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Published May 2008
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
"Now we're just alike." So begins Fiona and Patricia's friendship that warm autumn morning in first grade in Lake Charles, Louisiana, their bond forged ever closer by Fiona's abusive mother and Patricia's neglectful one. Their relationship is a source of continuity and strength through their move to L.A. to become actresses; through Fiona's marriage and Patricia's sudden fame. When husband and career pressures exact a toll, the women wonder if their friendship can survive. Then a dark secret from their past emerges, threatening to destroy not only their bond, but all they've worked for as well.
The Safety of Secrets is a beautifully written exploration of the bonds forged in childhood and challenged decades later, of the fulfillment of dreams and the damage they can cause, and of secrets being uncovered and the truth we find inside.
"Michel is deeply attuned to the subtleties in women’s friendships, the little nuances that indicate a slight or an attempt at making up for one, and she pays tribute to them with this layered, fluid novel." - Booklist, Kristine Huntley.
"Funny and touching, this is a tale of childhood--and how it never ends." - Cathleen Schine, author of The New Yorkers.
"At once funny, moving, and richly evocative of contemporary Los Angeles, The Safety of Secrets more than confirms its promise." - Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood.
"Written with tremendous narrative velocity, The Safety of Secrets is almost impossible to put down." - Dani Shapiro, award-winning, best-selling writer
"The Safety of Secrets is a funny, keenly observed, deeply moving story of coming of age too soon. DeLauné Michel’s elegantly structured novel jumps back and forth between an imperfect childhood in Louisiana, and a complicated adulthood in Los Angeles." - Warren Leight, Tony-award winning playwright of Side Man.
"A beautifully written book that takes you into the mind of a woman attempting the impossible; trying to make marriage, motherhood, friendship and a career as an actress all work in the gladiatorial ring of Los Angeles. DeLauné Michel writes with the precision and insight of an x-ray." - Merrill Markoe, New York Times best-selling author.
"DeLauné Michel has written a terrifically funny book with a very tender heart. It manages to be wonderfully confessional and psychologically mysterious. The Safety of Secrets is the perfect 'curl up on-the couch and read all day long' kind of book. It stays with you." - Jill A. Davis, author of Ask Again Later & Girls' Poker Night
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in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo by Lesley Bohm
DeLauné Michel was raised in South Louisiana in a literary family that
includes her uncle André Dubus, her mother Elizabeth Nell Dubus, and her cousin
James Lee Burke.
Ms. Michel was named for Helene DeLauné, the first woman over from France on her
mother's side of the family. Helene DeLauné was in the court of Marie Antoinette
and her husband, Jules André, fought in the French Revolution. Antoinette gave
Helene DeLauné jewels to help her and her husband escape to South Louisiana, a
far cry from the court of France! Ms. Michel's father's family was the eleventh
family in New Orleans.
Upon leaving high school, Ms. Michel moved to New York City. She did some
modeling there and in Europe, then spent several years studying acting in NYC ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Delaune Michel's Website
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