Katherine McCusker Christchurch, NZ
I really enjoyed Dana Carver’s “Two Truths”. It was thought provoking with some powerful messages, while still being a great holiday read. The story is about a mother and her three daughters who have special qualities and links into the past. The book gave me plenty to think about. Dana’s great understanding of people and their different personalities came through in the characters as they faced personal challenges and were taken on a journey through time. It had a number of interesting twists, and I always wondered what was going to happen next. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I hope there is going to be one!?”
Anyone who enjoys Diana Gabaldon books or other books that combine the present with the past would enjoy Dana’s book. The book also brings in psychology so anyone who enjoys being challenged about how we behave and respond would also enjoy the book.
Liz Blakemore
Lake Brunner, NZ
I love this book! I love how it challenges current religious concepts and offers fresh new ones and also how ancestry and brain potential are postulated among historical events from the beginning of time. The plausibilty of this book's theory is thought provoking, sobering and exciting! The three sisters encounter this theory in very contrasting ways and you don’t have to wait until the until the end of the book to discover what the theory is. Instead, it is revealed in the middle and developed further as you read, answering your questions as they arise. I easily found evidence of the author’s theory in my own thinking and life, which made me not want to put the book down, let alone have the story end. This is a must read for anyone who likes history, philosophy and new ways of looking at things. This book offers so many interesting ideas about the world and life that I am still thinking about it weeks later.
Mel Escott
Hamilton, NZ
I enjoyed Two Truths despite it not being the kind of book I would normally read. The plot develops at a pace which kept me engaged; the ideas being almost of more interest to me than the characters or their whereabouts. The book is told from the perspective of a mother and her three daughters, and each perspective gets a short section (a few pages) before moving on to another character’s perspective. In essence this is like reading four stories at once, and wondering when and how their paths align. This and the pace of the book meant that you’re not waiting too long to put things together / have things revealed. The ideas / scenarios are pretty unique and so would probably suit a reader who likes something a bit different!
Shelley Lovegrove
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Two Truths is a fictional tale that delves into family relationships. The fact that we aren’t always knowledgeable about our family members becomes evident. While trying to help her daughters, Renee has to accept that each person creates their own fate. "Even if you change their course momentarily, their decisions will bring them back to the same place unless they make a change within.” This resonates with me as a parent, and why it is so difficult. We can’t alleviate pain in our children’s lives.
The author’s descriptions of people, places and events are enjoyable and succinct. This kept me focused on the plotline and moved the story forward, but I found the religious references distracting to the overall theme of the book. Two Truths would definitely appeal to adult readers who enjoy fantasy and mystery. It brings to mind the Da Vinci Code with its intrigue and religious basis.
Andrew Fraser
Cambridge, NZ
Two Truths is about a family who have quite differing personalities - for reasons that become central to the theme of the story. The death of the father early on triggers different responses from the mother and each of her three daughters as they seek to deal with his death.
They each take their own path to uncover the cause and circumstances surrounding
his death. In doing so they become involved in an ancient order which has far
reaching powers and nefarious objectives. The story is Dan Brown-esque where
ancient secrets are revealed as the characters seek the truth.
I liked that this book was completely unpredictable – I had no inkling as to how it was going to play out. I enjoyed the different character views. Each chapter focused on a single character’s storyline. They are short chapters, so you can easily keep up with each storyline. as your favourite. This is a good read for those that enjoy thrillers that meld reality and a fictional realm. This is similar to a Dan Brown type of book where ancient orders weld far-reaching behind-the-scenes influence and their desire for control is contested by the
protagonists.
Deidre Kirk
Auckland, NZ
“The Celestine Prophecy meets the Da Vinci Code. A story of enlightenment and the mystery of humankind told through the story of Renee and her three daughters’ journeys down their own life path. The story is thought provoking, full of twists, turns and unsuspecting events.
Each girl has a very different path to follow to find her reason for being. Their family values are challenged, and their love for on another questioned. Will they be able to come back together as a family? The intricate plot leaves the reader wondering what will happen next."
Anonymous Literary Academic
Auckland, NZ
“Two Truths is a real page-turner of a book. Carver expertly creates four women who take us through a world of intrigue, each with their own unique voice and take on the mysteries of life. The novel draws on several real-life clandestine groups, and uses them as a springboard to explore themes of enlightenment, ambition, motherhood and sexual awakening.”
