The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg

After two previous wonderful books about this town and an evolving group of characters, ( The Story of Arthur Truluv and The Night of Miracles), I am glad to go back and visit again. The daily ordinariness of human lives shines through, and yet also strikes a poignant note that resonates.  This narrative is about a group of women who share some of their dark secrets with one another, and in so doing, as they reveal vulnerable details of their lives also illuminate the many difficulties, fears and concerns that so many ordinary lives hide behind a thin veneer of well being and sangfroid. To enjoy the full flavor of this book, read the first two in order. The town and community are important as are the previous characters that while physically gone nevertheless still exert a relevant context for the continuing story of life in Mason, Missouri. Recommended.