Author: Natasha Lester
ISBN: 978 0 7336 3465 9
RRP: $29.99
Her Mother’s Secret is a story of hopes, dreams and longing; it’s also very much a story of the society of the times.
In the closing days of the first world war Leo is making mascara in the chemist shop of a small English town and hoping to bring cosmetics into everyday life. This was a time that looked down on women wearing makeup and it was quite stigmatic. Leo dreamed of changing all that; and of creating a lipstick that lasted. She wanted to create makeup for every woman, so that women everywhere could make themselves feel beautiful. Society still believed that mascara and rouge were the warpaint of whores and harlots so they had to be purchased clandestinely, Leo wanted to change all that.
Instead of peace Armistice Day brought Spanish Flu into Leo’s small town and among the many lives it took was that of Leo’s father, having nothing left to keep her in town Leo decides to chase her dreams all the way to New York.
Her Mother’s Secret is the tale of Leo chasing that dream but it’s also the story of her falling in love and everything that encompasses when the man you fall in love with is wealthy and in demand.
There are secrets, lies and betrayals as well as more than one loveless marriage. Appearances and marriages of convenience are an important element of the society of the time, and the story.
Leo arrives in Manhattan full of dreams and big ideas but things aren’t quite so easy. Leo needs a job and somewhere that she can work on her cosmetics on the weekend, neither is easy to secure for a woman but Leo refuses to give up.
Lester has written another fiesty heroine determined to broker change for the women of her time; not content to sit back and do what is expected of her.
The synopsis tells very little of the story and there is so much going on that I don’t want to elaborate on any of that.
Leo is passionate about her cosmetics dreams and determined to see them through, she works tirelessly to make it a reality and she’s not willing to have it handed to her. She would prefer to work herself to the bone to see her dreams realised than have someone hand success to her.
Her Mother’s Secret is an intense read that I had trouble putting down, once I picked it up I was hooked. Leo was a fantastic heroine; bright, determined and loyal. Some of the other female characters were far from admirable and yet even they were redeemed in the end, most of them anyway. I had some theories about what was going on but Lester played her cards well and I was completely surprised by the way things panned out.
An insightful and well researched fictional look at life in the time between the first and second world wars. A time when women were not taken seriously.
I urge you to give this book a go and I challenge you not to fall in love with the characters, the settings and the vivid pictures Lester paints. A story of empowerment and chasing your dreams and not letting the mistakes of the past be repeated down through the generations.
Her Mother’s Secret is book #12 for the Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 2017.
Natasha Lester can be contacted on NatashaLester.com, Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks to Hachette 15 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members will be reading Her Mother’s Secret so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments.
Her Mother’s Secret is published by Hachette and available this April from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Like her previous book A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, Natasha Lester’s latest book Her Mother’s Secret is a wonderful read, and from the first page you become deeply immersed in another time and place.
The book is set in a time when the world was starting to change and emerge from the despair and destruction of the first world war. It was a time for new beginnings and for some like Leonora (Leo) the heroine of this story, desperate to leave loss and sadness behind her, a new country, a new career, a new life.
The United States and New York in particular is the land of opportunity, and it is here that Leo has come, to try to turn her passion for creating cosmetics into a career. From the small English village where she had worked in her father’s chemist shop and experimented with making lipsticks, powders and rouge to sell to army nurses, Leo has come to America to make and sell the beauty and joy that she believes her makeup will bring to the ladies of New York. But being a single woman breaking into the cosmetics industry with new products is no easy task, particularly when cosmetics are considered scandalous and only worn by loose women! and Leo has only limited funds and few social contacts.
However on the way to America, Leo not only finds the love of her life, a man unlike any man she has ever met before, she also begins an association with the well connected Richier family and all of their lives become inextricably linked both in business and in love.
This is a captivating story, with warm, rich well developed characters and interesting details from the era, which make you feel like you are part of that bygone world. A tale of endurance, true-love, hard work and determination, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I have just read Her Mother’s Secret and really enjoyed it. The story line was very interesting about the beginning of the cosmetic industry. I would like to read a follow up story of the war years.
The main character had many set backs in her life but overcame them and there was a very enduring love story.
This was a good insight to life in America between the wars.
Her Mother’s Secret is a passionate story about a young lady’s quest to pursue and conquer her dream despite disapproval from society set in England and Manhattan in the 1920s and 1940s. It’s a historical romance filled with adventure, romance, sadness and most of all inspiration. It’s for anyone who has ever dared to dream and thought it not achievable! It’s also an inspirational story of women fighting for their rights.
