The Secret She Kept

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Book Overview

From NAACP Image Award-winning author ReShonda Tate Billingsley comes a powerful novel about love, faith, mental illness, and the devastating cost of hidden truths. Her storytelling "scores a direct hit" (Publishers Weekly), delivering emotionally resonant, soul-searching situations with unforgettable characters.

Lance Kingston has everything he's worked for: a successful career as a Houston magazine executive and a beautiful new wife, high-powered attorney Tia Jiles. Their future seems bright--until Lance begins to realize that Tia has been keeping a dangerous secret for years. Since her teenage years, Tia has lived with a severe mental illness that can overtake her mind, transforming her into someone violent and unpredictable. Bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia. Or simply "crazy," as Lance's blunt grandmother warns him--reminding him that "crazy leaves clues."

As Tia's condition worsens, her family struggles to cope in different ways: a mother who believes prayer alone will heal her, doctors whose advice goes unheeded, and a husband desperate to hold his marriage together. When Lance learns that Tia is pregnant, the stakes rise even higher. Determined to protect his wife and unborn child, Lance is forced to confront painful questions about trust, sacrifice, faith, and how far love can truly go before it breaks.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1451639651
• ISBN13: 9781451639650
• Release Date: July 2012
• Publisher: Gallery Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A wild Ride

I love this author and this is my 7th read. She is an excellent storyteller, and she writes about the folks we live next door to and everyday folks trying to get the best out of life. This subject matter that the author chose to write about does not often pop up in most novels. My reason for not giving the author a full 5 star is because the story is so drawn out and would have been better if she cut at least 50 pages from the novel. It is sad what Lance, and his family had to deal with when Tia's secret was revealed. I praise him for showing true love after he found out Tia's secret. I don't think many of us would have stood by Tia because she was dangerous to her husband, daughter and husband. Tia's actions scared me straight out of my seat. Keep on writing Reshonda. I'm still on your side.

Good read

Now this was a good read with all the craziness to go with it and it definitely makes you aware of how you should treat someone with mental illness.