ALBA – Hidden Secrets

ALBA – Hidden Secrets, a young adult novel by Verity Croker, published by GenZ Publishing, US

Sixteen-year-old Rebecca is consumed by grief after the sudden, tragic death of her boyfriend, Alastair. Her pain is exacerbated by the fact that their relationship was a secret, a love story hidden from the world. Now, as she mourns in silence, she feels trapped, torn between the anguish of losing him and the guilt of revealing their bond.

Calum, Alastair's brother, remains unaware of their relationship. As Rebecca grows closer to Calum, their friendship takes an unexpected turn when they stumble upon a mysterious suitcase in an abandoned icehouse in the remote northern Scottish village of Cromarty. They also find a 19th-century diary written in code by a girl named Martha, also sixteen, whose secrets echo Rebecca’s hidden grief.

As Rebecca and Calum work together to decode the diary and uncover the truth behind Martha’s life, their bond strengthens. But with each revelation, Rebecca is forced to confront her own secrets and the emotional burden she has been carrying since Alastair’s death. The discovery tests their growing relationship, as Rebecca struggles with the question: Is it better to keep our deepest secrets hidden, or should we reveal them and let others help carry the weight of our grief?

ALBA explores the delicate balance between love and loss, secrecy and truth, and the healing power of sharing one’s heart with those willing to listen.