The Secret of Everything

And....another book club read. :oD I would have never picked this up on my own. My honest opinion of the book: great summer beach read! Truly! It is filled with wonderful characters and just enough intrigue without heavy language or symbolism to enjoy from bath, to beach, to sangrias on the deck. It even has a surprise ending.

I gave it only two stars because I truly cannot deal with any romance. None. Zilch. That is my hang up. I fully admit I have a broken heart that calls for the constant replaying of Adele's 21 album and trying to figure out some peace with which I can live. On that note, I could relate to Tessa. But that is about all I could stomach about her. I was more fascinated by Vita, Annie, Cherry, and the rest of the show more townspeople.

This book for me was lovely for the simple reason that it took me home. I was born and raised in northeastern New Mexico. I know the areas of Santa Fe, Taos, and Pueblo (Colorado) very well. I loved being back home for awhile. I enjoyed the familiarity with a little bit of the spirits said to be haunting most of the off-beat places of New Mexico. I grew up with the legends of the Llorona. She was everywhere. You could do worse than this book for a little get-away reading. It isn't great literature, but do you always need great literature, or do you sometimes need a little escape with the blessings of spirits? show less

Library Thing Early Review:

A little girl who won't eat fish sticks because they come from a box and nobody should eat food like that. A farm that focuses on providing local and organic produce. Characters who address the problems of how women and girls see themselves as a result of a culture and media that tells them that thin is the measure of beauty. A message about stopping domestic violence aimed at women. A mystery. Recipes scattered throughout the novel. All of these factors should add up to a book that I loved, so why only one star?

There is not a consistent tone throughout the novel. It feels as if the author could not decide if she wanted to write a sweet, luscious novel in the vein of "The School of Essential Ingredients," a show more deep, intricate mystery story, or a trashy romance novel. As a result the book is unsatisfying to read. The ending feels rushed and the plot points are not satisfyingly tied together or concluded. And be warned: the sexual content is explicit and trashy, with an abundance of crass vulgar language. show less

Tessa Harlow enjoyed leading hiking tours until the hike that had a nightmarish ending. Feeling tremendous guilt over the hiking incident she goes to her father's home to heal. While recovering she starts having flashbacks from her early childhood - memories that don't make sense. Feeling a pull to the area where she spent the first years of her life, Tessa heads to New Mexico to scout possible hiking tours and that's where her journey really begins. By meeting people who are new to her but from her past Tessa starts to put pieces together that lead her to the truth of her early years.

I enjoyed Tessa's journey of discovery and how she learns to make reparations. It seems that more than a few characters in the book are looking for a way show more to make amends in their lives and find that they can help each other along the way. The depth given to the major characters had me pulling for each one. My favorite was Natalie, the daughter of Tessa's lover. Natalie is grieving the loss of her mother and is acting out. Tessa feels a connection and wants to help her. I loved how the author makes that happen.

Barbara O'Neal's writing is beautiful and evocative. Her descriptions of sights, smells, and sounds give wonderful atmosphere to Los Ladrones - the small New Mexico town where the story takes place.

I enjoyed reading The Secret of Everything and look forward to more novels by Barbara O'Neal. show less

I’m a sucker for any kind of book with recipes, whether it’s a cookbook with stories, or a fiction/non-fiction book with recipes. Most of the time if it’s fiction with recipes, I am disappointed with either the recipes, the story, or the writing (generally, the latter, unfortunately). To find an author who writes well, tells a great story, and also develops intriguing recipes is, for me, at least, a rarity. Ms. O’Neal has done all three in The Secret of Everything.

The New Mexico town of Los Ladrones, the Green Gate Organic Farms (formerly Sixties commune), and other locales are richly, but succinctly detailed by Ms. O’Neal. Here and there are odd metaphors – such as, “a watermelon scent of freshly cut grass” – which show more may not have lasted to the published edition. The characters and plot develop gradually, keeping the reader (at least this one) intrigued, nugget by nugget, as to the “secret.”

