Review - Testimony by Anita Shreve

Thank you to Valerie from Hachette Book Group for the opportunity to review Testimony by Anita Shreve.

Description (from the back cover):

Enter a world upended by the repercussions of a single impulsive action.
At an exclusive New England boarding school, a sex scandal unleashes a storm of shame and recrimination. The men, women, and teenagers affected - among them the headmaster, struggling to contain the scandal before it destroys the school; a well-liked scholarship student and star basketball player, grappling with the condequences of his mistakes; his mother, confronting her own forbidden temptations; and a troubled teenage girl eager to put the past behind her - speak out to relate the events of one fateful night and its aftermath.


My Review:


Testimony is set in a small Vermont town that is the backdrop for an exclusive private school. The story of the scandal that involves students of this boarding school is told through the eyes of many of those involved personally and peripherally. Each voice brings the reader a different perspective on the scandal and eventually the reader gets a clear picture of the steps to and from a tragedy.


This was an easy read in the fact that it was well written and moved smoothly from one person's point of view to the next. There were a few moments that I felt didn't need to hone in on Mike so much, but for the most part I would say that it made the story more real. Testimony was also painful to read, because there was no denying what a tragedy this was and like so many tragedies, it could have been avoided. Certain conclusions happened that I expected but still held out hope would not come to pass.

Testimony was a strong reminder for me of how important it is to communicate to your family that you love them. That no matter what...you will be there. Maybe I saw that because I am a mom of a teenage boy. Testimony did not just cover the act that was the scandal but the path to a scandal, and the sad path to the aftermath. I do not think this was the book's purpose, but it is a good purpose.

Testimony is a reminder of how one incident can honestly change a life.