The Thread that Binds Us

by Joan Fallon

Have you ever had a secret that you cannot tell anyone - even your closest friend? Susan’s childhood was full of secrets—‘Don’t tell anyone,’ was her mother’s favourite phrase. So when she discovers that her father had an illegitimate child called Michael, she instinctively knows she can’t tell anyone.But Susan isn’t a child anymore—she is a middle-aged woman who is keeping secrets from her husband in her search to find her half-brother. The need to know more about Michael becomes an obsession and she soon finds herself enmeshed in a web of lies and deceit as she tries to track him down.When she and Michael finally meet, Susan is faced with a dilemma—she can walk away and forget about him or she can tell her family and face the consequences.

282 pages, Paperback

Published November 18, 2016

About the author

Joan Fallon was born in Dumfries, Scotland but spent most of her adult life in England. Teacher, management trainer and business woman, she moved to Spain at the beginning of the new millennium and became a writer. Her first published work was a social history, 'Daughters of Spain', inspired by the women she met in her adopted home. Her subsequent books too have grown out of her experiences living and working in Spain. She is especially interested in Spanish history and has set her novels in periods as distinct as the Golden Age of the Moorish conquest and the Spanish Civil War. She is a member of the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Reviews

[Cindy Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good/3.5 stars

This story of a woman who finds out late in life she has an illegitimate half-brother covers the issue from several aspects of her family past and present.

Susan is shocked to learn of her brother and much is covered with regard to her memories as a child and her parents' relationship. Searching out this brother takes on other issues effecting her husband, son and his family.

A lot of area is covered in this plot. Individual feelings are delved into as well as the problems that arise when Susan finally locates her half-brother.

It's a good book to read as it's well-written with regard to dissecting feelings related to families and the old-fashioned way of keeping secrets. It also explains so much about what makes us who we are and what issues impact us as we age.

Recommend to readers, and don't give up after the first few chapters. It's well worth reading through to the end.

[Lucinda Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?
I was intrigued to read this book as I also discovered I had a stepbrother I had never met. It’s a well written book, but I became a little frustrated with Susan and her secret. She is determined to find Michael yet protect her parents’ image. However, despite not being in tune with the main character, I found it difficult to put the book down.