Natasha Kapoor receives news that her grandmother Frances has died, and she returns to the coast for the funeral. While there, her grandfather Arvind gives her the first ten pages of the diary of her Aunt Cecily, who died as a child. No one ever mentions Cecily, as her death was a tragedy that has, itself, never been discussed. But Arvind implores Natasha to find the rest of the diary, as well as gives Natasha a ring that used to belong to Cecily.

As Natasha begins to read the pages of Cecily's diary, she begins to discover family secrets about love, family rivalries, and heartache. One of the things Natasha wants to figure out, though, is whether her mother, Miranda, was responsible for Cecily's death, as was intimated to her after the funeral services by another relative. Is it really possible that one sister killed another and the rest of the family covered it up? and is this why the rest of the diary is missing?

The diary, which is included as part of the book, started as part of a school assignment for Cecily in 1963. After the assignment was completed, Cecily kept writing because she enjoyed it so much, and thus began the recording of the family's goings-on that summer. The rest of the diary is eventually discovered, and Natasha discovers the explosive truth.

However, this happens as her marriage is dissolving and her jewelry-making business is about to go bankrupt. She tries to keep her personal life in order as she is discovering that no one in her family is who she thought they were.

The plot of this book was extremely interesting, but the way in which the story was told was very confusing. Because the diary pages were interspersed with the rest of the book, it became difficult to keep the generations separate and remember that "Miranda" was the diary writer's sister and Natasha's mother, for instance. And because there was an extended family (which is realistic), this problem increased as a new family member was introduced. I also found the font used for the diary pages to be extremely difficult to read.

Although there were many characters, none of them were unbelievable, and all of them had separate voices, which is quite a feat. The ending was completely unpredictable, and I was quite satisfied with where the characters were left -- everything was left as it should have been.

Book Summary

A compelling and heartrending tale of lost love, family secrets, and those little moments that can change your life forever . . .

When Natasha Kapoor returns to her grandparents’ idyllic coastal home for her beloved grandmother’s funeral, her life is at a turning point. She thought by now she’d be a successful jewelry designer in London with a perfect marriage. Instead, she’s got mounting bills and a soon-to-be ex.

After the funeral, Natasha’s grandfather gives her the long-lost diary of her aunt Cecily. No one in her large and complicated family has ever discussed the tragic accident that took Cecily’s life as a teenager, and within the diary’s pages, Natasha finds a gripping and shocking tale of forbidden love, rivalry, and heartbreak.

Nearly fifty years later, will Cecily’s diary finally explain her family’s dark past and the terrible secret her aunt left behind? Is it possible it’s just the inspiration Natasha needs to take a fresh look at her future, and maybe even give love a second chance?

Fans of Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin will get hooked on internationally bestselling author Harriet Evans’s warm, witty, and absorbing novel filled with original, rootworthy characters and complex family issues.