What Lies Behind

Cynthia
Hill
Genre: 
Historical

Teacher Lisa Sullivan is a busy young woman:  she juggles a friend's upcoming wedding, a boyfriend struggling to move up the corporate ladder and a mother who always seem to clash with her. She also has a widowed grandmother  who resides in a nursing home.  Lillian suffers from dementia, and is merely a shell of the woman she once was.  When Lisa visits Lily, she notices her eyes sparkle at just the mention of her late husband Walter.  She often revisits her memories of a time she can't seem to forget in Toronto during WWII. This prompts Lisa to embark on her own journey, attempting to uncover the bitter truth about her family and her own existence.

Hill has penned a very different book about love, family and the secrets we harbor. "What Lies Behind" is reminiscent of “The Notebook”, where a grandmother tells a story through her long-buried memories and her granddaughter tries to uncover the truth about her roots. The flashback scenes transitioning between past and present are easy to follow and keeps the reader eager to flip the pages to see what kind of twist in the plot could occur next. Keep a box of tissues close by, they'll come in handy several times between chapters!  The author handles the delicate subject of dementia gently as it often can be a fragile topic for the young and old alike. A wonderful telling of never-forgotten memories held within families.  

 Jaime A. Geraldi