Michael Leask

By Maia Caron

Book Review

I found this book when I was at Costco. I looked at their small book section to see if anything was interesting. The Last Secret stood out from the intriguing cover and the book’s thickness.

It’s about a woman’s life in Ukraine during World War 2 and another woman’s life living on Salt Spring Island in the 70s (Salt Spring Island is one of the gulf islands in the Strait of Georgia, north of Victoria and west of Vancouver–it’s beside Vancouver Island). The stark geographical and time distance and world events contrasted the two characters, and I was intrigued. The book is well-written and well-thought-through.

What can be said without giving away the plot?

The Ukrainian woman, Savka, is being chased by the KGB for two reasons: she won’t capitulate to Russian occupation and rule (this was written before the start of the war in 2022), and her husband, a reluctant Ukrainian member of the Waffen-SS (it’s not what you think, and justified why he would join) has information valuable to the KGB. Jeanie, in 1970, is isolated on Salt Spring Island, Canada. Is her isolation of her own making, or is she captive against her will? Nevertheless, Jeanie and Savka’s lives collide to discover what is the last secret.

The book is a page-turner to discover how the two women are connected. It is written with strong female and male characters. As I read, I felt upset about the ways Savka was being treated and abused throughout the book. Then, I became emotional when she reunited with a family member she hadn’t seen for twenty years.

Though there are two women central to the story, Savka is the central character. The events set in motion surround her life through the decades. The narrative opens the experience to the reader of what life was like for her during World War 2 and always looking over her shoulder after that time.

I recommend this book as it is worth reading.