In 1996, Beth and her siblings are moving their dad into a care facility, as he suffers from heart failure coupled with dementia. Beth is a new mom to her baby Noah and is struggling with motherhood, but decides to take on the task of cleaning out their father’s home since the other siblings lead busier lives.

Beth’s dad kept his house meticulous, even until the end, but she discovers the attic is locked and once opened, Beth uncovers a room of chaos. And among it, she finds letters written by her mother, back in the 1950s. Beth always believed her mother died in a car accident, but the letters reveal that something more sinister might’ve happened and her dad could’ve been lying all these years. And Beth and her mother had more in common than she ever could’ve imagined.

Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer is a powerful story of family and motherhood, told in dual timelines across two generations of women. My heart aches for the characters in this story and I loved watching this bittersweet story unfold. There’s a mild mystery element in here, but there isn’t some huge twist at the end, just a conclusion to a sad family tale. Kelly’s done it again with this impactful story! 5/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kelly Rimmer and Grayson House for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The author seamlessly wove these two stories together, past and present, so that we realize what the stakes are for these women. It was a very compelling read.
Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Grace and Beth are two women dealing with postpartum depression, separated by forty years. Grace is a young mother of four in 1956, and each pregnancy has led to a year of worsening depression. Beth is her youngest daughter, who has finally managed to have a child after years of infertility, but is struggling to feel like a competent parent. Grace died when Beth was young, and her death was rarely discussed, let alone any emotional difficulty she experienced during pregnancy and her children’s first year of life. To make life even more difficult, Beth’s beloved father is in the end stages of organ failure and dementia. Truths I Never Told You alternates between Beth’s experience and letters Grace wrote in place of a diary.

I found this book compulsively readable, and was engaged with the story right off the bat. Fans of Jodi Picoult or relationship fiction are in the right place if they are searching for a new read. Truths I Never Told You is an ultimately empowering and hopeful story, but it’s not a happy story. In my opinion, the reality of postpartum depression deserves more works like this, reminding those who experience this issue that they are not alone and that their stories are valid. We’ve come far in our treatment and understanding of postpartum depression since 1956, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Postpartum depression is a serious problem, but it is not discussed at large. I really appreciate seeing a book that touches that subject - not as a taboo, but as something that can happen, and in fact, it happens pretty often. While it is not the main topic of this book, it is an important message in it.
This book is about four siblings that decide to go through their father's stuff when he is sick with dementia and needs to be moved to a care facility. And while digging the past they discovered many surprising things about their mother, who supposedly died in a car accident when they were kids.
It's a story about revisiting the past, forgiveness, and parenthood, told in parallel between the mother's point of view back in 1959 and the youngest daughter's point of view in 1996.

Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer releases on April 14, 2020. This book shares the hard topic of post-partum depression in a very real way that a lot of women could probably relate to. This story was told from the perspective of 3 different women in the same family during 2 different time periods. The story took some surprising turns and confirms that I really enjoy Kelly Rimmer as an author. Thanks to Netgalley and Graydon House for this review copy.

Beth and her siblings, Tim, Jeremy, and Ruth are faced with the harsh reality of moving their ailing father into assisted living. Their father, Patrick, has rapidly declined into dementia, leaving the four children he raised to emotionally manage as well as take care of his beloved house. Beth, a new mother, volunteers to clean up the house and go through Patrick’s things to escape the dreaded feelings of caring for her son. What Beth finds is connections to her mother she never knew, and unanswered questions that she desperately wants.

Truths I Never Told You is one part mystery and one part heavy themes exploring family relationships, societal pressures, and mental health. Split between Beth’s perspective and the letters of her mother and aunt, the novel unfolds truths through both present day and episodes from the past. It shows the similarities between Beth and her mother that she never knew, which was something that I really appreciated.

