Secrets at the Aviary Inn
Love is a potent force in the surprising novel Secrets at the Aviary Inn, in which unearthed secrets lead to new beginnings.
A woman explores her family background in Secrets at the Aviary Inn, MaryAnn Clarke’s engaging novel about love and second chances.
When Sophie’s unreliable boyfriend abandons her on their trip to England, she’s left without a passport or money to return home. Her strained family circumstances, paired with her shame about wanting to be independent, prevent her from asking her parents for help. She decides to stay and learn more about her mother’s English upbringing. At the quaint Aviary Inn—which is under the care of Mrs. Roxtoby, whose romantic partner disappeared during a World War II bombing and who tends to her aviary with nostalgia—Sophie finds temporary work managing the night desk, generates ideas for revitalizing the inn, and sends postcards home with rosy, artificial anecdotes.
The inn’s employees, including its its cook and its groundskeeper, fill the story in. It is they who reveal elements of Mrs. Roxtoby’s tragic story to Sophie; she also experienced family estrangements, and Sophie feels compelled to help her. There are hints that Sophie’s connection to the inn and its people are deeper than her coincidental similarities with Mrs. Roxtoby, though, generating suspense. However, the truth about Sophie’s connection to Mrs. Roxtoby is somewhat evident early on, making the situation less mysterious than it first seems. Interludes from the perspective of Mrs. Roxtoby’s lover interrupt the novel’s momentum, though they fill in gaps concerning what happened to him.
As Sophie settles into her new routine, she meets a musician whose fondness for history matches hers and befriends her coworker and roommate. Her companions draw forth her resourceful, cheerful nature and make space to hear her worries, aiding her growth through their shared experiences. They go on outings to watch soccer, experience pubs and music, and have perceptive conversations with various elders at the inn.
Love proves to be a potent force in Sophie’s story, too. She navigates her new relationships well, gaining perspective on people’s true characters in the process, and Mrs. Roxtoby’s once-disappointed hopes make a strong impression on her. Interweaving Sophie’s personal and family circumstances with her encounters at the inn, the novel moves with care toward its improbable yet uplifting conclusion.
Secrets at the Aviary Inn is a heartwarming novel about a woman’s work to discover secrets from her family’s past abroad.
Reviewed by
Karen Rigby
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