The main character, Leo, is down to earth, smart, kind and ambitious and is also a woman who encourages the strengths and talents in others including her friends Lottie and Jia. It was the strength and perseverance of Leo and the amazing thought provoking backdrop of the era and subject matter that kept me enthralled and wanting to read on and on without stopping! The fascinating insight into the cosmetics world and the “Great Gatsby” feel of the era was also both exciting and thought provoking!
I have never read any of Natasha Lester’s work but I’m a big fan now and intend on following her closely. Five stars!
Oh My.. what an enjoyable, if sometimes frustrating, journey.
I really squirm at people behaving badly and don’t like spending too much time with such characters.. this is my life after all! I like it to be fun! Of course we always have to have negative characters somewhere and the two women behaving badly in this novel are bitchy and annoying. The pacing could have sped up a little when setting up these characters as it was a little annoying for me as a reader.. but.. that is a very personal thing. And of course the ‘bitchiness’ was very necessary as the story develops.
That said, I enjoyed the research that would have gone into this. I loved reading about the birth of cosmetics. The main character was quite real and well developed and I was certainly cheering for her throughout the book.
I am new to the genre of ‘romance’ and fortunately, while this does have ‘The Romance’ as the main underlying heartbeat, it was not over the top. It was very well delivered.
Ballet dancers don’t have much airing in many novels and Alice was real and likeable. I wonder if we could have a sequel? I would love to know how her life progresses!
The characters seemed authentic and the story was fascinating.
To be honest I am going to read this again. The story arc is long and full and quite delightful.
The ending is satisfying. It is a page turner. I read it over a weekend, and would recommend it.
I wonder what ‘A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald’ by the same author, Natasha Lester, is like? I am interested enough to find out. Congratulations to the author. A good read.
This is a book you are going to want to clear your day for as you are not going to want to put it down!!
I first found Natasha Lester with A kiss from Mr Fitzgerald and have been a big fan ever since. Naturally I was very excited to see this one come up for review and couldnt wait for it to arrive. I was not disappointed!!
From the first page Natasha seems to transport you effortlessly to another time and place. The way she captures the feeling of excitement and fun of the era is brilliant. Her writing has a ease about it but is captivating, you are hooked to the end! Her Mother’s Secret was simply a joy to read, a beautiful yet also heartbreaking lovestory.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and to Hachette for the opportunity to read this book. I will be and have already recommended this to others!
This is the first book I’ve read of Natasha Lester’s and it definitely won’t be my last. There was a short time span when I wondered if I’d made a mistake applying for this but if I am reviewing I keep reading, no matter what and it wasn’t long before I was thoroughly enjoying the novel.
I love historical fiction and I therefore particularly enjoyed reading about the early history of the cosmetic industry. Natasha Lester is incredibly well qualified to write a novel with that background having worked for L’Oréal, managing the Maybelline brand. I found it both appalling and fascinating the way Leo had to fight for the opportunity to bring beautiful cosmetics to young women, something we take for granted, something that has thankfully changed greatly in not a lot of years, as has much of the elements of Society – thank goodness!
The friendships between the women close to Leonora, who preferred to be called Leo, were beautifully handled and characterised and the grasping, taking without thought women also came through strongly. Obviously, characterisation is a strong point of Natasha Lester as all the characters, the lovely and the horrible, were drawn so that you really felt you knew each of them.
Her Mother’s Secret is a captivating book, mixing romance and historical fact in an extremely readable way. I’m very much looking forward to reading all her other novels.
Thank you so much for this opportunity, Beauty and Lace and Hachette, Australia.
Last year, the author of Her Mother’s Secret, Natasha Lester, blew me away with her novel A Kiss From Mr Fitzgerald. In fact, I recall stating this novel was my firm favourite for the best historical fiction novel I had read in 2016. Lester is back, with a bang and a fabulous new release that I rate another firm five stars.
I have been greatly anticipating the release of Her Mother’s Secret for many months, especially after I was given a little teaser of what to expect from the author at an event I attended last year. I firmly believe Lester’s second foray into the historical fiction genre is just as successful as her first. I absolutely adored Her Mother’s Secret. I ripped through this novel in less than 24 hours, which is perhaps a good indication of how highly I rate this novel.
I immediately gravitated to this novel due to the time period and the era in which the novel is set. I am fascinated by the aftermath of World War I and the years prior to World War II, so Her Mother’s Secret was bound to hold great appeal. Lester proves again that she is extremely adept in transferring her historical knowledge and period detail to the page. I felt like I had been whisked away in a time machine, emerging in the years 1918 to 1939. Lester ensures the reader feels every aspect of the historical period in which her novel is set, from the sights, sounds, dialogue, fashions and more importantly, the societal expectations of the time. In particular, I must mention Lester’s coverage of the cosmetics element of her narrative, which was a shining feature of her novel. Lester conveyed these sections with a depth of understanding of the common practices of these bygone years – and it made for a truly fascinating read. On that note, I loved the addition of real life historical figures such as Elizabeth Arden to this part of the narrative, it contributed further to the strong historical aspect of the novel.
