Guardian Top 25 Best Australian Books for 2025

A gripping family saga about three generations fractured by secrets, and the three strong women who must bring them into the light. 

Ruth, the widowed matriarch of a grown family, has only months to live, and a secret she’s kept for sixty years. Now she must put things right before she dies. But as she has learned, the longer something is kept hidden, the harder it is to bring out of the shadows. 

With her grandson in gaol and her family fractured, Ruth must address the past, present and future. She must reveal her secret, reconcile her family, and find a way to keep her beloved homestead, Cora, in the family – and her family in Cora. 

A sweeping saga spanning more than half a century, Secrets has a cast of indelible characters whose lives have been devastated by racism, trauma, addiction, incarceration, loss and shame. Yet for all that their secrets break your heart, Ruth and her family ultimately leave it stronger. This spirited, compassionate novel is a testament to the power of truth-telling and the possibility of healing. 

‘An instant Australian classic.’ Hayley Scrivenor

'A powerful debut of love and loss.’ Petronella McGovern

‘Epic, compelling and moving.’ Inga Simpson