Overall, this was a slower read for me. I liked the bit of mystery within the story of the past, which fed my desire to continue reading. I felt that the present day plot line moved slowly, and I wanted to just get through those parts to find out more about the past. I enjoyed it nonetheless, and would recommend it to people who like novels with strong themes and a bit of mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Publisher, and Kelly Rimmer for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a beautiful and heartbreaking book. Beth is the mother of a new baby and is struggling with undiagnosed postpartum depression. She knows things aren't right but isn't ready to face the truth even though her husband and siblings continue to insist something is wrong. On top of that, Beth's father is slowly dying of dementia. To avoid her problems and her family, Beth volunteers to clean out the family home after their father is moved into a nursing home. What she finds shocks her....letters left behind from her long deceased mother that indicate maybe her death wasn't a simple car accident after all. As Beth digs deeper into the mystery of her family's past, she starts to question everything she ever thought she knew about her father, her childhood, and herself. This story is told in multiple alternating viewpoints, and while some readers may struggle with some of the issues discussed, they are important and relevant. This book highlights the need for women to have autonomy over their own bodies and reproductive decisions, and is a reminder of how much we have to lose if things return to what they once were.

Ooof. Rimmer has been getting a reputation as an emotionally heavy-hitting author, and she isn’t shying away from another difficult topic with Truths I Never Told You, in which a family discovers tragedy in their mother’s past, and which is reflective in the current day.

Beth and her siblings have quickly succumbed to the fact that their father’s advancing dementia is too much for them to juggle, no matter how much effort and teamwork they try to balance. Only wanting what is best for their father, who raised them after their mother died, the siblings move him into a nursing home. Beth, a psychologist who is struggling with a personal battle against post-partum depression, offers to take the time to clean out her father’s- and her childhood- home. While clearing out the attic, she finds a series of paintings and letters that reveal the story behind her mother’s passing, and her own struggle with post-partum depression.

As much as I love a heavy-hitting, emotional novel, Rimmer’s latest novel wasn’t my favorite of hers. There’s a little more repetition in the writing, a slower pace, and it was a little too predictable. Because the topic was so heavy, I struggled to keep momentum while reading it, and although it was intriguing, I didn’t particularly want to dive into that novel- and of course, I’d been reading it just as COVID-19 was starting to break out in the USA- a heavy read just wasn’t ideal.

So, I sit squarely in the middle of the star ratings with Truths I Never Told You, as Rimmer’s novel certainly puts a necessary spotlight on a women’s perspective from post-partum depression and the importance of women’s health care- just in a really heavy way.

Considering that Rimmer's last book *The Things We Cannot Say* was on my list of favorite reads last year, I was thrilled to pick this one up and immerse myself in her writing once again. This time hitting the hard and misunderstood topic of postpartum depression. Well-written and thoroughly compelling, I read this book in 1 day and just put everything else on pause until I found a good spot to stop reading. Unfortunately for other involved, I I was no good to anyone until the last page was read.

What a book. Before I start my review, let me spoil my review, I loved this book. This one swept me away and was the perfect read to get me out of a reading funk and keep my attention during the pandemic that was going through our world in March 2020. This is such a good book.

Beth Walsh is the youngest of four children and she has spent quite a few years with her husband trying to start a family. She has reached her goal and they have a healthy baby boy, but motherhood and parenthood is what she thought it was and she doesn't know if this is the life she was meant to have after all. At the same time that the reader is getting to know Beth and her siblings and their families, there are letters and stories from her mother telling her tale of how she met their father and how her life turned out.

I loved the plot, the characters and the way this story was written. The way that the mother's letters and story was interspersed throughout completely worked and everything was clearly marked with names and dates, so the reader knows where they are and who is talking at all times. The author dropped the information needed at just the right time, I wasn't wondering for too long about anything, but the pacing was just right.

I wouldn't say this is one of those books with a current storyline and a historical, it is just two generations telling their story and the reader gets to enjoy how they line up.

Beware this is one of those books that you want a post it note, so you can do a quick family tree so you can keep all the names and the kids and the generations in line. This didn't bother me because once you have it written down you can refer to it, but super helpful to have a guide.

