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Julie Anderson
, September 01, 2008
(view all comments by Julie Anderson)
What makes a mother? Genes? Childbirth? Love? And once a mother bonds with her child, is there anything that can break that bond? Diane Chamberlainâs novel âThe Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkesâ gives us the story of a teenage mother and her child. But thereâs a lot more to it than just that and one small review canât possibly describe the incredible and fascinating twists and turns the story takes.
CeeCeeâs mother died when she was just twelve. But she left her daughter a legacy of letters. Each letter intended for different days, some special some not, in CeeCeeâs future life. And each chapter in this book thatâs about CeeCee opens with quotes or paragraphs from one of those letters. An intelligent and gifted child, CeeCee completes her schooling early and is currently working towards getting into college and waiting tables when the book opens. But CeeCee is starving for love and naïve as only a 16 year old can be. Even when the reader sees the train wreck coming, you still wince and want to rail at CeeCee for her actions. Her love and longing for love results in her involvement in an unspeakable crimeâat 16. Now, sheâs on the run with a newborn and before she can figure a way out of this mess, sheâs in love againâ¦with the newborn she names Cory. Thus begins the live of Eve, formerly CeeCee.
Eve lives as a single mother and eventually loves and marries. But she can never stop looking over her shoulder. And 26 years later, the dead motherâs body is discovered. Now a man stands accused of murder and CeeCee/Eve is the only one who can prevent his death. To admit her involvement will destroy her family and their careers. To do nothing will destroy her.
As I read this story, I found myself trying to think of what I would have done if I were CeeCee. Lured into something she would never have consideredâ¦except for love. Forced into circumstances she could never have imaginedâ¦except for love. Then trying to build a life and find some happiness. And finally having to make decisions I couldnât imagine in my worst nightmare. Does this make her strong? Or weak? Ms. Chamberlainâs ability to blur the absolute lines of right and wrong is incredible. Her portrayal of life in a southern college town is scarily bang on. Her characters become people you know or people you would like to know, to talk to, to ask questions of. But youâre still aware itâs fiction. And you quietly thank whatever deity you prefer that it is.
âthe Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkesâ is about motherhood and mothers. Itâs about family and what makes a family. Itâs about love and forgiveness and repentance. This is a book Iâm glad I read. It made me think and made me reconsider absolutes. This is one I canât recommend highly enough for those who are looking for more than a quick escape readâ¦because this is surely not that. But it is a book that will draw out your emotions from one end of the scale to the other. And sometimesâ¦thatâs just what we need.
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