Review: If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman

Title: If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: 366 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

For fans of This Is Us comes a story of a family divided and the secret that can possibly unite them – a life-affirming novel with a twist will break your heart and an ending that will put it together again. 

 A secret between two sisters.

A lifetime of lies unraveling.

Can one broken family find their way back to each other?

Audrey’s dream as a mother had been for her daughters, Jess and Lily, to be as close as only sisters can be. But now, as adults, they no longer speak to each other, and Audrey’s two teenage granddaughters have never met. Audrey just can’t help feeling like she’s been dealt more than her fair share as she’s watched her family come undone over the years, and she has no idea how to fix her family as she wonders if they will ever be whole again.

If only Audrey had known three decades ago that a secret could have the power to split her family in two, and yet, also keep them linked. And when hostilities threaten to spiral out of control, a devastating choice that was made so many years ago is about to be revealed, testing this family once and for all.

Once the truth is revealed, will it be enough to put her family back together again or break them apart forever?

Review:

If Only I Could Tell You by Hannah Beckerman is a deeply affecting novel about family, secrets and ultimately, healing.

Matriarch Audrey Siskin would like nothing more for her daughters Lily Goldsmith and Jess to end their thirty year estrangement. Jess is a single mum to seventeen year old Mia and she is quite resistant to mending the rift between her and Lily. Lily is married to Daniel and their daughter Phoebe is also seventeen.  Jess refuses to allow Mia to have anything to do with her cousin nor does she discuss her childhood. But when Audrey attempts to facilitate a reunion between her two daughters, will Jess finally reveal why she cut off all ties with Lily nearly thirty years earlier?

Jess works long hours and has long relied on Audrey to fill in the parenting gaps.  She also has high expectations for Mia and she has her daughter’s future all planned out.  Jess still remains extremely angry and resentful toward Lily but she is also insatiably curious about her sister’s life. How will Jess react to Audrey’s attempts to persuade her to heal the rift with Lily?

On paper, Lily has the perfect life. Both she and Daniel work hard at their respective jobs and they are always striving to reach their career goals.  With an upcoming change in her life as Daniel pursues his next promotion, Lily is a little worried about their future.  She is also a bit uncertain how to deal with Phoebe and she is unsure how to mend their strained relationship. Lily has no idea why Jess is so angry with her and with her life in turmoil, will she be amenable to Audrey’s efforts to help them end their estrangement?

If Only I Could Tell You is an emotionally compelling novel that is fast-paced and engaging. The characters are vibrantly developed with all too human foibles. The Siskin family troubles stretch back to Jess and Lily’s childhood but exactly what happened to tear their family apart?  Hannah Beckerman keeps readers on the edge of their seats as this endearing novel comes to a heartwarming yet poignant conclusion.  An engrossing story that I enjoyed and recommend to fans of family-centric novels.