Although vastly different from SARAH'S KEY, I enjoyed A SECRET KEPT just as much. The fact that the main character was male gave it a decidedly different feel from most stories. Antoine knew that he had deficiencies in his character, as a father, husband and son, although he does seem to excel at being a brother. Others have remarked upon the unresolved issues in his life, but I think that there are simply some men that refuse to deal with too many emotional issues. They've been raised to be the strong, silent types (yes even in this day and age), and given the way Antoine was raised I felt he dealt with most of the issues he confronted appropriately.

Like a lot of you, I was disappointed that A Secret Kept wasn't as good as Sarah's Key. I wish authors would be more consistent with their writing. I want to be able to be sure when I buy a book by an author I've liked before that it will be another "winner". Nevertheless, A Secret Kept kept my attention, and I found it a quick read. I found the secret something of a yawn, but otherwise I enjoyed it enough to finish it, but not enough to recommend it to others.

I wasn't disappointed with A SECRET KEPT and felt the writing was just as good as SARAH'S KEY but slightly different. If we keep in mind the social constraints of this family and the time period these events occurred in, then a married woman having a female lover and considering taking her children away from their father was scandalous.

Perhaps it is problematic when we expect an author to write similar themes just to keep us entranced. Writers must explore their styles just as we readers explore different genres and reading styles.

I personally applaud the authors that are capable of providing us with books in different styles with all being well-written. We may not enjoy one book but enjoy others by an author, this doesn't mean the writing is bad simply that this particular book did not click with us. I don't think it is possible for an author to maintain the exact same writing style in book after book, because then the books (characters and plots) become formulaic and we as readers know what to expect and get easily bored...just a thought.

I enjoyed the book, this author is a very good storyteller in general. I did find the pacing a little slow and would have liked more happening or insights, especially in the first part of the book. The second part of the book seemed a little faster and I think it would have kept people more interested if she woud have thrown in a few more clues in the first part.

I too did not feel that this book measured up to Sarah's Key. However, I felt that I was not comparing "apples to apples". We need to look at this book differently. It was originally written in French, by someone who lives there, and therefore is immersed in that culture. I believe that the French culture regarding the upbringing of children, the formality of life in that society, must be considered when reviewing this book.

When I looked at it in that light, I could agree that although I found it hard to get into, it was worth the read. The first chapters puzzled me because I couldn't keep track of the flashbacks, and the present time. Once I became accustomed to the presentation method, I had to read on. I became more sympathetic to the secret that the brother and sister were searching out. I realized that in the action's time period, in the economic group to which the family belonged, the rather stilted presentation was appropriate. I could not call it a favorite book, but was glad to have read it.

I read this book because I enjoyed Sarah's Key so much. I read it in February of 2011 and must admit that I don't remember many details of the book. In my book diary, I basically only wrote a short synopsis of the book, indicating to me that it was not a favorite as I usually add a comment or two about books I particularly like or dislike (but continue to read) so my conclusion is that the book did not greatly impress me one way or the other.

I thought that it was an interesting book, had not read her first novel. But the revelations could have been more suspenseful really.