Sam Cormack
Auckland, NZ
Two Truths follows the paths of three daughters after the mysterious death of their father. The story starts out as an interesting mystery and ends up as a complicated web of conspiracies. I enjoyed the setup and found each of the characters well-written and interesting, however I’m not a big fan of conspiracies and found the second half of the book a bit much.
The first half of the book introduces Renee and her three daughters and sets up the mystery of why Renee’s husband is killed. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one the four characters and I found each character well-written and distinct. Clues about the central mystery gradually build up with some hints of mystical or supernatural occurrences and grand conspiracies.
The second half dives deep into the mysticism and conspiracy theories as the mystery comes to its conclusion. I found this a bit jarring as I was expecting more of a traditional mystery novel and tend to be less interested in conspiracies and the supernatural. Those who enjoy these topics will probably get more out of the book’s conclusion.
Two Truths is a solid, engaging mystery novel that builds a complicated web of conspiracies. The topics and themes are not my personal favourites, but I still found the book a good read, and was engaged throughout
Susan Coffman
Columbus, Ohio, USA
Two Truths, Dana Carver’s first published novel, is going to surprise you.You’ll expect a relationship novel, and it is.You’ll expect a mystery and a romance and you’ll find it is those, as well.But you’ll also journey into past millennia, to mundane and exotic locales, into philosophy and history and religion, and into the hearts and minds of four extraordinary women as they search for Truth.
Mind reading, Gods, gifts, Truth, danger, three daughters and their mother are all at the core of this constant surprise of a novel. The four women are all protagonists, each with her own motives, each searching in her own way for Truth. The worlds of each contain their own cast of characters in their own settings. Lake Tahoe, Cincinnati, New Zealand, New Haven, Atlanta, Jekyll Island, and Paris are a few of the settings as the characters break from each other, reconnect, and journey again on their individual paths. Riding a strong current of dread, the final pieces of the puzzle come together with a satisfying snap. Might there be room for a sequel?
Chapters are short, all in third person, and each devoted to one of the protagonists. Each chapter is labeled with the character and setting, making it easy to follow. Plot and character are developed largely through dialogue. I found the novel to be timely as it explored mindfulness, meditation, the attraction to death, desire for power, manipulation by means of fear, social divisions, secret societies, sexuality and more.
Jill McNaughton
Columbus, Ohio, USA
I must admit I have never read a book even remotely similar to Carver’s Two Truths. Because the ideas and themes she presents were so novel to me, I gleaned a wealth of information from each chapter that I sometimes had trouble making sense of. The novel, at least for this reader, required a suspension of disbelief as I followed this family on their emotional, historical and spiritual journey to find how and why their husband and father died.
The Two Truths reminds me of quest literature where the main characters (in this case, the mother and her three daughters) meet with obstacles as they look for answers. They come together in the end with the benefit of knowledge learned and experienced gained that allows them to adapt, grow and accept their circumstances.
It is apparent that the author did extensive research in support of her novel’s plot. Because I was unfamiliar with many of the ideas presented, I looked to the characters to help me further understand the journey. I found that a lack of “connective tissue” amongst the women made it hard for me to engage with them. The lack of familial concern between sisters and between mother and daughters made me ask myself, ”What’s up with that?” They just seemed distant and disconnected.
By the book’s end, most things fell into place for me. Overall, I thought it was certainly imaginative and creative. I even chuckled a few times-- as if crème brulee could make anyone feel a bit lighter!
Jill Kuyper
Columbus, Ohio, USA
I am not a voracious reader. In fact, I often estimate how many days it will take me to read a book in order to get engaged in the story. So as I began to read Two Truths, the short chapters made me feel I was making progress and the alternating discussions between each family member, and how they interacted with each other helped piece this story together. for me
At first, I found the story to be too unbelievable, but then the book began to be interlaced with events that were, or could be, happening today. And after I finished the book, I continued to think about what had taken place.
For those readers who want to experience different ideas about life and who are also willing to approach those ideas with open minds, this would be a great book to discuss with friends.
Juan Pellegrino
Lincoln, NZ
I very much enjoyed reading Two Truths. Every night I was looking forward to discovering what was happening in this entertaining story of incredible women and fantastic beings. Even though the plot was like nothing I read before, it got me hooked. I even discovered as I read on that it was dealing with some philosophical ideas that made me think about our own nature and life in general. The plot revolves around a ‘sect’ like group, this family of women whose father dies, and these powerful individuals, which storylines are intertwined and converged when you reach the end. Overall, I highly recommend it if you like historical thrillers, and maybe even science fiction. It was a compelling book for me.