Best Kept Secret

A Novel

By: Amy Hatvany

Narrated by: Joy Osmanski

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Cadence didn't sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea.

Her drinking snuck up on her - as a way to sleep, to help her relax after a long day, to relieve some of the stress of the painful divorce that's left her struggling to make ends meet with her five-year-old son Charlie.

It wasn't always like this. Just a few years ago, Cadence seemed to have it all - a successful husband, an adorable son, and a promising career as a freelance journalist. But with the demise of her marriage, her carefully constructed life begins to spiral out of control. Suddenly she is all alone trying to juggle the demands of work and motherhood.

Logically, Cadence knows that she is drinking too much, and every day begins with renewed promises to herself that she will stop. But within a few hours, driven by something she doesn't understand, she is reaching for the bottle - even when it means not playing with her son because she is too tired, or dropping him off at preschool late, again. And even when one calamitous night it means leaving him alone to pick up more wine at the grocery store. It's only when her ex-husband shows up at her door to take Charlie away that Cadence realizes her best kept secret has been discovered.

Heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately life-affirming, Best Kept Secret is more than just the story of Cadence - it's a story of how the secrets we hold closest are the ones that can most tear us apart.

©2011 Amy Hatvany (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

Genuine portrayal of addicted mothers

I read this book when I was 6 months sober and liked it but didn't love it. Now I'm 4 years sober and I can appreciate this book much better! I highly recommend! This is a good accurate portrayal of what addicted mothers go through in their addiction and in sobriety.

hated it, not a romance

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

no, I am a teetotaller, not interested in the subject. Mistake buying this book.

Any additional comments?

didn't like this book

Really enjoyed!

A warm story of a mom who fights for herself and her son. It shed some new light on the disease of alcoholism and helped me understand a better the thinking of an alcoholic. I enjoyed it!

True to life in recovery

What does it mean to be a woman alcoholic, who drank around her child? This book accurately describes a quick downfall into alcoholism, as well as the struggle back towards the light. As a woman and recovery myself, the story rang true to both issues involved in active alcoholism, as well as the path of recovery. This book will bring a deeper understanding of the personal impact of alcoholism. I loved it.

Sobering

No pun intended. Good fiction but provides good information and insight at the same time. Potentially therapeutic.

Wow

An engrossing story of a very different kind of motherhood. Clever writing and narrating. I didn't want it to end

Reality

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would. I think we all know someone who is dealing with an addition or may be going through it ourselves but afraid to admit it. This book is about a woman with an alcohol abuse problem. It was touching and I loved every minute of it.

What other book might you compare Best Kept Secret to and why?

I have not read many other books about addition. So I do not have another book to compare it to.

Which scene was your favorite?

Spoiler: I have 2 favorite scenes.

1) When she hit rock bottom. When Martin came and took Charlie. She forgot to feed him and he was eating yogurt. Then Jess came and took her to the hospital. I felt bad for her. The drinking just got out of control so quickly. It was sad.

2) The other was when she saw her old friends at the coffee shop and she heard them talking about her being an alcoholic. Again, I felt bad for her. Mean girls grow up to be mean women.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I listened to it non stop. Even on the weekend. I have not done that in a long time.

Fictitious story with Real Message about Addiction

What other book might you compare Best Kept Secret to and why?

I have listened to many memoirs on addiction and I was impressed as to how I felt like this was almost a true story, with more of a plot to it.

If you could take any character from Best Kept Secret out to dinner, who would it be and why?

The main character...the mother, who is so honest, vulnerable and does everything possible a mother could do to right her wrongs.

A little too much emotional handwringing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

I like some aspects of this book, and disliked others. But at the end of the day it just moved along with emotions, not plot...

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I enjoyed Cadence's growth as a character, as she slowly let others into her world. But it really just wound up going back and forth and back and forth with her feelings and emotions, and those of other characters, without really moving along with a continuous plot.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

She did very well, overall. Her dialogue was OK, her emotions were great... perhaps because there were passages spoken by a child, she used a high-pitched whiny voice that I didn't like much..

Any additional comments?

I picked up and put down this book several times, and ultimately couldn't finish it.... I probably won't read more from this author.

Love it.... More truth like this should be written

This story is well written, attention grabbing, and shows hard truths.
Do listen to this one for a good read!