REVIEW: Children of Secrets by Lander Duncan

Date:                 9/12/10            

Title:                 Children of Secrets             

Author:              Lander Duncan           

ISBN 10:   

ISBN 13:            978-1440183515

Pages:               288 Pages 

Publisher:          iUniverse           

Cover:               Hardcover         

Reviewer:          Monique Bruner Literary Wonders! (www.literarywonders)

Genre:               Autobiography

Rating:              3.5 Stars

Family Secrets Confronted

This book is the story of family secrets that Lander Duncan discovered after the death of his mother.   Intricately written with great emotion and attention to detail, Duncan uses letters, family stories, news paper clippings and a bit of fictional liberty to recreate the history of his family.  The story starts with the lives of his grandparents, moves into his mother’s birth and how she fell in love with her husband and follows his mother’s life until she dies.  Their disjointed family is finally given the chance to heal after letters are found as they are cleaning up after heart wrenching circumstances.

The layered description of life of privileged African Americans during the 1940’s is remarkable.  It took some time to get into the story because of the vivid depictions but once you do the storyline will capture your full attention.  Children of Secrets does not read like an autobiography but more like an historical fictional novel (as I wanted many of the disturbing facts to be untrue).  The treatment of African Americans during this time period has always been difficult for me comprehend.   The detailed prose is quite overwhelming to read and rather depressing as you learn of all of the hardships, discrimination, and heart ache. 

Duncan should be commended for sharing this piece of history and having the commitment to confront the past with such vigor. 

Deltareviewer

Reviewing for Literary Wonders!