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My Secret Sister: Jenny Lucas and Helen Edwards' Family Story Kindle Edition

by Helen Edwards (Author), Jenny Lee Smith (Author, Contributor) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 9,228 ratings

A heartbreaking and moving true story of two sisters separated at birth, and their journey towards finding each other, celebrating the true meaning of family.

Helen Edwards grew up in a pit village in Tyneside in the post-war years, with her gran, aunties and uncles living nearby. She felt safe with them, but they could not protect her from her neglectful mother and violent father. Behind closed doors, she suffered years of abuse. Sometimes she talked to an imaginary sister, the only one who understood her pain.

Jenny was adopted at six weeks and grew up in Newcastle. An only child, she knew she was loved, and with the support of her parents she went on to become a golfing champion, but still she felt that something was missing. . .

Neither woman knew of the other's existence until, in her fifties, Jenny went looking for her birth family and found her sister Helen. Together they searched for the truth about Jenny's birth – and uncovered a legacy of secrets that overturned everything Helen thought she knew about her family. Happily, they also discovered that they were not just sisters, they were twins.

Inspirational and moving, My Secret Sister by Helen Edwards and Jenny Lee Smith, is the story of two women brave enough to confront their past, and strong enough to let love not bitterness define them.

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  1. Print length
    456 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Pan
  4. Publication date
    14 Mar. 2013
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. File size
    4.7 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product description

About the Author

Jenny Lee Smith was the top professional woman's golfer in Europe. Today she lives in Kent and breeds dogs.

Helen Edwards became a theatre nurse before training as a psychotherapist and hynoptherapist. She is now retired and lives in Northumberland.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BPWMXU2
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pan; Unabridged edition (14 Mar. 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 456 pages
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 9,228 ratings

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
9,228 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story compelling and gripping. They describe the book as a good, easy read with lovely writing that conveys the powerful bond between sisters well. Readers praise the characters' strength of character and resilience. The book makes them laugh, cry, and smile. However, opinions differ on the emotional content, with some finding it sad and heartwarming while others find it heart wrenching.

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1,424 customers mention ‘Story quality’1,383 positive41 negative

Customers find the story gripping and compelling. They appreciate the honest account of two sisters' perseverance and determination told from both sisters' perspectives in alternate chapters. The book is described as interesting, but at times heart-wrenching.

"...This is a true story of the perseverance and determination of two people, cruelly separated by the circumstances surrounding their birth, to unravel..." Read more

"A gripping two story of 2 sisters who were separated when very young...." Read more

"This book is definitely a classic work in the making and will be around for a long time...." Read more

"...She is amazing to have survived the horror of her childhood and the conditioning that dogged her adult life and as she put it ‘come out sane’...." Read more

1,074 customers mention ‘Readability’1,055 positive19 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-crafted. They find the story interesting, though some parts drag a bit.

"...A fascinating and very moving story." Read more

"...But all in all a fascinating and very interesting read...." Read more

"...I recommend this as a good read." Read more

"...This was such a good read." Read more

514 customers mention ‘Writing quality’418 positive96 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find it easy to read and a heartwarming story that conveys the powerful bond between sisters well. The book is organized sensitively, guiding the reader through the tale from both sides.

"...This book is written beautifully, capturing the mind of a child trying to understand and survive her home life...." Read more

"...It gripped me from the beginning and I read it in just 6 days. I loved the style and couldn’t wait for the next piece of the puzzle to be..." Read more

"...How the two of them came to find each other is wonderfully documented and their determination to piece together their family background is inspiring...." Read more

"I found this to be a gripping read and very emotive...." Read more

120 customers mention ‘Character development’112 positive8 negative

Customers appreciate the strong characters and their lives. They find the women's lives amazing, with remarkable strength and resilience. The lives of the characters feel realistic, and the book engages readers from the beginning.

"...Helen is such a brave, brave person...." Read more

"...These are two very brave women with incredible character and applaud them for making their story public, so that we all might learn the dangers of..." Read more

"...What I liked about this book was its courage and honesty - and in Helen's case, amazing triumph over adversity - and I really wanted to know what..." Read more

"...And the determination and resilience of Jenny was remarkable!! So pleased they found one another despite all the seemingly insurmountable obstacles...." Read more

108 customers mention ‘Joy’108 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it heartwarming, entertaining, and humorous. The story makes them laugh, cry, and feel horrified. Readers appreciate the twins' joyful outlook despite their hardships. The book is described as interesting, uplifting, and special.

