*I received a copy of this book in eBook format via NetGalley in return for this review. All reviews published on Yours, Chloe are completely honest and my own, and are in now way influenced by the gifting opportunity. This review is being posted as part of the The Secret Keeper blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources.
Title: The Secret Keeper
Author: Renita D'Silva
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: ★★★★
1938: Rani, the bright and spirited daughter
of an Indian Crown Prince, leads a privileged if lonely life.
Longing for freedom and purpose, she escapes the
confines of her father’s palace and meets Prasad – a poor young man – with whom
she falls deeply in love. But her plan to gain her father’s approval for the
match disastrously backfires.
Estranged from her family and haunted by guilt,
Rani’s path takes her from Cambridge to Bletchley Park and a new world of
intrigue and secrets. Against the backdrop of war, Rani finds comfort and a
sense of belonging with fellow codebreaker William and his young son. Could
they heal her heart and become the family she craves?
Then Prasad reappears – and past and present
collide, shattering Rani’s fragile happiness. As retribution for the hurt she
caused him, he demands she pass him secrets from Bletchley. But at what cost?
Torn between her past and her present, love and
loyalty, Rani must face up to a heart-wrenching sacrifice . . .
The Secret Keeper
is the latest novel from historical fiction author Renita D’Silva. This is a
captivating story exploring themes of love, loyalty, choices and secrets, set against
the fascinating backdrop of Bletchley Park and its top-secret code-breaking
during the Second World War.
This was my
first-time reading anything from Renita D’Silva but her engaging writing style
hooked me from the first chapter and I’m now looking forward to reading her
other books. The history was clearly well-researched, particularly around the
work they did at Bletchley Park.
At the heart of The
Secret Keeper is the idea of secrets. Our story is told through a dual timeline
narrative, alternating between the third-person perspectives of Rani, in the
1930s and 40s, and Esme in the 1990s. The connection between the two women is
gradually revealed over the course of the novel and this worked really well. Readers
are left on the edge of their seats, trying to piece together the puzzle pieces
of the story before they are revealed.
The fast-paced
narrative was maintained by short and snappy chapters and I liked the addition
of some of the narrative being told through letters Rani is writing to her
family in India. Renita D’Silva’s captivating storytelling made the different
settings of the novel come alive on the page, particularly the winding corridors
and elaborate gardens and rooms in the Indian palace.
I really enjoyed
the chapters set in India and how events there eventually followed Rani to her
new life in England. This aspect of the plot really sets The Secret Keeper
apart from other fiction books about Bletchley Park. The exploration of the difference
in values, regarding gender roles in particular, between Asia and Western countries
was really interesting.
Rani was a great
protagonist. She was headstrong, feisty and very much felt like a woman ahead
of her time. Esme was another brilliant character and I really liked the character
development we saw in her over the course of the story. Both timelines had some
brilliant supporting characters, some which appear in both timelines but I won’t
say anything further to avoid spoiling the secrets of the book. I will say though
that little Andrew was my favourite character; he just lit up every page he was
on.
Overall, The Secret Keeper is a fantastic piece of World War Two historical fiction and a story which will truly stay with readers for some time. This is a brilliant introduction to Renita D'Silva's writing for me and I can't wait to read more of her work.
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