Have you ever wondered about your past? Where you came from? Or even better- who were your grandparents, and even great grandparents, and what life did they really live?
Have you ever wondered if everything you’ve ever known or lived is the truth? And maybe somewhere in the past there was a secret, hidden for generations, containing the key to your future.
Now, imagine yourself holding your grandmothers hand as she is on her deathbed, and with her dying breath she tells you to go find a person, whom you’ve never heard of, and that she holds the key to your future.
What do you think? What do you do? Do you take trust in you’re grandmother and accept the challenge? Doing whatever it takes to discover your future, even if it means leaving everything behind? Or do you just pass up the opportunity?
When Evan Hughes, in Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel, “Emma’s Secret,” was faced with that challenge, she took a hold of the opportunity, traveling all the way from New York to London.
Evan Hughes’s grandmother, Glynnis, instructed Evan to go find Emma Harte because she held the key to her future. Evan traveled cross- continent thinking she’d uncover her future quickly, but soon discovered Emma Harte had passed away 30 years earlier.
Instead of letting that stop her, Evan applied for a job at Emma’s business empire, “Harte’s.” From there a series of lucky events took place for Evan.
Evan met a man, Gideon Harte, Emma’s great grandson, who fell in love with her. Evan got an assistant job, working for Linnet O’Neill, Emma’s great granddaughter and the daughter of Paula O’Neill Harte- owner of the business empire.
People started to notice a resemblance between Paula and Evan, and gossip went around that she was a long lost relative coming back to claim her share of the fortune.
After checking Evan’s background nothing could be found about her that would make her a relative. Although, a connection was found between the Harte family and Evan’s, Glynnis had been Emma’s best secretary.
Old diaries belonging to Emma were found- mentioning Glynnis quite often. As it turned out Glynnis had a baby to a different man who was never mentioned in the diary, and that Emma and Glynnis were very close friends.

Could Evan be related to the Harte’s? Was she a long lost relative?
Not only does the book tell the life of Evan Hughes, but other members of the extended family. “Emma’s Secret” constantly keeps you thinking, trying to piece together the loose ends. It’s not until the end it all makes sense though.
I suggest “Emma’s Secret” to anyone who is up for a challenging read, and enjoys trying to solve mysteries. The book has the ability to inspire people to take a closer look into their past, because maybe there is a secret waiting to be told.