"...This book looked interesting, so I began reading. It gripped me from the beginning and I read it in just 6 days...." Read more

"...this book, quite an incredible story all round - both sad and uplifting." Read more

"...in my time, but I have to say, this story was the most amazing, sad, uplifting, and hard to believe story I have ever come across...." Read more

"...That she endured and retained her joyful, loving outlook in spite of all that was meted out to her is amazing...." Read more

69 customers mention ‘Gripping’64 positive5 negative

Customers find the book gripping from start to finish. They say it starts slowly but is worth sticking with it. Readers mention the story tugs at their heartstrings and stays with them.

"...This book looked interesting, so I began reading. It gripped me from the beginning and I read it in just 6 days...." Read more

"...This story really tugged at the heart strings especially when you realize the mother could have so easily told the truth a million times over and..." Read more

"...A bit slow to begin with but worth persevering." Read more

"I found this to be a gripping read and very emotive...." Read more

515 customers mention ‘Emotional content’349 positive166 negative

Customers find the book has a mixed emotional content, with some finding it sad and disturbing. Others feel it's a miserable memoir in parts, depicting lies and deceit. The ending is described as nauseating.

"...There was no self pity whatsoever, and her learned, natural coping ability, led her to a career in a caring profession...." Read more

"Really enjoyed this book, quite an incredible story all round - both sad and uplifting." Read more

"...The cruelty and selfishness of Helens mother as well as the acting father was almost beyond belief...." Read more

"...Thank you - though it has been a real emotional roller coaster! Carolyn." Read more

143 customers mention ‘Pacing’78 positive65 negative

Customers find the book riveting and moving. They recommend it for both adults and children, saying they feel involved in their suffering as children. However, some readers found the first half slow and hard to follow, with parts being harrowing and dragging on for too long.

"...this for the most part and felt like I wanted to reach out and rescue the poor kid, but it really lost my interest towards the end after meeting her..." Read more

"...Unfortunately,I found the first half rather slow and not particularly well written...." Read more

"I found this book completely riveting, although at times, so disturbing that it was difficult to comprehend that one child could endure so much..." Read more

"...In places, it felt slow and often rather prolonged about the childhood aspects, which while horrendously tragic for Helen and I felt for her, it..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Derek Griffiths
    5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating story!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 May 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Have you ever seen a grown man cry? Give him a copy of this book and sooner or later you probably will!

    I enjoyed this book on several different levels. Firstly, I like true stories - biographies and autobiographies are my favourite genre. The contrast between the way that Helen and Jenny were raised is staggering - at totally opposite ends of the parenting spectrum. Your sympathy would naturally be with the daughter who was given away, but in this case she (Jenny) was the lucky one. Hearing them each describe their early lives in alternate chapters really accentuated the stark differences in their upbringings. How on earth did Helen survive the relentless physical and emotional abuse she received from her mother and Tommy?

    This book also reminds us how attitudes to marriage and illegitimacy have changed since the middle of the last century. The immense pain, shame and heartbreak caused by childbirth out of wedlock back then ripped lives and families apart in a way that seems so alien to us all now - thankfully the stigma attached to the issue is all but dead and buried.

    And the impact that war wreaks on societies and families is also clearly evident in the book - not only how enforced separation and all the associated uncertainties led to secrecy and infidelity, but also how the trauma of imprisonment and torture left some with the emotional scars and mental and behavioural disorders that plagued them for the rest of their lives.

    This is a true story of the perseverance and determination of two people, cruelly separated by the circumstances surrounding their birth, to unravel all the secrets and lies they had been told, and to ultimately discover the truth about themselves and each other. A fascinating and very moving story.
    29 people found this helpful
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  • Val Robson
    4.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story of two sisters separated as babies who had two very different childhoods and their joyous reunion in later life
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 April 2016
    Verified Purchase
    A gripping two story of 2 sisters who were separated when very young. Ironically Jenny who was adopted had a lovely normal childhood while Helen had a miserable childhood with two abusive parents.

    They grew up physically close to one another in the north-east in the 50s and 60s – most of the book is about this time.
    Jenny didn’t know she was adopted until she was a teenager when she started to try and trace her family. Finally Helen and Jenny meet and become close friends.

