A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison

4.5/5 Stars.

I was surprised by how much I loved this book. It’s so much more complex and beautiful than the cover suggests, combining elements of family drama and mystery in a brilliantly paced narrative.

In the format of a letter to her absent adult son, Annie Black recounts the events that would ultimately come to disrupt their happy family. Before marrying her husband of 20+ years, Annie spent a year in London, where she became intricately involved in the lives of her much older boss, his wife and his wife’s lover. Now, all these years later, Annie’s past has reentered her life, and the consequences of her youthful indiscretions threaten to destroy everything she holds dear.

Annie’s story jumps back and forth as she digs into her past, finding to her dismay that her memories may have failed her over the years. This is a profound story about many things: the infallibility of memory, the choices we make, and the lies we tell — not only to ones we love, but to ourselves.

In Ellison’s remarkable debut novel, she eloquently explores the complexities of love, marriage and relationships of all kinds while slowly unraveling a deeply engrossing story.