What She Knew

What She Knew tells the story of Liz Nabor, who seemed to have it all: A high profile job at an investment firm in New York City, a portfolio of clients that would impress anyone, an apartment that most people would only dream of and a boyfriend who not only supported her professionally but also loved her. However, in an instant, that all changes. She learns the estranged aunt she has barely spoken to in years is dying and that she must travel to Washington state to say her good-byes. As if that is not bad enough, the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme is exposed and while she never dealt with the man, nor did she have any of her clients invest with him, it seems that her clients’ money ended up in the mess, unbeknownst to her. Now thousands of miles away, she is watching her career crumble. When her aunt dies and she returns to New York City, she has to battle with her emotions of loss both personally and professionally, while fighting to save her good name and career. With her only shoulders to lean on miles away or forbidden/refusing to see her, Liz wonders how and if she will survive, and where she will end up when it is all said and done.

There are two sides to every story. Nadine Galinsky Feldman does a great job of showing that in What She Knew. A well-written story line, characters and emotions bring to life what life might have been like for the people affected by the Madoff scheme on all sides. Bringing together real-life events with fictional characters, Feldman, creates a tangible story about a horrific event in recent financial history that offers sympathy to those who lost so much, as well as a sympathetic lens through which readers can look at people who worked in the financial district who may have been affected. It humanizes them instead of just painting them as selfish villains. Her addition of the family story line for Liz also adds to the enjoyment of this novel. It takes it from being a book about Wall Street to a book about people.