Review: Secrets  by  Lorhainne  Evkhart
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 11, 2013
A great book of this The Outsider Series... From the very first page onward, the story grabs at your heart.  Laura, a homeless young girl with a baby, Gabriel, born when she was 17, kicked out of her parents home when she refused to give up her child, is barely making it, living from hand to mouth, working as a maid  for a wealthy land owner, when she accidentally fell into a Christmas tree she was decorating, making a terrible mess, falling into thr bar, knocking down wine and liquor bottles, glasses, etc., infuriating the mistress of the mansion, who immediately fired her without listening to the girl's explanation.  Her youngest son, Andy, saw it all and confronted his mother claiming her wrongful mistake in firing Laura.  Laura was evicted without her wages, in the cold rain,  dressed inadequately ... freezing, having to walk five miles home.  On the way, she had to pick up her baby at the day care center, where , when she arrived, she was confronted for not paying for that day. As her wages were held and the little money she had left to live on, she neededfor food to feed her son. While walking home in the freezing rain, Andy, the youngest son of the mansion mistress who was aware of Laura's being unfairly fired, stopped to give Laura and Gabriel a ride home.  When Andy pulled up the bumpy dusty lane beside the ramshackled house, Laura was humiliated and told him to go behind the house as they lived in the celler, which was cold and damp..  Deeply troubled to see how humbly they lived, Andy hated to leave them there.  As soon as he left, the landlord confronted Laura and asked for the rent.  She explained why she didn't have the money and he told her to pack up and get out.  Laura was devestated wondering what to do.  Her rattletrap car had very little gas and she only had the car for cover.  She got all she owned in her car trunk, which wasn't much...just a few clothes for Gabriel and his favorite blanket and fuzzy bed time cuddly.  She  drove around looking for a place to park near a bathroom and water to wash.  For a couple days, she parked behind a gas station, but when the owner saw how often she used the toilet, he made her move on.  That is how they lived until she got caught by the police and took her child from her and placing him in child welfare.  Devestated, Laura didn't know what to do.  While begging a grocer for a job, she was overheard by a kind woman passing by who noticed how thin and worn out she looked, recognizing the terrible spot she was in having been in a similar spot once herself.  Diana took Laura to breakfast to talk about a job she could offer her.  And that is where this interesting story takes on a good turn for Laura and her new friends who helped her get her son back,  Many good things began happening as Laura began to get on her feet.  I will not tell more details as I believe you reading will enjoy discovering the rest of this great story yourselves.  It is a good read.  Enjoy!Carole La Flamme Beighey