In addition to the well drawn historical details and setting, are the fabulous characters featured in Lester’s book. It is impossible not to develop a strong sense of affection for the main protagonist Leo. Lester takes care to outline this character boldly and as a result, Leo bursts to life with qualities I deeply admired – tenacity, ambition, loyalty and passion. I championed her cause for the entire novel, from her deep desire to make her mark in the cosmetics industry, to her efforts to break free from the constraints placed on women of this age, to enduring love for Everett. In any capacity, Leo came across as a completely likeable character. Leo is supported by her first love interest Everett, a true gentleman and another winning character created by Lester. A love triangle of sorts develops in the novel, introducing the reader to another player for Leo’s heart, Benjamin Richier. There are also minor characters that provide friendship and support to Leo, such as Australian nurse Joan and an ally in her business, a young Chinese woman named Jia. Finally, Lester rounds off her character base with a couple of not so nice characters that add complications to the storyline.
Although Her Mother’s Secret is a billed as a historical fiction novel, there are also elements of romance, as well as mystery tying the novel together. The device of using a letter of invitation sent to a young ballerina Alice, in the year 1939, is the link that draws this story together. Initially I thought I predicted this section of the narrative early on in the piece but I was surprised to be proven wrong. A nicely tied together ending, rounds off Her Mother’s Secret perfectly.
If I could, I would award all the stars for Her Mother’s Secret. This is a beautifully drawn piece of historical fiction that I am certain will occupy a piece of my heart for some time. Natasha Lester’s contribution to the historical fiction genre is another superb effort in my eyes and I just cannot wait to see what she offers her readers next.
*I wish to thank Beauty and Lace/Hachette for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Her Mothers Secret by Natasha Lester is a novel which is first set after the war and Spanish flu outbreak. Leonora (Leo) leaves her small home village in England to pursue her dream of producing fine cosmetics after experimenting in her father’s chemist. Leo destined to New York where she feels she can change the stigma of wearing makeup and make her vison come true.
The journey along the way finds Leo facing trials in both love and business. Yet she dedicates herself to her business and strives to change the cosmetic world. She is passionate and successful and a likable character. I loved that Leo wanted women to not only look good but feel good about themselves. She empowered woman in such a time of uncertainty and change. But I wonder by being such a kind and loyal friend and wife did it cost her an alternative future she wishes she could have have instead?
I loved this book; it was easy and enjoyable to read. It was also interesting, sad and inspirational. I was quiet clueless of the history of cosmetics and that it was such a taboo topic, so I read up more about it after I finished the book!
Thank You Hachette and Beauty and Lace for another great read, my first Natasha Lester’s book on my shelf but not the last!
Described as ‘A sweeping story of love, ambition and courage in the face of society’s disapproval’…… It can not be denied, no truer statement could be made.
I would however add that it is also colourful, vibrant and filled with loss and turmoil.
The protagonist of our tale is Leonora East (Leo) and is set at the end of WW1,1918 in a small English village. Leo works in her fathers chemist and has big dreams of making cosmetics. Times when the likes of lipstick was looked upon as immoral, cosmetics sent secretly vial mail order. Circumstances unfold where she finds herself leaving England for the shores of New York City.
On her way she meets Mr Everett Forsyth….Intrigued? I was, right from the outset!!!
This book packs in a lot for 385 pages, some may argue to the detriment of some character/story depth…but that again is neither here or there.
The afterglow of this, though bittersweet is still really sweet & it leaves me wanting to hug most of the characters, even the nasty ones and I may add, they are downright catty…!
It did read like a bit of a fairytale at times but it didn’t detract from the storyline and on the occasion, early on, the viewpoint to which it was being narrated from/spoken got a little confusing. But that may have just been a mood thing on my part!
This is the perfect weekend read & if you are anything like me, I deliberately dragged it out a little bit! So if you want to get your teeth into a good condensed saga set in the mid 1900’s, you have reached your destination.
Thank you to Hachette Australia & Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read Her Mothers Secret, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Her Mother’s Secret iis another wonderful historical fiction by the author of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, Natasha Lester.
The storyline spans the years from England’s Armistice Day in 1918 to New York City 1939 and delves into the birth of womens cosmetics mixed in secret in the back room of a Chemist Shop.
Young Leonora dreams of displaying and selling her products to all women.
We follow Leo’s journey, her failures, successes, her loves and losses.
A riveting book with a major twist that you think you can see but the ultimate conclusion will keep you turning pages breathlessly until the last page.
Lester has cemented herself as a exciting talent.