Eithne Shortall’s second novel Three Little Truths is a piece of domestic fiction that brings the reader into what seems like any other ordinary neighbourhood, one that is quiet and normal. Quickly the reader finds out that people who live on Pine Road have a lot more going on than the neighbours would like to admit. The novel features three different narrators, Martha, Eddie, and Robin, as they deal with their own secrets that they are trying to hide from everyone else while also trying to maintain the look of a perfect home and family and in the process learn that they are all connected in ways they wouldn’t have imagined.
Martha and her family have moved to Pine Road in Dublin after going through a traumatic event that is not revealed right away in the story. As the reader makes their way through the novel, Shortall reveals more about what happened to them. When moving to Pine Road, Martha reveals to the reader that she’s happy to be closer to her older son from a previous relationship. Edie is a newlywed who has inherited a house from her Grandmother on Pine Road and this is where Edie and her husband Daniel are living. The two of them want to start a family but Daniel’s constant cold-feet is making Edie worry that her dreams of becoming a mother may never happen. Robin and her son Jack have been running away from Robin’s ex-boyfriend and Jack’s dad, Eddy, and in the process have moved in with Robin’s parents who live on Pine Road. Robin, who is not interested in joining in on the neighbourhood gossip, has developed a friendship with Edie and Martha and also has a mystery man in her life. The characters in Three Little Truths are unique and diverse, which leads to interesting dialogue between all of the characters. While the reader gets to see things unfold through three different perspectives, they learn a lot about the secondary characters as well. While this is interesting, it can also seem overwhelming with the amount of characters that are in this novel.
Shortall’s main theme is motherhood and it is shown throughout all of the characters in Three Little Truths. It features motherhood in many forms, from Edie wanting desperately to be a mother, to Robin who wasn’t necessarily ready for it. While Shortall puts emphasis on this theme, it dominates others that are brought up vaguely such as sexual assault. While motherhood is an important theme, it would’ve been nice to see others incorporated better throughout the plot.
There appears to be quite a bit of redundancy throughout Three Little Truths that ends up leaving the reader feeling like the story drags on in places when it doesn’t need to. At times, it can feel like there are two completely different stories going on instead of one that has several elements to it. At one point, the first main plot ends abruptly and then the second main plot takes over. The novel very easily could have been two different novels which would’ve made a lot more sense for how the plots were laid out. All in all, Three Little Truths is an interesting story that has more potential than it was given and because of that it is lacking overall. With a plot that can be confusing, it takes away from the twists that Shortall unveils, leaving the reader dissatisfied with the story as a whole.
Three Little Truths is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Big Little Lies meets One Plus One in this story of three women neighbors looking for a fresh start, and the love affairs, rivalries, and scandals found on the other side of the white picket fence.
One happy street. Three pretty houses. So many lies.
Martha used to be a force of nature: calm, collected, and in charge. But since moving her husband and two daughters to Dublin under sudden and mysterious circumstances, she can’t seem to find her footing. Robin was the “it” girl in school, destined for success. Now she’s back at her parents’ with her four-year-old son, vowing that her ne’er-do-well ex is out of the picture for good. Edie has everything she could want, apart from a baby, and the acceptance of her new neighbors. She longs to be one of the girls, and to figure out why her perfect husband seems to be avoiding their perfect future. Three women looking for a fresh start on idyllic Pine Road. Their friendship will change their lives, and reveal secrets they never imagined.
