The Secret

Eva Hoffman

At the beginning of this book the plot seems simple but as you read on you realise that it's not, and you are drawn into unpeeling the layers that make up the secret. Trying to come to terms with the complexity of understanding who and what we are, what's real and what's not. A truly fascinating read.

Extract

And there was a photographic record of my mother's childhood and growth .... Perfectly standard, not very imaginative photos. Except for one thing: the child, the girl, the sensuous adolescent in those snaps was me. Not like me, not resembling me. The styles of dress were different and the backgrounds were not ones I recognised. And yet there was no doubt. I was looking at myself and I was queasy with a confusion that boarded on terror.

Parallels