Review: What Lies Behind by Cynthia Hill

Title: What Lies Behind
Author: Cynthia Hill
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Self-published
Publish Date: August 5, 2012
Source: I received a copy from the author; however, this did not affect my review.

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan.

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Every family has its secrets...Behind the clouds of dementia, Lillian holds memories of a life that her granddaughter Lisa could never imagine. From her childhood in 1920s and 30s Toronto, to a young World War II society bride, through scandal and unthinkable tragedies, Lillian kept her extraordinary life a secret, retreating into a lonely, bitter existence. Curious about her grandmother's mysterious past, Lisa unearths a long-buried secret that may finally bring the truth to light."

My Two Cents:

"What Lies Behind" is a multi-generational family story that takes place in two different time periods for the most part: 1940s and 1950s and then the present day both in Toronto, Canada. The book centers on Lillian, a woman who's life has not been the easiest. She has a lot of hidden secrets that she has been keeping from her family because she really thinks that things will be better if she just holds everything inside. It is most definitely not a good way to live. Now that she has Alzheimer's, those secrets may never be revealed. The story also focuses on Lisa, Lillian's granddaughter, who is struggling with her own life in her late 20s. Then she finds the key that may unlock why her grandmother and her never really had a close relationship even before her grandmother's Alzheimer's began.

The book starts out slowly but it really picked up for me when we start finding out more about Lillian and the secrets that she is working so hard to hide. I absolutely love books about families and about family secrets. I think it's so interesting to see the interplay between the different family members. I definitely liked the historical part of the story a little bit better. Lisa kind of annoyed me at first but then she really grew on me, especially when she's trying to unravel the secrets that Lillian never told the rest of the family.

The star of this book is definitely the characters. With the way that Ms. Hill wrote the character of Lillian, you really feel bad for Lillian even though she doesn't always treat the other characters in the book nicely. You understand where she is coming from.

Overall: This book will appeal to those that love family stories and stories of understanding and redemption.