It's 1953 and Pearlie opens the door one Saturday morning to discover someone from her husband's past on the doorstep. His arrival throws all the certainties in her life into doubt, showing her the desperate measures people are prepared to take to escape the confines of their lives. A beautiful, understated novel that celebrates the heroes of private battles. Observer Do liars make the best storytellers? Do secrets make the best stories? Secrets and Lies is a series of modern classics with deception at their heart.