3/5 stars
The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson, by Ellen Baker (2024)
Cecily is 94 years old, with a loving , if a bit neurotic, daughter, and devoted granddaughter. She is a force, and when she falls and must go into the hospital and then to rehab, she laments not being able to be in her own home living her life to the fullest. But Cecily has secrets, and some of those secrets are about to be revealed when Cecily's great grandson uses family cheek swabs to submit their DNA to an Ancestry-like organization, which reveals connections that even Cecily doesn't expect.
The story is told in different timelines - in the 1920's, young Cecily is dropped off at an orphanage by her mother, who clearly wishes to keep her but can't afford to do so. Cecily lives there semi-happily for a few years, until a tall and stern looking man comes to purchase her. He brings her to his travelling circus, where she finds a real sense of home with the other performers, and her beloved horse, that she performs with.
In the present time, Cecily's daughter struggles with the loss of her husband and a scary medical diagnosis, while her granddaughter attempts to connect with her own son, and maintain some sort of sustainable relationship with the husband she is separated from.
We also hear from another set of three women - a mother and two daughters who have seemingly no connection to the Cecily clan, but of course we know that eventually we'll see the link. They've all got their own secrets too, but instead of the world coming crashing down around everyone once truths are revealed, these revelations serve to strengthen the connection between all six women, while also helping to heal their relationships with other family members.
This is a multi-generational story about family, love, loss, regret, forgiveness, adoption, and what it means to be a mother. It's a mystery that unravels slowly and without much fanfare, but I enjoyed the slow burn of it.
UP NEXT: Cackle, by Rachel Harrison
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