Book Review: The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada,  June 11, 2024

Format: paperback

Pages: 432

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary (From Goodreads):

The #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane returns with a poignant, gripping novel about a pianist in Berlin on the cusp of WWII and a choice she makes that echoes across generations.

Sometimes the best place to hide is the last place anyone would look.

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 the mysterious elderly proprietor is harbouring her own secrets…

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 she prepares to finish her piano studies, Audrey dreads the thought of returning to her father in England and leaving Ilse behind. Families like the Kaplans are being targeted as war in Europe threatens.

When Ilse’s parents and brother suddenly disappear, two high-ranking Nazi party members confiscate the Kaplans’ upscale home, believing it to be empty. In a desperate attempt to keep Ilse safe, Audrey becomes housekeeper for the officers while Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic—a prisoner in her own home. Tensions rise in the house and the chance of survival diminishes by the day. When a shocking turn of events pushes Audrey to become embroiled in cell of the anti-Hitler movement – clusters of resisters working to bring down the Nazis from within Germany itself – Audrey must decide what matters most: saving herself, protecting her friend, or sacrificing everything for the greater good.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during WWII, this 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.
 
 
My Review:
Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for the copy of this book.
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Read if you like: WW2 fiction, dual timelines
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The book tells the story of Audrey James and her experiences in Germany during WW2, and Kate, who goes to an inn in the north of England seeking a connection to her parents.
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Overall, the story was interesting and I really liked Audrey. But the pacing was a bit slow at times and I find myself being tired with dual timelines in historical fiction novels. Every time we got to Kate’s chapters, I just wanted to ski to get to Audrey’s chapters. But overall I appreciated the story and I definitely recommend it if this sounds like something you would like!
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