Books for summer: “The taste of secrets”

literature. For example, For those who love great addictive novels, I recommend “The taste of secrets”, by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer F. Similarly, Boylan, translated from English (USA) and published by Actes Sud.

Jodi is known for his committed novels crossed by social facts such as abortion. In addition, the death penalty or, like here, violence against women. Consequently, Jennifer is a transgender writer well placed to talk about the difficulty of building an identity when one is different from others. Therefore, despised as such. Furthermore, “The taste of secrets” is crossed by these issues. Therefore, leads into a captivating story carried by two voices, on two temporalities, one to the present, the other going up the past.

Olivia is the first voice expressed: “December 7, 2018 on …”. In addition, She tells how. Moreover, having fled a angry and violent husband, she took books summer: “the taste secrets” refuge with her son Asher in Adams, a small town in New Hampshire. She regained her serenity. devoting her life to the education of her high school son and her profession as a beekeeper who fascinates her. For a few months. Asher has been in love with a young girl, Lily, recently arrived in Adams, alone with her mother. A brilliant student. gifted musician, fencing emeritus, that Olivia likes: “If Asher embodies strength, she is lightness: an elf which prevents her from taking herself too seriously”. That evening. her son is slow to return, the phone sounds: Lily has just been found dead at home and that is murder!

Lily continues, in the second voice: “On December 7, 2018, the day …”. She is in bed. sick, worried because her father who “hurt her” has resurfaced while her mother and they had to flee, too, to protect themselves. She talks about books summer: “the taste secrets” her deep love for Asher but also their problems because they both had a disturbed childhood. live on secrets that are difficult to share. In addition, surprising reactions and violent gestures that his lover shows him sometimes scare him. ”

Soon the young man was arrested as the main suspect. Some facts overwhelm him. His uncle lawyer and his mother will do everything to try to innocent him.

The story continues with these two alternate voices. that of Olivia relating the facts of the present and the trial which opens, that of Lily going up the past. Little by little, through these two stories and testimonies of the trial, the secrets are revealed.

“I dreamed that I wrote a novel with four hands with Jodi Picoult. ” says JF Boylan in the latest pages of the book. She explains the happy chance that gathered them. made it possible to build together this beautiful books summer: “the taste secrets” choral and feminist novel crossed by love, honey, violence and death. At the same time psychological novel. social novel, judicial thriller, “The taste of secrets” is also a plea for listening, tolerance and respect for women. That the reader does not forget to pick up at the end of the book some recipes for honey. the interesting story of this fruitful collaboration.

Of our correspondent

Françoise Ramillon