Secrets We Keep

Anna Levenko is from Ukraine. She is a junior tennis player on the circuit—before an injury forces her to change career paths. After graduating from a university in Washington DC with a degree in Business, Anna returns home to Ukraine, and works without pay for a non-profit and with pay for her uncle. However, she dreams of working for Polaris International Corporation—they do global work that she finds meaningful, and that directly impacts lives in several different countries. Her applications are consistently rejected until she tells a lie that nets her an interview. However, her hard work and the breadth of her financial knowledge are the things that enable Anna to find her true success.

This book has a lot of untapped potential. It centers on topics that are relevant and important today, such as climate change, plastic pollution, and education. With some excellent editing, this book could be a 5 star read, but unfortunately, incorrect word usage, choppy sentences, and uneven pacing steal some of its impact: for example, extravagant Porches are mentioned in a paragraph referencing expensive cars, while skimpy shorts are referred to as risky, but not risqué. The pace is uneven at times and the sentences don’t always flow smoothly. Additionally, there are multiple unanswered questions by the end, which begs the question of whether this is the first book of a duo. Nevertheless, there is still a lot of good in this relevant and timely story. This author brings Ukraine to life through the words of this book. The customs, foods, people, and natural beauty shine through, lovingly written by someone who seems to know and love it well.

Carey Sullivan