I read a number of books with multiple time lines, such as this. However, things were a bit uneven in their development. Closer to the end, there seems to be a bit of an info dump. It's interesting, but it feels thrown together. The ending also is a bit abrupt. Overall, the pace was a bit too slow for my taste, and I had a hard time getting into this and staying engaged, which was unfortunate, as I thought the book had a lot of promise.
Rimmer did do a great job of showing the struggles of a new mother when dealing with mental health issues.

A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beth Walsh and her three siblings have made the difficult decision to put their father into a care facility. Beth is on an extended maternity leave, and she decides that she will clean out his house. Truth be told, she's struggling with motherhood and could use the break. Deciding to bring her dad some of his art supplies, she makes her way up to the attic—her former childhood playroom now art studio—and is surprised to discover that the door is padlocked. But even more shocking is what's inside. Amongst his paintings, her father has been hoarding junk and there are papers everywhere.

Picking her way through the chaos, Beth finds what appears to be a journal entry in her late mother's handwriting. The children grew up believing that their mother had died in a car accident when they were very young, but this note suggests otherwise. Their mother, Grace, was a woman crippled from postpartum depression and her husband, Patrick, was not the caring and wonderful father that the siblings know and love. He was drinking heavily and profoundly unhappy. Grace hung on by writing her deepest, darkest thoughts and fears into a notebook that she kept hidden from Patrick.

What Beth learns is that even though they were separated by decades, she has strong emotional ties to her mother. Beth and Grace share the same overwhelming struggles and stigma attached to postpartum depression. They are bound by the expectations society places on women of every generation.

Truths I Never Told You is a harrowing look at the complexities of motherhood, the limitations of memory, and how lies can tear a family apart.

I recently attending an amazing #HarperPresents event in Toronto with Kelly Rimmer.

The novel takes a deep dive into postpartum depression, even decades apart. Although categorized as historical fiction, there is an added layer of mystery. Told from Beth in the 90s and Grace's notes from the 50s, Rimmer depicts what life was like, and is still like for women that are suffering.

Moving and poignant, Rimmer's latest issue-driven work is strongly paced with some well-timed plot twists. The characters are complex and considered. Although there are some heavier topics, Rimmer tackles them with care and compassion—you can tell she did her research.

This will make an excellent book club choice.

Believing she is a bad mother, Beth does not address her postpartum depression. After she and her siblings move their father into a care facility due to his deepening dementia, she volunteers to clean out their family home. Behind the padlocked door to their childhood playroom, Beth discovers her father’s mysterious paintings that seem to correspond to notes left by her mother, unlocking a family secret that may provide a connection with her mother and become her saving grace. Rimmer presents a complex family dynamic to which many could relate, and then explodes it with a secret so horrifying, it remained hidden for decades. Anyone who has discovered their family secret will definitely identify with the feelings of betrayal and questioning their identity. I received a digital copy of this wonderful story from the publisher Graydon House through NetGalley.

Truths I Never Told You

Rating: 4

Would I recommend it? Yes

Will I read anything else by this author? maybe

Now on to what I thought of the book.

Truths I Never Told You is the first book by a new and up an coming author Kelly Rimmer, and it tells the story of a family finding out abut secrets that their father has kept from them out their entire lives , it also deals with the father having dementia and how the family handles that as well as their own day to day lives. As for the story itself its well written and the plot has twists and turns that make it a powerful tale that is very compelling , as well as relatable and emotionally charged, ( side note : this could be seen to some as a trigger warning ) and the story just flows together. With that said I want to thank Harlequin -Graydon House Books as well as NetGalley for inviting me to read and review it

This book... where do I even begin with it. It was beautifully written and I am absolutely in awe of Kelly Rimmer's ability to seamlessly weave two timelines together. This book just kicked my butt emotionally. As someone who suffers from depression this book just spoke right to my heart. I had to stop reading at one point because parts of this book were hitting so close to home. It is written in a series of current narrative from one person as well as journal entries from a separate character. at this point I will read anything that Kelly Rimmer writes because I have fallen in love with her writing style. The way that she tells this story is just phenomenal. Though it was difficult to read in parts. I kind of fell in love with some of the characters and while they were terribly flawed the process they went through to deal with their depression. I love the close knit family that is portrayed in this book. All in all it was a fantastic book and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