    I enjoyed this book and found it a real page-turner but there were certain aspects I wasn’t convinced really happened. One thing I wasn’t convinced about it the tale that Helen and Jenny saw each other on the beach when they were young and remembered staring at each other. That just didn’t ring true to me and felt like wishful thinking combined with poetic licence. I also wasn’t very convinced about the so called ‘proof’ about their close birth dates at the end as the facts throughout the rest of the book didn’t add up to that explanation in my mind.

    But all in all a fascinating and very interesting read. I also hope that Jenny is able one day to build a relationship with the other family members she discovered who currently aren't interested in being in touch.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • bookworm
    5.0 out of 5 stars A classic in the making, should be a film.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 July 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This book is definitely a classic work in the making and will be around for a long time. It should be required reading for those in education, social services etc.
    Although these events, of which some are quite disturbing, happened a long time ago, child abuse and adoption issues continue and are relevant to so many today.
    Abused children, whether psychologically or physically abused do not tell other adults what is happening to them. When they are threatened (as Helen was) their survival instinct kicks in, and, sadly because they do not know any differently, they comply with the parent whose love they are desperate to have.
    This book is written beautifully, capturing the mind of a child trying to understand and survive her home life.
    In those days domestic violence was not talked about, what happened behind closed doors stayed there and others did not dare interfere.
    Helen's survival, and the care she demonstrated to her parents, particularly her mother is a credit to her. There was no self pity whatsoever, and her learned, natural coping ability, led her to a career in a caring profession.

    Jenny's life, although essentially more happy, is a testament to the natural longing of a child to know her mother. Her determination and emotions following rejection after rejection during her search for her mother are heart breaking.

    The lives of these two ladies, although contrasting, are sensitively described, chapter after chapter. The blending of those two lives in the final chapters is truly a work of art.

    I wish them many happy years together, they deserve it.
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  • Wendy-Woo
    5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn’t put it down!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 August 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I was getting bored following an accident during lockdown and although I never read books (just write them) I looked through the library of unread books I had stored on my kindle. Books others had suggested to me, yet that sat unread.

    This book looked interesting, so I began reading. It gripped me from the beginning and I read it in just 6 days. I loved the style and couldn’t wait for the next piece of the puzzle to be uncovered.

    Helen is such a brave, brave person. She is amazing to have survived the horror of her childhood and the conditioning that dogged her adult life and as she put it ‘come out sane’.

    Jenny too experienced many ups and downs in her life and was/is very resourceful.

    I pray both ladies have peace in their hearts now and I’m so pleased they finally found each other. I wish them peace and happiness together and with their families. I’d like to thank them for being so brave and sharing their stories. I know how massive that is from sharing my own story. W.A. Sartain xxx
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kuljinder Singh Rai
    5.0 out of 5 stars nice
    Reviewed in India on 11 December 2020
    Verified Purchase
    lovely
    Report
  • Elyse c
    5.0 out of 5 stars great book
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 May 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Amazing book. Couldn’t put it down especially when I found it is a true story. I recommend this book to anyone
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  • Cassis
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyed
    Reviewed in France on 20 April 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I couldn't put this book down and enjoyed reading every page. It's described as 'inspirational and moving' and it is.
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  • Judy
    5.0 out of 5 stars A forever heart changing story.
    Reviewed in Canada on 15 March 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Never have I read a book quite like this, wow. I am a bit lost for words actually. The story of Helen and Jenny will make you cry and rejoice . My heart broke over and over again for Helen as she lived in such a terrifying situation and ached for her when the love and acceptance she so carved and needed was never given. I cheered for Jenny , she had everything Helen didn't and yet there was still a part of her missing and unexplained. What a story of two amazing women and how they over came only to find each other and then to overcome a sordid family back ground together. Such strength they have in and with each other such love knows no bounds. I am thrilled and touched deep in my heart. I will never forget their story. God bless them and may their lives be filled with love, joy and peace and with the strength of the knowledge they are never alone.
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  • Paola B.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Storia vera
    Reviewed in Italy on 15 March 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Due sorelle, due vite molto particolari, una serie di coincidenze da brivido. La storia vera di una famiglia difficile da capire. Una lettura interessante
    che ti coinvolge emotivamente.
    Report

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