Book Review: The Secret History of Audrey James

By Melissa Amster

Northern England, 2010. After a tragic accident upends her life, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at an old guest house near the Scottish border, where she hopes to find a fresh start and heal from her loss. When she arrives, she begins to unravel the truth about her past, but discovers that the mysterious elderly proprietor is harboring secrets of her own.

Berlin, 1938. Audrey James is weeks away from graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin, where she’s been living with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. As war looms, Ilse’s family disappears and high-ranking Nazi officers confiscate the house. In desperation, Audrey becomes their housekeeper while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic. When a shocking turn of events embroils Audrey in the anti-Hitler movement, she must decide what matters most: protecting those she loves, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Since I loved Looking for Jane last year (reviewed here), I was looking forward to reading Heather Marshall's sophomore novel, The Secret History of Audrey James. This Holocaust story was chilling as it felt like a mirror to everything happening in the present. I am surprised this novel hasn't been talked about more often and I wish it had been published at this time last year and put in the hands of every American voter. It could have read as a cautionary tale.

I liked both Audrey (young and old) and Kate and cared about what happened to both of them. Audrey's story was surprising in some ways, as I hadn't read much about women who joined the resistance and tried to get rid of Hitler altogether. It was definitely a risky endeavor. Especially since she was also hiding her Jewish best friend from Nazis. And there was more that happened that I won't talk about as to keep some parts a surprise. Kate's present situation was heartbreaking and I only wanted her to heal from it. 

The story is really well told and I was riveted the entire time. Definitely make time for it in your busy reading schedule! Perfect for a book club discussion (just like her previous, also extremely relevant novel is). Heather has become one of my go-to historical fiction writers and I look forward to whatever she releases next!

Since this is about a horrible time in history, I think that's enough of a trigger warning, but there are things that happen in the present that I will mention below.

Movie casting suggestions:

Audrey (present): Vanessa Redgrave

Audrey (past): Florence Pugh
Ilse: Yasmin Paige
Muller: Joe Alwyn
Kate: Charlotte Ritchie
Ian: Julian Morris

Thanks to Ballantine for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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TW: Miscarriage, death of parents, cancer, divorce

Book Review: We Loved to Run

By Sara Steven

At Frost, a small liberal arts college in Massachusetts, the runners on the women's cross country team have their sights set on the 1992 New England Division Three Championships and will push themselves through every punishing workout and skipped meal to achieve their goal. But Kristin, the team's star, is hiding a secret about what happened over the summer, and her unpredictable behavior jeopardizes the girls' chance to win. Team Captain Danielle is convinced she can restore Kristin's confidence, even if it means burying her own past. As the final meet approaches, Kristin, Danielle, and the rest of the girls must transcend their individual circumstances and run the race as a team.

Told from the perspective of the six fastest team members, We Loved to Run deftly illuminates the impossible standards young women set for themselves in spite of their own powerlessness. With startling honesty and boundless empathy, Stephanie Reents reveals how girls—even those pitted against each other—find ways to love and defend one another. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

WOW. I’d originally wanted to read We Loved to Run because I’m a runner. In the end, though, this book was about much, much more. The setting takes place in the early 90s, where the reader quickly discovers how contentious it can be competing in a field that was still finding its footing for young women competitors. There is so much more to factor in than just how fast they are. It was interesting to go behind the scenes and see how far they’d go to win, even if it means hurting themselves in the process to get there. 

The six women are individuals, but at the same time, they are a collective group. In the beginning, that collectiveness is highlighted a lot in the way team decisions are made, and how each one has their own role to play within the group dynamic. But as the chapters unfold, each woman begins to break away from the collectiveness of their experience, and we learn more and more about their background stories and what has legitimately led them into an at times brutal field that strips away at everything, but gives them so much back in the process. As a runner, I could relate to that. 

When Kristin’s secret is revealed, it shakes the foundation of the friendships and teamwork that has been so carefully built, but at the same time gives much-needed truth, allowing everyone a chance towards honesty. It really pinpointed how different of a time it was in the 90s vs. today, and I thought the author did an excellent job of staying true to the characterization of a young woman and her viewpoints from that timeframe, when extra allowances could be made for behaviors that wouldn’t fly nearly as much today. The sad thing is, that is the lens we were given back then, with the well-known “boys will be boys” idiom; if a woman puts herself into what is considered by society a risky situation, “she’s asking for it.” There wasn’t as much accountability placed on the aggressor; the woman should have known better. The arguments on and for either side between the characters was true to life and made them even more believable and real.

While reading We Loved to Run, it made me want to lace up my Hokas and get out there and run, too. This book captured the spirit, the dedication, the pain and intense love that running can bring to those who are enraptured by it, an obsession that is hard to let go of. It was a definite five-star experience!

Thanks to Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Review: Always Hope

By Melissa Amster

Obstetrician Jessica Schorr will never forget the worst day of her life and the way it ended, with the traumatic delivery of a baby with cerebral palsy. Plagued with debilitating panic attacks since that day, she can't stop blaming herself for what happened.

Kendall Carlson can't forget that day either and the distressing memory of her newborn daughter, Hope, being taken away to intensive care. Is Hope's diagnosis because of mistakes the doctor made during the delivery, or is Kendall partially responsible too? With only weeks until the state deadline, Kendall needs to decide soon whether to file a malpractice suit against Dr. Schorr.

Following the retirement of his partner, Attorney Abe Silverberg is having trouble getting his law practice back on track. Every malpractice case that comes his way seems like a scam. What he needs is a case with real merit, a chance to prove to himself, and to everyone else, that he's not just some lowly ambulance chaser.

Always Hope combines a fast-paced story with deep emotional resonance, ultimately exploring the imperfection of being human, the importance of forgiveness, and the power of transformation. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

I really liked Heather Frimmer's first two novels, so I was thrilled to have an early opportunity to read Always Hope. I ended up devouring it in one day. It was really good! 

Some aspects of this story reminded me of Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. While it didn't go into the same gray area, the topic at hand was written in a sensitive and thoughtful way. I like that all three narrators were flawed and I cared about their well-being. I definitely felt bad for each of them for different reasons. There's also a lot of Jewish joy and it explores another topic that is prevalent these days (I won't spoil it, but I know people who would find it relatable).

When Jessica flashed back to everything leading up to Kendall's botched delivery, I felt annoyed that Jessica didn't receive more support for everything she was going through. She had to deal with some personal emergencies that came up last minute and it wasn't like she didn't have coverage. I just felt like people were too happy to shift all the blame to her even though some things were out of her control. 

I really liked the Jewish aspects of this story and am glad the aforementioned relatable topic was explored along with it. There was also an interesting connection with another character. The identity mix-up that was also related to one of the Jewish aspects added another complex element to the story.

Definitely add this to your autumn TBR when it releases in a couple weeks. It would make for a great book club discussion too!

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Jessica: Marissa Jaret Winokur
Kendall: Grace Van Patten

Abe: Fred Melamed

Thanks to Heather Frimmer for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Heather Frimmer:

Bedside Manners

Better to Trust

(Links are to Melissa's reviews.)

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TW: Death of spouse, death of parent, Alzheimers, panic attacks, descriptions of traumatic birth, medical descriptions, severe disability, loss of money