Rhythm of Secrets - review

The Rhythm of Secrets by Patti Lacy is an intriguing novel about a pastor's wife who has a "secret" past. I enjoyed the glimpse into life in the mid-20th-century and appreciated the life lessons that were the focus of the novel.

Since 1955, Sheila Franklin, a talented musician, has perfectly performed the role of devout pastor’s wife, locking away her past as Sheba Alexander and Sylvia Allen. Her carefully constructed façade crumbles with a single phone call from a young Marine named Samuel, the illegitimate son she secretly put up for adoption. Samuel begs Sheila to use her government contacts to get his fiancé, Mali, a Thai prostitute, into America. A dangerous mixture of love and guilt spurs her to help her only child even though it devastates her husband Edward and exposes her questionable past. After a quarrel with Edward, Sheila and Samuel board a C-130 for Thailand and then search Bangkok’s steamy streets for a Madonna-faced prostitute. The two whisk Mali from a brothel but are seized by a warlord who considers Mali his “number one girl.” In a teak “ghost house,” Sheila discovers God’s grace and gains the freedom she needs to find her own identity—Sheila, Sylvia, and Sheba. A framed story, this novel has roots in the bohemian 1940s New Orleans French Quarter and spans three decades, including the turbulent Vietnam era.

Patti and her publisher, Kregel, are giving away a NOOK prize package worth over $150 to one lucky winner! Enter the Nook eReader Giveaway and you could win:

• A brand new Nook eReader with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift certificate to Barnes and Noble

Patti will be announcing the winner of The Rhythm of Secrets NOOK giveaway at her Party on Facebook February 16th! She’ll be hosting a book club discussion of The Rhythm of Secrets and giving away other fun prizes! (signed copies of her books and gift certificates to Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, and iTunes!). Don’t miss the fun at Patti’s FB Author Page on February 16th at 5pm PST (6 pm MST, 7 pm CST, & 8 pm EST)!

Thank you to LitFuse Group for sending me a review copy and allowing me to participate in the blog tour for this title.