Cloistered Secrets

For many, Ireland is a magical land full of simplicity and warmth. Its beautiful, green rolling hills and picturesque coastlines are extraordinary reminders of God’s natural gifts. But for Kathleen, a native Bostonian, it is merely a distant country across the sea…until she finds adoption papers with her date of birth on them.

Full of mystery and the turmoil of buried secrets, Linda Hughes’s debut novel is a thought-provoking exploration of identity and the consequences of unconscionable acts. Following the trail to Ireland, Kathleen is met by silence and doors closed for generations to protect the past. Burrowing deeper into the mystery, she is confronted by a disheartening fact: few know the real truth-fewer still remain alive.

Through her tenacity Kathleen locates the only person who knows the true story behind her identity. Unfortunately, the elderly nun has vowed to never disclose what happened. On her deathbed, however, she has a change of heart, concluding that some secrets are worth keeping while others need to be set free, revealing what becomes impossible to believe.

Inspired by the cultural religious devotion of Ireland’s people, Hughes expertly crafts the gradual fraying of a young woman’s sense of self with confidence and crushing honesty. Tearing open and exposing the abuse and lies used to conceal the truth. Cloistered Secrets is an unforgettable raw nerve that will leave you forever changed.

Cloistered Secrets is the first book in a very long time that I have started and finished reading the same day I received it. I only put it down long enough to fix a quick microwave dinner. Ms Hughes is truly a gifted author. She paints pictures with words. Her characters are developed in such a way that you can almost see them. The settings in her book are so well detailed that you feel as though you have been to Ireland yourself. Her effective use of flashbacks and foreshadowing further unfolds the plot, and is so well written that the reader doesn’t have to flip back to the last chapter to follow what is happening. Imagine an apprehensive environment where someone you loved and trusted maliciously betrays and shatters your trust and hopes. Ms Hughes gives the reader a glimpse behind the veil of secrecy surrounding malevolence within the church. Although the book is fiction, it could very well have been based on a true story. I’m looking forward to reading her next book.

M Sheehan

Excellent read!!! Could hardly put it down. I highly recommend this book. Hope to find more of Hughes’ books to enjoy.

Danielle Morrison 

I am often hesitant to read debut novels from new authors, but it had been awhile since the last time so I thought I might try one again, and I am glad I did. Hughes has a way with words and does a great job with building the personalities of the characters (a trait that marks a great author) to the point that you feel as if they are long lost friends. The story engulfs you and pulls you in to the world of Hughes’ imagination. The book will give your emotions a real work out. If you like the great mystery, stories with twists and turns then you will love this book. The book accomplishes what all books are supposed to accomplish, it pulls you away from your everyday life of work and bills and drops in on an emotional journey between its two covers. This book shows that Mrs Hughes is more than an author, she is a true story teller, and I am eagerly awaiting the next one.

Buddy Williams Jr