Ackland's writing is powerful and elegant, an impression that is enhanced by her ability to create characters that are unsympathetic but not alienating to the reader. She uses frequent images of sweetness and consumption. 'Honey fixes all pain and all sadness,' James Kelly says. This is true of the sugar in Turkey, added to tea by the handful. These images act as effective motifs, but at times risk becoming repetitive.

The Secret Son's resolution seems rushed, a neat tying together of an otherwise complex and nuanced story. While it is the concept that hooks the reader, the strong prose and conviction with which Ackland delivers her message keep us reading, even if the ending falls a little flat.