The Secret of Everything

This book doesn't belong in the top tier because it's not life-changing or edifying in any way, but boy does it entertain! It was the quintessential "beach book" and, if truth be told, probably a "chick book." It was just what I needed to push away the winter doldrums and get my mind off anything stressful, and I carried it with me so I could read whenever I was waiting for anything (dentist's office, meetings, etc.). Tessa Harlow is recuperating from an injury sustained when a landslide occurred while she was leading a hiking tour group in the mountains and one of the members was swept into the river and drowned. Tessa's own rescue from the river awakened long-dormant memories of a similar rescue when she was a child, an accident about which her father has been strangely quiet, though it was responsible for her mother's death. Drawn to the New Mexico town of Las Ladronas and thinking it would be the ideal destination for a future tour group, Tessa finds herself embroiled in a series of strange emotions and coincidences that add layer upon layer to the mystery of her life and questions about the relationships between people in the story who seem to be so drawn to each other. Of course there is delicious love interest in the person of Vince Grasso, a handsome widower with three appealing little girls, one of whom is troubled over the death of her own mother and to whom Tessa feels especially drawn. The book's appeal is heightened by the charming presence of very affectionate dogs and the sprinkling of real recipes (the author is actually a food professional herself). The recipes remind the reader of the power of good, nourishing food, lovingly prepared, to comfort and heal. I was so sorry when this book ended...it gave great pleasure.

This book is wonderful. As Tessa searches for and discovers the secret of everything we become involved in a touching story of love. Barbara O'Neal has such a marvelous talent when it comes to her women. They are strong and confident, graceful and gutsy. While they connect with each other you are inextricably drawn to them. The Secret of Everything is as satisfying as chocolate melting in the mouth. It is to be savored and read again.

Following the total disaster in Montana, thirty seven years old hiking tour guide Tessa Harlow returns home to her father Sam the surfer dude in Santa Cruz. While her foot is in a cast healing, mentally Tessa thinks about her birthplace, Las Ladronas, New Mexico. Tessa decides it is time to truly go home. .In Las Ladronas, Tessa meets single dad Vince Grasso and his three girls (Natalie, Hannah and Jade). Vince and Tessa become lovers, but she warns him she is a rolling stone so will one day leave as a "wanderer" does. Tessa also investigates her past starting with the 100 Breakfasts diner. As she and Vince fall in love, the kids come first. This is an engaging character study as Barbara O'Neal gets deep into the spirit of each key player, which is more than just the charming quintet. The story line is driven by a combination of romance, children in need of a caring mom, the mental healing power of delicious food, and a bit of mystery of what happened to the little girl who left town almost three decades ago. In spite of quoting Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, the climax is too abrupt resolving issues wider than the state in a flash. Still The Secret of Everything is worth reading as Ms. O'Neal reveals the poignant answer as Tessa finds her Tao in this enchanting tale. Harriet Klausner

Tessa Harlow enjoyed leading hiking tours until the hike that had a nightmarish ending. Feeling tremendous guilt and responsibility for the incident she goes to her father's home to heal. From the time of the accident she has flashbacks from her early childhood - memories that don't make sense. Feeling a pull to the area where she spent the first years of her life, Tessa heads to New Mexico to scout possible hiking tours and that's where her journey really begins. By meeting people who are new to her but from her past Tessa starts to put pieces together that lead her to the truth of her early years. I enjoyed Tessa's journey of discovery and how she learns to make reparations. It seems that more than a few characters in the book are looking for a way to make amends in their lives and find that they can help each other along the way. The depth given to the major characters had me pulling for each one. My favorite was Natalie, the daughter of Tessa's lover. Natalie is grieving the loss of her mother and is acting out. Tessa feels a connection and wants to help her. I loved how the author makes that happen. Barbara O'Neal's writing is beautiful and evocative. Her descriptions of sights, smells, and sounds give wonderful atmosphere to Los Ladrones - the small New Mexico town where the story takes place. I enjoyed reading The Secret of Everything and look forward to more novels by Barbara O'Neal.

When I picked up this book at Target, I didn't realize it was written by the same author of The Lost Recipe For Happiness, another book I truly enjoyed and own. About 1/4 of the way through the book, I checked the authors on both books and realized they were the same. O'Neal's style of writing is so descriptive and unique. While you can read the book's summary in, well, the summary section, I'll explain what I thought made this book special. Tessa, the main character, has no recollection of her early years, and as the book evolves, the details of her past come out, one at a time, and tie all of her present day connections together. Tessa visits Los Ladrones to create a touring company there and to revisit the site of her early childhood, and ends up falling for a widower and his three feisty young girls and his dogs. He seems eerily familiar to Tessa, but she doesn't know why until the end of the book. She feels strange connections with many people in the town, but can't really explain that either. Tessa visits and becomes familiar with a local farm that used to be the hippie commune in which she was said to be born. She starts having flashbacks, and pieces things together, until her father helps her put the pieces together and fills in the missing ones. The descriptions in this book are outstanding; the reader feels as though she is right there with Tessa in the local breakfast diner, in the hippie commune, looking at her childhood bedroom through confused adult eyes. O'Neal also does an excellent job of portraying the relationship between Tessa and her father, who is actually a good, moral, kind father figure that has not given Tessa any "issues" to deal with. As an animal lover, I also love O'Neal's habit of entwining animals into the story. There are 6 main "dog characters" in the story, as well as a cat that pretty much saves one woman's mental well-being. The animals help the emotional healing of the characters, and each have their own unique personalities that are definitely not embellished or romanticized. I was intrigued by the descriptions and tales of the hippie commune. It showed the changing on an era, what happens when Utopia goes wrong, and how even the best of intentions are not always enough. This book kept me sucked in until the very last page. I even skipped my three favorite tv shows to finish it up. Well worth getting!! I'm sure I'll read it again. Great job, Barbara O'Neal! You've written another fabulous page-turner!