A Family Secret

Candid interviews with all of the family members--wife, husband, and children--in families shattered by family violence are interwoven with statistical profiles to portray the facts of family violence, with accompanying information on counseling programs.

A completely addictive domestic thriller from million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin... Their new home has a terrifying secret. When freshly engaged Austyn Murphy and Lowell Bass receive the news that Lowell’s parents have died unexpectedly, they set out for the historic Bass estate to handle their affairs and lay the former heads of the family to rest. Enshrouded in layers of secrecy and tradition, the Bass estate, and the family residing within its walls, give anything but a warm welcome. When the idea of staying in the home permanently is brought up, Austyn witnesses a side of her future husband she’s never seen before. Late one night, Austyn overhears a whispered conversation, revealing she hasn’t been given the full truth about the world she’s marrying into. And when Emily, an old friend, calls with devastating news of her own, Lowell and Austyn invite her to join them for a visit at the estate. Upon Emily’s arrival, a confession is made, causing a rift in the seemingly impenetrable bond the girls once had. As Emily settles into their home, becoming closer to Lowell than ever before, Austyn fears she’s made a grave mistake. Trapped inside the Bass estate under the ever-watchful eye of the staff and her soon-to-be family, Austyn makes another chilling discovery—something so terrible it changes everything. With distressing revelations hidden around every corner and time running out before final decisions are made about her future, Austyn must uncover the truth about the opulent and powerful Bass family…at the risk of becoming another one of their dark secrets.

Catherine Slaney grew into womanhood unaware of her celebrated Black ancestors. An unanticipated meeting was to change her life. Her great-grandfather was Dr. Anderson Abbott, the first Canadian-born Black to graduate from medical school in Toronto in 1861. In Family Secrets Catherine Slaney narrates her journey along the trail of her family tree, back through the era of slavery and the plight of fugitive slaves, the Civil War, the Elgin settlement near Chatham, Ontario, and the Chicago years. Why did some of her family identify with the Black Community while others did not? What role did "passing" play? Personal anecdotes and excerpts from archival Abbott family papers enliven the historical context of this compelling account of a family dealing with an unknown past. A welcome addition to African-Canadian history, this moving and uplifting story demonstrates that understanding one’s identity requires first the embracing of the past. "When Catherine Slaney first consulted me, her intention was to research the life of her distinguished ancestor Anderson R. Abbott. After she told me her story of the discovery of her African heritage and the search for her roots, I urged her to make that the subject of her book. Cathy has served both of these objectives, giving us an intricate and fascinating account of her quest for her own lost identity through the gradual illumination of Dr. Abbott and his legacy for modern Canadians. Family Secrets carries an important message about the issue of ’race’ as a historical artifact and as a factor in the lives of real people." – James W. St. G. Walker, University of Waterloo "This is a welcome addition to the growing collection of African-Canadian materials that connects an unknown past to a promising future. That Slaney was unaware of her Black ancestry, despite that heritage being so rich and powerful, speaks to the dilemma of Black history research – it is there but requires considerable digging to uncover." – Rosemary Sadlier, President, Ontario Black History Society

Johannes Vermeer, one of the greatest Dutch painters and for some the single greatest painter of all, produced a remarkably small corpus of work. In Vermeer's Family Secrets, Benjamin Binstock revolutionizes how we think about Vermeer's work and life. Vermeer, The Sphinx of Delft, is famously a mystery in art: despite the common claim that little is known of his biography, there is actually an abundance of fascinating information about Vermeer’s life that Binstock brings to bear on Vermeer’s art for the first time; he also offers new interpretations of several key documents pertaining to Vermeer that have been misunderstood. Lavishly illustrated with more than 180 black and white images and more than sixty color plates, the book also includes a remarkable color two-page spread that presents the entirety of Vermeer's oeuvre arranged in chronological order in 1/20 scale, demonstrating his gradual formal and conceptual development. No book on Vermeer has ever done this kind of visual comparison of his complete output. Like Poe's purloined letter, Vermeer's secrets are sometimes out in the open where everyone can see them. Benjamin Binstock shows us where to look. Piecing together evidence, the tools of art history, and his own intuitive skills, he gives us for the first time a history of Vermeer's work in light of Vermeer's life. On almost every page of Vermeer's Family Secrets, there is a perception or an adjustment that rethinks what we know about Vermeer, his oeuvre, Dutch painting, and Western Art. Perhaps the most arresting revelation of Vermeer's Family Secrets is the final one: in response to inconsistencies in technique, materials, and artistic level, Binstock posits that several of the paintings accepted as canonical works by Vermeer, are in fact not by Vermeer at all but by his eldest daughter, Maria. How he argues this is one of the book's many pleasures.

There aren't many things more important to Jessica Bannister than chasing down her next scoop to splash across the front page of the newspaper she works for, but family is definitely one of them. After the death of her parents at the age of twelve, she has been extremely protective of her only living relative, Aunt Bell, who is as much her best friend and confidante as she is the woman who raised her, so when a run-in with a malevolent shadow being leaves her great-aunt feeling very weak, the ambitious young journalist is at pains to do everything she can for her. Luckily, this aligns with her editor-in-chief's plans, though she soon finds out that not all families are as open and honest with each other as her own, and dark secrets from the past can end up shredding the bonds between ancestors and descendants, fathers and sons, and partners and future in-laws. But when old friends and new acquaintances bring danger to her door, can her supernatural gifts keep her and her family safe?

FAMILY SECRETS & LIES By DJ Everette Local Author discovers murder, mystery and achievement in family tree Before Bonnie & Clyde in 1934-35, there was Gramma & Glenn during Prohibition from 1928-31. Gramma, also called The Blonde Menace, the Gungirl and Iron Irene, stole autos in Ohio, robbed fuel stations in West Virginia, Indiana and Illinois, stuck up banks in Texas, Missouri, and Arkansas and stole from retail stores and individuals across the west, kidnapping and murdering in states stretching as far as Arizona, it was said. In 1929 a Police Officer was killed and his partner badly wounded in a gun battle when Gramma and her gang were confronted for robbing a grocery store in Butler, PA. Irenes four year old son, the Author's Father, was in the car and observed the thefts, murder and getaway. He proudly announced to his family when his Mother dropped him off for safe keeping, the police and reporters I Saw My Mom Kill A Cop! and "Mama is the brains of the outfit" After fleeing with her lover, Glenn, across the USA and being front page news in a year-long highly sensationalized trial, Gramma was the first woman to be executed in the State of PA. In spite of insurmountable odds and difficult challenges, Grammas little son grew up to be a hero in the Korean conflict and NASA. The Author meets her Dad before he dies and he fills in all the answers to her lifelong questions. Take this unbelievable journey with the Author as she starts her paternal genealogy and journals the events in order to handle the trauma of what was being discovered. Discover facts found 80 years later that uncover an entirely different story than the media at the time produced and uncover the surprise ending.

Family Secrets By: Nancy-Lee Noell Family Secrets tells the story of a young boy, Sam, who is struggling to grow up on his family's ranch despite his mother's efforts to protect him from "the family secret." With the help of his big brother and doting grandfather, Sam learns to overcome his physical handicaps and confront his mother's fears and overprotectiveness. This heartfelt "growing up" story will inspire children to love their imperfect selves and appreciate the imperfect love of their parents.