Nothing is more like innocence like an indiscretion”- Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde sums up the meaning of this novel so beautifully. A small indiscretion is the closest thing to innocence because it’s a secret kept so well it’s as if nothing bad had ever happened before. “A Small Indiscretion” by Jan Ellison is a beautiful novel that depicts the casualties that occur when there are secrets in a marriage that have been kept uncovered for so long it’s like it never happened. Secrets big or small are the first dent in a relationship that could really change the shape of how the relationship will continue to be or end. It is the recipe for trouble. Especially when the secrets connect back to the overall dynamic of your partnership with your spouse.

Nothing hurts you more than a mistake that won’t seem to go away. Our past is always here to remind us of all the things left unsaid, undiscovered, and uncovered. In this novel, we meet Annie Black, a woman living the dream: a husband, kids, dogs, and beautiful home. Nothing could seem to go wrong for her until she receives a photograph that changes the course of her life forever. Follow her life story, and how one life choice resulted in the overall shape of her life.

All the memories and secrets she thought she had left in the past are threatening to make a reappearance in her life, and she is doing everything in her power to continue to keep it under wraps, but all of that becomes a little impossible when her son gets into a tragic accident that causes all of Annie’s secrets to come into light. With her son in a coma, she is left no other choice but to begin her confessions to her husband.

Throughout this novel, Annie tries to come to terms with her decisions, and how to tell her family about the result of her decision. It is a secret that forever changes the way that their marriage continues to function. It even changes the dynamic between her son and her family. The big secret is not revealed until the last couple of chapters which was a plus for me. It is important to understand her whole story before you find out the big secret. Jan Ellison did a great job in building up this story until the very end. As predictable as many parts could of been, the story still remained so original. I felt like Annie Black was telling me her story personally.

When we live our lives in our young adulthood, we fail to see the consequences in our actions. We live so recklessly and carelessly. We walk around with that idea in the back of our heads that our parents could still bail us out of trouble. The reality sinks in when we realize that is not at all true. Sometimes disappointing our parents is what keeps us from asking for help.  Annie Black lived an adventurous life that she exchanged for a more calmer and safe life. Even though she chose to exchange that life for a better one, it still found a way to find her two decades later. Some how she comes to find how everyone in her life was so closely connected that it was almost shocking the secret was not revealed from the very beginning.

I give this book a 5 Star Rating. From the first page you will be intrigued. It only took me a couple days to finish this one, and I’ve already recommended it to a couple of my friends and family.