The Safety of Secrets
Book Club Selections

Book Club Selections: The Safety of Secrets

Fiona and Patricia have been best friends since the day in first grade that Fiona decided to lend Patricia her Red Bird socks - and never got them back. Through all phases of life they have supported each other, turned to each other, loved each other when it felt like no one else did. They survived not-so-great moms and managed to keep a deep, dark secret from the rest of the world for over 20 years.

So when Patricia becomes "fabulous" as Fiona's husband Neil calls it, and Fiona finally achieves her dream of becoming pregnant, they should be ecstatic for each other. Instead there is a rift that is ever-present and growing leaps and bounds daily. Instead of sharing and supporting one another, each new thing in their lives seems to be pushing them further apart. From Patricia's rash decisions in her love life to Fiona's inability to feel happy for anything Patricia achieves, these girls are headed for a bad parting of ways.

What happens when Patricia guest stars on the most watched talk show of the country, Jessica, sets events in motion that can't possibly be turned back and the thing that may not survive it is their friendship.

Book Club Selections: The Safety of Secrets Opinion

I am sometimes daunted a little by long titles so when I picked up The Safety of Secrets I wasn't sure what to think. I know most people don't give the title a second thought but one of my favorite things about reading a new book is figuring out what might have motivated the author to choose the title. I find it the defining piece of the book.

Turns out this title was just perfect. DeLaune writes about friendship which is not a new theme. However, she really pushes the boundaries of our definitions of friendship by challenging us to decide just how much we can trust someone we consider our "best" friend. Fiona and Patricia have been friends practically their whole lives so if they can't trust each other, who can they trust?

It brings up an interesting thought about female friendships. In the book Fiona's loyalties, no matter how mad she is, are always to Patricia. Even over her husband. She doesn't realize it but each time she promises her husband she won't tell anyone and then runs to tell Patricia, she's putting her friendship over her marriage. There is a fundamental difference between male and female friendships because when a woman tells someone - husband, mother, another friend - "I won't tell anyone," what she really means is "I won't tell anyone EXCEPT my best friend." Let's be honest, we all do this.

This is a very true-to-life story about women and friendships and how easy it is to hurt someone you love when the "safety of a secret" is jeopardized.

Book Club Selections: The Safety of Secrets Discussion Questions

1. Is Patricia too full of herself or does Fiona have trouble celebrating her friends success?
2. Was the "big secret" really so terrible after all?
3. Do you have a first best friend and a "go-to" second best friend for times when the first is unavailable?

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