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.
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
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