In Whisper My Secret, award winning author and storyteller, JB Rowley , tells her mother’s true story; the story of Myrtle’s secret, which only comes to light after her death when her daughters find papers hidden in an old cash tin.
Myrtle lived most of her life in Orbost, East Gippsland but grew up in Albury, NSW during the 1930s and 1940s. She is a victim of a time when women were often powerless and appearances meant everything. Secrets lurked behind the veneer of Albury’s respectable society. As a teenager Myrtle despises this hypocrisy and fails to appreciate the dangers of flaunting honesty.
After falling pregnant to the boy next door Myrtle is trapped in a loveless marriage dominated by her mother-in-law. She tries to make the most of her situation but eventually falls victim to false accusations with tragic consequences that saw her three young children taken from her. She is never reunited with her children. Ironically she is shamed into secrecy.
Whisper My Secret is now available as an ebook .
What others say about Whisper My Secret
‘The opening chapter when the children are ripped from a naïve Myrtle’s arms is heart wrenching.’ Lisa Korycki, Bendigo Advertiser.
‘With shades of the haunting works of Jodie Picoult, Whisper My Secret finds the perfect balance between soft desperation and anger.’ Jessamine Archer.
‘It is very tightly written,’ Jan Goldsmith, Radio 3CR
‘…best-selling story…’ Border Mail, Albury/Wodonga
‘…amazing story…’ East Gippsland News
‘Beautifully written!’ Vita Mezzatesta
‘You provide readers with a true but sad picture of the way unmarried, pregnant women were once treated and the callous and unfair way your mother’s children were removed from her.’ Shirley Randles, Southern FM: 88.3
Early Success
The first print run of Whisper My Secret sold out before the launch of the book! The original date of the launch had to be changed to ensure availability of stock.
Whisper My Secret has also enjoyed early success in Orbost, East Gippsland where JB was born. In the same week that the latest Harry Potter book was released and in a town that boasts two primary schools and a secondary college it was Whisper My Secret that topped the sales at the Orbost Newsagency, which doubles as the local bookshop
How JB came to write Whisper My Secret.
My father’s love letters to my mother
Mother of Ten, the sequel to Whisper My Secret, is now available on Amazon.
Thank you to all those readers who have taken the time to post reviews of my books on Amazon and elsewhere.
Recent awards won by JB include:
Stringybark Australian History Short Story Award
Whisper My Secret 