother. She died when he was a young boy, and no one has talked about her since her death. Along the way, he finds himself and learns to accept his life. Death is a recurring theme, and they way different people handle it help Antoine grow. I will confidently pass this book to friends, knowing they would enjoy it.

[delascolinasnegras · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the book. Characters were intriguing and charming, plot kept me turning pages. Memorable images that will stick with me for a long, long time.

[brianajae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After reading Sarah's Key, I was somewhat disappointed by A Secret Kept. It just didn't contain the same level of mystery and sparkle for me. Still, it was enjoyable enough.