GREAT READS

The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.: A Novel

Nichole Bernier.

Imagine being friends with someone for many years and thinking you know them very well. Then, when a tragedy happens, you realize you didn't know that person at all. That's what happens to Kate when her beloved friend Elizabeth is killed in a plane crash. Kate finds out from Liz's husband, Dave, that she was flying to California to meet Michael at the Joshua Trees for a painting retreat since Liz is a painter. Kate can't fathom that Liz would cheat on her husband. After her death, Liz leaves Kate a trunk full of her journals she has written over the course of her life. Dave is upset because Liz left the journals to Kate and not to him. He thinks she was having an affair and he doesn't want Kate to know their private issues. Kate picks up the journals from Dave on her way to her family's vacation home. She spends the next seven weeks reading about her friend Elizabeth only to discover that Liz had a childhood secrets she never shared with Kate. Kate learned a lot about her friendship with Elizabeth as well as her relationships with her parents, her husband, and her children. She couldn't believe how broken Elizabeth was in her entries. Liz spent most of her adult life inventing herself to make those around her happy. Reading Liz's journals allowed Kate to look inside herself, to dissect herself as a person, a friend, a wife, and even a mother. As Kate finishes the last journal, she realizes that Liz's story is still not complete since Liz had her final journal on the plane. There are so many unanswered questions. Who was Michael? Was she having an affair? What was the true reason for going to California? Kate does some research and finds the answers and they are not what she expected. Liz was hiding yet another secret.

This is a compelling read for those who enjoy stories about female friendship, love and families.

Recommended by Lisa Petrecca