The “secret” is not too painfully obvious, but neither are the revelations and resolutions a total surprise, given the genre. Strictly romance novels are not my first choice for the small amount of pleasure reading I do. Thankfully, Tessa’s search for her place and identity is not overshadowed by the “romance.”

Being about half-way between the two generations of characters in the book, I found much with which to identify in the elements of the setting of this book, such as the era of the “secret” and the music. The two main characters are in their late thirties, and a couple of times their remarks seem more likely of twenty-somethings, but I suppose we all pick up the slang of the younger generation.

I’m not sure I would reread (except to see if the published edition was a bit more polished), but I would definitely like to read Ms. O’Neal’s previous books, as well as highly recommend The Secret of Everything to others. show less

Summary:

After a horrible accident, Tessa Harlow takes a trip to New Mexico in order to sort things out. She is officially there to scout out new locations for tours for the company she works for, but there are also personal reasons for her trip. Tessa grew up on a commune in this area of New Mexico, and though she has lost most of her memories from that time, she is curious to see if she can make any connections with her past while she’s there. However, Tessa makes more connections than she expects in the little town as she’s coming to terms with her accident and uncovers questions from her past that she can’t find the answer to.

Review:

The Secret of Everything is a book that is incredibly similar to O’Neal’s debut, The Lost show more Recipe for Happiness. There is a damaged heroine that needs to come to terms with something that happened in her past, painful physical injuries to overcome, and food. Wonderful food. The cuisine in this novel is so delectably described that the reader can taste it. O’Neal has a wonderful talent at making the food in her novels incredibly delicious, even if you can’t physically taste what she’s describing.

Despite the similarities to The Lost Recipe for Happiness, this book actually works a lot better in terms of fluidity in the story. The main character, Tessa, is a wonderfully drawn and easy to get to know. She’s smart and strong, but yet is left vulnerable because of her accident. O’Neal develops her very well, and the reader can really identify with Tessa.

I loved O’Neal’s descriptions of New Mexico – she really made me want to go visit the area she was describing in her novel. Like the discussion of food, O’Neal’s descriptions of New Mexico made it palpable to the reader. I could taste the arid air and see the beauty of the area. It was wonderfully enjoyable to read – O’Neal really is a master of description and details in novels.

If O’Neal was trying to establish a formula with her books, she’s certainly succeeded. The Secret of Everything improves upon her last book, ironing out rough spots and discarding unnecessary plot lines. It sets the stage for wonderful novels in the future. Though I’m not the biggest fan of formulas, I actually like the one O’Neal has come up with – she’s a talented enough writer to where the formula doesn’t jump out at you. I look forward to seeing how she improves on it in her next novel! show less

The Secret of Everything is a beautiful story about love and family, good food and gorgeous landscape, faithful dogs and a mysterious town. Tessa is a hiking tour guide who is recovering from a traumatic, near drowning experience. As she recovers strange memories from her mysterious childhood begin to surface. She sets out for Los Ladrones, the small town in New Mexico where she was born, in an attempt to uncover the truth.

What a gorgeous book! The strength here is in the real, down to earth characters. I just fell in love with them and then became so wrapped up in their stories I couldn't put the book down. The detailed descriptions of New Mexican landscape, its ferocious storms, and the enticing food are icing on the cake. The plot is show more unique enough to be interesting and only requires a little suspension of belief. Barbara O'Neal writes the kind of captivating novels that keep me up late at night turning pages. I will anxiously awaite her next one! show less

This book was wonderful. I don't know if it is because I recently visited New Mexico myself and fell in love with it or the way the author so deftly weaves food throughout the story or maybe it was even the tastefully orchestrated romance and mystery, but I really, really enjoyed the story. I've read only one other book by O'Neal and immensely enjoyed it as well. I will definitely be adding the rest of her books to my "to-read" list.