Watching Glass Shatter by James J Cudney is a poignant story of love and loss, hope and redemption. After the unexpected and untimely death of Ben Glass, his wife Olivia is given a pair of envelopes by the estate lawyer. One is for her. The second is for one of her sons, though she doesn’t yet know which.

The first letter, her letter, reveals a secret her husband has kept for over two decades. A secret that could shatter the family, or bring them closer. As the lawyer searches for a lady named Rowena Hector, Olivia visits each son in turn, spending time with them. Learning each has their own deep secret. Some are good, like Caleb’s, and part of Teddy’s. Most are disasters, and one tragic. As Olivia tries to help each son recover and process these secrets, she carries Ben’s with her, not yet ready to share it. She learns a lot about family, and how things are rarely as they seem. Can she, and her family, come through tempered stronger, or will the Glass family shatter altogether?

This was a deep psychological read. Philosophical, too. You never know the secrets those closest to you may hold. Some may be from actions taken in kindness, others from a fear of rejection. Fear and despair can weave secrets, too. Each of these boys’ secrets hit Olivia hard. Me, too, for that matter. With Teddy’s secret, and Caleb’s, I felt the strongest resonance.

Teddy resented the path he’d been shunted along, never given a true say in his future, and it nearly ate him alive. My family tried that with me, but I dug my heels deep, and never gave in. They wanted me to be a pharmacist, never bothering to acknowledge I loathe math, and suck at it. I earned a doctorate, first in our family, and they’ve never acknowledged pride in that because it wasn’t in an area they found value in. While not sharing Caleb’s exact secret, I did for the longest time hide the fact that I’m pagan-oriented from my family. No longer, and that’s another point of contention between us. I’m glad Olivia strove to be understanding, though it took mental adjustment. I loved how each son grew from these experiences, even though some were really hard.

In the end, her visits got these secrets in the open, and allowed healing to begin on so many levels. It’s worth it to consider honesty and openness as a life policy, because it’s only through sharing that growth can occur, and poisonous secrets lanced and drained. For the Glass family, this brought them closer together. In my case, it didn’t, but I don’t hide anymore. That stress is gone. My family can accept me or not, as they will.

***This book was purchased on my own, and read for my own enjoyment