cover image Small Secrets

Small Secrets

Joan Jacobson. Words and Pages, $12.99 trade paper (366p) ISBN 978-0-692-97645-6

Jacobson’s debut is a vividly detailed mystery with authentic, relatable characters and a sprinkling of romance. Growing up on a farm in central Minnesota, Raki Pederson has her life planned out: she’ll graduate high school, then open her own bakery. But after she gets pregnant and is kicked out of her house after she refuses to reveal the father, she must rely solely on the kindness of strangers to survive. Now, years later, Raki is a former journalist in her mid-40s enjoying her retirement. As she prepares to bury her mentor, Dolores Richter, Raki discovers a secret from Dolores’s past that leads her to wonder: why did Dolores quit law school and go to France for a year? Raki is determined to uncover the truth before revealing to her daughter, Joey, the identity of her father. As Raki, Joey, and Raki’s sister, Lija, sift through Dolores’s belongings, they slowly begin to piece together the mystery of a broken romance. Each of the three main characters are well-rounded, and Raki’s internal struggle emerges organically as she works to piece together the puzzle of Dolores’s past. Jacobson’s enjoyable story demonstrates how secrets are never safe for long—even those taken to the grave.[em] (BookLife) [/em]