THE SECRET BOOK SOCIETY

In a soft, melodic voice, Saskia Maarleveld breathes life into this novel set in 1895 London. Lady Duxbury, a three-time widow who survived an abusive marriage, shelters three vulnerable young women under the guise of a book club. Eleanor, a physically and emotionally abused mother; Rose, an American dollar princess; and Lavinia, a bullied young woman with a domineering father, find safety and support in Lady Duxbury's drawing room and library. Maarleveld adopts a barely differentiated tone for each woman, except for the jarringly hard edges of the American, Rose. Maarleveld's narration pulls listeners along as the novel shifts its point of view among the women, all of whom are finding courage through their reading of 19th-century fiction. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2025]