I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is an informative and eye-opening look at the secrets women around the world are forced to keep, and the cultural, political, and personal reasons behind that silence. It covers a huge range of topics including mental health, domestic abuse, sex work, witchcraft, Taliban resistance, and more. Because the scope is so broad, I often felt like we were speeding through subjects that deserved more space and depth.

What stood out most to me was the emotional journey the book took me on. I experienced a whole spectrum of feelings, at times I felt proud to be a woman, inspired by the strength and resilience shown in certain chapters. Other sections left me feeling sad or angry about the realities women are still forced to endure. A few moments sparked genuine hopefulness about how far we’ve come, but also deep frustration that we still have such a very long way to go.

Some chapters hit harder than others. I had to skip the part about animal abuse in Morocco, as I find that extremely distressing to read about. The chapters on domestic abuse were difficult too, though as someone who works regularly with victims, they were sadly not unfamiliar to me. The statistics throughout the book were often shocking and forced me to sit with some uncomfortable truths.

Overall, I’m glad I read this. It’s powerful, and it will absolutely spark conversations, but for me, its biggest strength (the range of stories) was also its weakness. I would have preferred fewer topics explored in more depth.

This book offers a thoughtful and wide-ranging exploration of why some women live with secrecy and how those hidden lives are shaped by culture, power, safety, and survival. I appreciated the diversity of voices and experiences included, which together form a compelling picture of the many ways secrecy can function as both protection and burden.

What stood out to me most was the emotional impact. Some chapters were inspiring in their portrayal of resilience and quiet resistance, while others were confronting and uncomfortable, forcing reflection on realities many women still face. The author approaches each subject with sensitivity, allowing space for empathy rather than judgment.

While the scope is broad and some topics move quickly, I still found the overall reading experience engaging and thought-provoking. This is a book that encourages discussion and reflection, and I would recommend it to readers interested in women’s lived experiences, social issues, and nonfiction that challenges assumptions.

I find it difficult to read books on the Netgalley app since I can only read it on my phone which is too small to enjoy reading comfortably for long swathes of text. I dipped into this book and found it interesting. As it covered quite a variety of subjects linked only vaguely by being "women with secrets" it works quite well as the sort of book you can read in small increments, one story at a time.

In Secret Women, Holburn covers a multitude of women and the situations and life circumstances that have led them to hold a portion of their lives or themselves secret. These areas of secrecy span everything from hiding one's job from others to hiding medical diagnoses from others. One commonality running through every story is the desire to avoid the judgement of others and to live a life where they aren't judged by only one aspect of their personhood. All of the stories were very interesting and felt like being allowed to see an aspect of a person that don't share with everyone. I appreciated the honor each of these women bestowed upon the readers by sharing these somewhat hidden parts of themselves. I think it would really lead any reader to question what aspects of their life they keep secret or private and the reasons they choose to do so.

Secret Women by Vanessa Holburn is an interesting non-fiction book with a variety of topics and taboo subjects. I enjoyed the chapters which went into more detail both through interviews and Holborn’s own research but, like other reviewers have noted, I would have preferred fewer topics explored in greater depth. Moreover, I wish there was more of Holborn in this collection; in terms of more objective research and a greater exploration into the stigmas that exist and why. This said, I would definitely recommend Secret Women, as hearing from other women from different walks of life and stages of life was wonderful. Depending on the topic and how much I personally related to it, I felt awed, encouraged, reassured, and/or enlightened throughout.