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Reviewed by Maureen Dangarembizi for Readers' Favorite
The Secret of Being by Scott Sutton is a young adult novel set in the near future where The Sea is slowly destroying the world. Alethea is a young nurse working in the last remaining functional hospital in an American city. When the hospital is attacked, Alethea is brutalized by one of the enemy soldiers but she gets a second chance. Dr. Roberts has a getaway plan and Alethea takes his place by chance. They escape the hospital but Alethea soon discovers that there are more serious consequences of that night. She is pregnant by the enemy. With the support of a community hidden in a secluded canyon, Alethea raises her son Galen, always aware that The Sea approaches, destroying all in its path as it spreads to the west.
This book is a tale of survival, love, and healing. The Secret of Being shows the ravages of war in all its ugliness. Alethea’s story makes up the introduction of the book. She is strong in the face of adversity. Not every woman would keep a child after she’d been raped. I loved that Scott Sutton made her someone who can move on from trauma and still see some beauty in her world. Her son Galen then embarks on his own journey of discovery. For years the people who passed through the canyon community have told stories about what is happening to the rest of the world. Like any impressionable youngster, Galen is intrigued and can’t wait to explore. Everything about Galen is so natural and his story unfolds in exciting adventures that lead to self-discovery.