A moving novel about postpartum depression and its effect on women and their families. The story alternates between Grace, a woman in the 1950’s married to a man who does not believe on birth control. As she has her 4th child under five in less than five years, she experiences intensive depression and feelings of isolation. Her daughter Beth, now a woman of the 1990’s, is also suffering after having her first son. Unaware of her mother’s experience, having lost her Mom at a young age, Beth struggles with the help of her sister Ruth, her husband and her brothers. The novel held my interest and was difficult to read about the depth of the depression, but I recommend it, especially for the description of women and their rights when it comes to decisions about their own bodies. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer is fiction but could easily be a story that is real. Being a mother is really hard and not many people talk about this. So when Beth has trouble coping with her newborn, it’s easier to throw herself into cleaning her parent’s old house than it is to be home with her baby.

Going through all the stuff accumulated through the years is an enormous undertaking but Beth is glad to do it. Once in the midst of sorting through the old papers and books, she comes across her (now deceased) mother’s old journal entry. She discovers her mother didn’t die in a car accident as she and her siblings were led to believe. What really happened? Maybe there was more to her mother and her father too than she ever knew.



Here’s the official synopsis:

With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.

As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.

This is a beautifully written book that tackles post-partum depression, caring for older parents, siblings, parenting, secrets. The book goes between 1996 with Beth and 1957 with her mother Grace but what links them through time is their struggles and severity of their overwhelming emotions.

A deep and intense read about a subject we should probably talk about more. Truths I Never told you will be out on April 14. I’d love to see this as a movie!

Terrific book. Absolutely loved it. Compelling characters and story line. Kept me interested the entire time.

Truths I Never Told You is an amazing book with dual time lines. It tells the story of Grace, a mother of 4, married to Patrick in 1957. After all 3 of her pregnancies, Grace suffered with postpartum depression. We find out about Grace's life through journal entries her daughter Beth finds when cleaning out her father's house. Beth's story is told in 1996. Patrick has dementia and is being moved into a care facility. Beth and her siblings have always been told their mother had died in a car accident but going through Patrick's house they find journal entries from their mom. As Beth and her siblings put together the mystery of what really happened to their mom, the reader is entangled in both women's lives. I loved the characters in this book. I felt their ups and downs and everything in between.I loved how Beth connected with the mom she can not remember through the journal entries. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I give Truths I Never Told You 3.5 stars.
Beth lost her mother when she was young but had a wonderful father who worked hard to support her. In 1996, she has a baby of her own and is struggling with the idea of being good enough. At the same time, she is dealing with the terminal illness of her father. Since she can not help with the health, she throws herself into cleaning up his house but she wasn't expecting to find evidence that her mother's death wasn't a car accident like she had been told. To deal with her own issues of motherhood, she digs deeper to get to the mystery of the family she is part of,
Mostly, I enjoyed the story. The variety of perspectives weave a generational tale of what it's like to be a mother and how they are expected to be able to do it all. Kelly Rimmer thoughtfully weaves questions about postpartum depression, abortion, and motherhood as a whole. Beth will be familiar to many a mother and her journeying one they know. And even if you aren't a mother, the novel looks at losing a parent and how adult children deal with that legacy. Many will understand the suffering of a child as their parent becomes ill. Navigating the generational stories, each family member has unique issues that truly reflect many things we have readers have gone through in our own life making this book a tale for all adult ages.
The biggest issue is that the timing isn't balanced. The present story is equally mixed with the past until about the last quarter of the book. THen the author dumps the most important stuff quickly and densely. This is the real story and it is not given teh same balance as the beginning. It also gives an abrupt and unrealistic change of the present storyline. Even then after making the ability to say no to children a huge point for teh book, teh characters encourage one of their family members to get back together with his ex even though he's not ready for a baby at teh moment and she is. While this is a minor point, it felt dishonest to teh rest of teh narrative.
With a great start, Truths I Never Told builds a mystery that keeps you turning the pages. While teh novel doesn't take teh time to truly unpack teh climax, teh story itself is truly compelling.