Simple Truths I Never Told You

Welcome back, friends! Thanks for coming back for another review. This week I’m reviewing Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer. And I’ve chosen to make a Simple Truth (for obvious name/pun reasons) for my cocktail. It’s a lovely drink, and I think it matches this beautiful book perfectly. Enjoy the review!

Simple Truth Recipe

1.5oz White Rum

0.5oz Campari

0.5oz Grapefruit Juice

0.75oz Pineapple Juice

0.5oz Simple Syrup

0.5oz Chrysanthemum Tea*

3 Sage Leaves

*Chrysanthemum tea is optional.

In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine all ingredients (p.s. I like to rip up the sage leaves before adding them) and shake for around 10 seconds. Next, strain into a nick and nora glass. Then garnish with a slice of grapefruit and a sage leaf to finish it off. The normal Simple Truth cocktail is supposed to have a dehydrated grapefruit slice for garnish, but I didn’t want to order any and who has the time to cook a slice of grapefruit until it’s dehydrated? Not me. So if you’re a little lazy like I am, just add a small triangular wedge of fresh grapefruit instead. And don’t forget, my special ingredient, chrysanthemum tea, is optional. So it’s up to you if you want to try my Simple Truth or a classic version, sans chrysanthemum.

I chose chrysanthemum tea because I wanted my special ingredient this week to be about motherhood since it’s a theme of the novel. But, when trying to google “moms and drinks” all I got was breastfeeding, and that’s not the vibe I’m going for. So I asked my mom what kind of “mom things” would work in my drink and she came up with chrysantheMUMs. Then, after some searching, I found chrysanthemum tea and decided that would be perfect. Personally, I liked the cocktail with and without the tea, but my boyfriend preferred it with the tea! So take it upon yourself which Simple Truth version to try. If you want to make my version, chrysanthemum tea can be bought at most tea shops or at Walmart (where it comes in a six pack of juice boxes).

Synopsis

Truths I Never Told You follows Beth, a new mother, as she tries to come to terms with motherhood. Then, as her father’s health deteriorates, Beth takes on the responsibility of cleaning the family home. But while Beth sorts through her family’s past, she struggles with postpartum depression. Meanwhile, interspersed between Beth’s chapters, we learn about Grace—the mother Beth hardly knew. Struggling with her own depression, Grace attempts to raise four children with an absent husband. But as Beth discovers notes left by her mother, she questions if this unreliable man could be the same loving father she knows. And, if this has been kept from her, what other mysteries will be revealed as she continues to search? Delving into societal expectations of women through the years, Truths I Never Told You tells the beautiful tale of a mother and daughter’s unknowingly shared struggles and the secrets families keep.

Review

“I had no idea that loneliness is worse than sadness. I’ve come to realize that’s because loneliness, by its very definition, cannot be shared.”

Another book about depression. I guess these types of books stand out to me for a reason! But despite the sad storyline, I again thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Truths I Never Told You is a lovely story about family, specifically mothers and daughters. And as a daughter with depression, this book draws easy connections for me. It is also extremely well written and the characters are realistic and relatable, which, as I’ve said before, are my two main signals of a good novel.

The writing is my biggest standout for this novel. While I don’t think many books are quite on par with My Dark Vanessa, this one is close. The way Rimmer handles the topic of depression is similar to My Dark Vanessa, and I appreciate the truth behind the words and how clear the descriptions are. Rimmer does such a good job of discussing these dark topics that I sometimes had to pause because, as someone who’s struggled with depression for roughly 10 years, it was strange to read things I’ve thought myself. So it stands out to me when a novel goes beyond the typical “I’m sad a lot” notion of depression that so many novels, TV shows, and movies seem to lean towards.

Away from the depression point, the writing in general is beautiful. It evokes emotion from the reader, and tells the story in a flowingly descriptive way. The hauntingly beautiful descriptions stand out and show off Rimmer’s writing expertise. These descriptions draw you into the story and paint a perfect picture in your head, which adds to the emotional connection made with the characters. And the characters themselves are great. They’re so unique from each other, all having their own clear voices and ideas, but still deeply connected to one another. Though I related to both Beth and Grace, I especially loved Grace’s sections because they were slightly more eloquent. But honestly every chapter was so remarkably well written and captivating, it’s hard to decide which sections were better.

Apart from the writing and characters, the story itself was lovely, so I don’t have many negatives. My biggest downside is that it’s a bit slow and lacks some excitement. While a slower, serious book is good once in a while, I still want action. But, despite the slowness of the novel, I didn’t find it particularly boring. The mystery surrounding Grace adds an extra layer to the story that made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. So, while it had a slow buildup, the story was interesting enough to hook me. And the writing honestly heightened the novel so much that I would read it even if I didn’t enjoy the storyline. But if you prefer action-packed novels, this one may not be for you; however, I typically prefer a murder mystery or thriller, and I still liked this novel, so keep that in mind!

Similar to My Dark Vanessa, Truths I Never Told You shows a deeper side of depression and does so in a beautiful way. Rimmer also does a fantastic job of bringing you into this normal family’s world and stirring up your emotions. All in all, I definitely recommend this novel if you enjoy family dramas that discuss serious current topics and handle them with respect. As always, whether or not you want to readTruths I Never Told You, I still recommend you try the Simple Truth cocktail the next time you want a fancy drink. And if you read the book or try the drink, please let me know what you think!

My Rating:

Thanks for reading, and if you haven’t yet read my previous reviews, The Black Shadows, The Perfect Guest List, The Glass Hotel Nacional, and My Dark and Stormy Vanessa, click to read them now!

Teghann

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