Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the oppportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This author always writes a lovely story, her characters are compelling and you can easily become interested in their lives. This story tells of two girls whose lives are drastically impacted by WWII in differnt ways. Both girls are intelligent and brave in their own ways, as different and as similar as they are. Magda lives on a farm in Germany and Imogen is evacuated from her home in England to hopefully protect her from harm. This book grabbed me from the first and i very much enjoyed it.

Captivating, emotional, and intense!

The Secret Letter is an immersive, dual-timeline tale set in London and Germany during WWII, as well as 2018, that takes you into the lives of two main characters from completely different backgrounds and worlds, Imogen and Magda, whose lives become unimaginably entwined by the consequences of war and the actions of one brave man.

The prose is rich and expressive. The characters are resilient, determined, and brave. And the plot is an alluring, coming-of-age tale about life, loss, family, secrets, separation, desperation, tragedy, friendship, love, and the hardships and horrors of war.

Overall, The Secret Letter is an absorbing, moving, beautifully written tale by Rix inspired by real-life events that, at its heart, highlights that survival of any kind often involves moral dilemmas, action, strength, courage and beyond all else, sacrifice.

The description says this is unforgettable, which might be true. It is a compelling story, and a well-written one. Rix is a master in her own genre. Recommended.

Thanks very much for the free review copy!!

WW2 - England - Germany - Teenaged Girls - RAF - Family - German Resistance - Wrens - D-Day - Love - Courage - Friendship - Hitler Youth

After reading Debbie Rix's The German Wife last month, I wanted to check out some of her other books. The Secret Letter, originally published in 2019, does not disappoint. Based on true events, Rix has written another inspiring World War II story. Told through the eyes of two teenaged girls, one English (Imogen) and one German (Magda), the inhumanity of war seen and experienced by both.

The characters are very well-written. I love strong, smart, courageous women and Magda and Imogen are brilliant examples! After reading many WWII books over the past year, learning new things about the war, such as the White Rose Movement, Hitler's banning of Christmas, and the British compulsory government service requirement, were all eye-opening and welcome. I highly recommend.

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

What a hypnotic and transporting experience! No matter how many stories I read about the second world war, I never leave unscathed, the inhumanities that the Nazi’s bestowed uncompromising and unimaginable, and The Secret Letter is no exception.

The Secret Letter is the dual memoirs of Imogen Mitchell in England, and Magda Maier in Germany. Both are youths at the beginning of World War II in 1939, telling about their unique experiences as teens and young adults during one of the worst wars in history. This story brought a fresh perspective that I haven’t read much in historical fiction, especially during this era, showing what the beginning of the war was like for young adolescence, especially in Germany. There is an assumption that all Germans were for the Nazi party, but there were so many that were apart of the resistance, and I loved seeing this fresh perspective.

There are come cringing moments, including an instance of rape, but luckily, the details are not graphic, though the details do not need to be graphic in order to highlight such a horrific act. Sadly, this was another part of this senseless war that was a regular occurrence, so I was not surprised that it was included in this novel, especially when you find out who committed this abuse, and to whom.

I was fascinated and engrossed the entire time I read, the author having an incredible knack for putting me right there amid the angst and anger of this outrageous conflict. Seeing the parallels between what Imogen and Magda endured, and seeing how their stories would eventually intersect, was so powerful. I felt all waves of emotion as each girl went deeper into the war, feeling all the feels, including pride at how each of them were determined to do their part to help end this war.

I’ll admit I’ve been a little burned out with all of the World War II historical fictions that are saturating the market right now, but The Secret Letter stood out to me. It wasn’t overly graphic, yet it still conveyed the dark tone that shrouds this era. This is the first book that I’ve read by this author, but she now has a new fan in me. Such powerful writing, with rich character development, and strong female heroines, I enjoyed The Secret Letter immensely, and I know you will too.

I love stories with multiple perspectives that somehow interconnect, so this story drew me right away. It looks at both the British and German sides of WWII throughout the war and in the years after as well. The British perspective is based on the author's grandparents and that made it even more interesting for me.

Told through the perspectives of two young girls, one English and one German, this WWII novel will keep you engaged. While the Hitler Youth programs are not an easy read, Rix approaches the topic delicately. A must read for WWII fans.

This book is incredible and what makes it even more amazing is it's based on what happened in the author's family . The story is told after she read her father's letters and diaries and other family journals.
It's a coming of age story starting when Magda is thirteen years old in Germany. Her best friend and her family are snatched and thrown in a concentration camp just because they are "different".
The Nazi's are firmly entrenched and have brainwashed the youth as they must follow the rules of the Hitler Youth. There are some like Magda who rebel against this and are involved in the White Rose Movement. They rebel against the oppressive, frightening world surrounding them.
The story is so well plotted out,the characters so realistic. The book is really fabulous. You can feel the fear they are feeling, one wrong move and they are done for. It lends a suspenseful feel to the book because of the choices they make, what will be the outcome? Sorrow but yet joy comes through the clouds. A definite recommendation here for sure!

Pub Date 25 Jan 2022
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I read a lot of historical fiction and this is a very good book.
I liked how the characters all interacted eventually. Also the different views of the war was interesting.
I liked Imogene. She was a well rounded young lady and she knew what she wanted from life.
I didn’t enjoy Magda. I thought she put her family in danger too many times. I understood her wanting to help people but not at the expense of her family. That is the reason I gave this book 4 stars.

This novel has two stories. One is a young woman on the Allied part of the war and the other is a young woman on the German part of the war. Debbie Rix does a great job showing both stories and how even though the woman are on different sides, they are similar. I liked this book but felt the action was missing towards the end. I would still recommend this book because of the great writing.

What a phenomenal story! Absolutely loved it! One of the best historical fiction books I have read...

The characters are wonderful and complex. We have two sides of the story one from Imogen, who is in England and the other is Magda, a country girl who lives in a small town in Germany. Both characters are likable and courageous women. I found myself pulled into the story even though it flipped back and forth from one character to another.

I really liked Magda's character. She is a country girl who at the start of the war finds out one of her best friends is no longer around. But what happened to her...Magda finds out the hard way. Magda is coming to the age where she defies everyone and growing up in Germany during WWII is hard. I felt so many emotions reading her part of the story....I cried a lot for Magda.

The author's writing was wonderful and she pulled me in right for the first page. The story of courageousness and bravery! The author loosely based the story on her parents and Wren and RAF pilot....finding old family WWII letters. I didn't know this to begin with....I was surfing NetGalley, came across this book, read the synopsis,I do like historical fiction and said I will request it and see. I was approved and started it almost immediately and I didn't want to put it down. It is so emotional that I did put it down to read something that wasn't so involved but I found myself coming right back to it the same night. You know the saying that we are all connected someway...that each one of us has been in contact with the other. Well the ending proves that theory...I won't say what happens but my eyes opened wide up with the last couple of chapters...

Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for allowing me to read The Secret Letter for an honest review! This is my honest review from my heart...it was truly amazing!

A fascinating story about WWII, friendship and family. I liked the fact that the author makes us wait til the end to see how the girls’ stories are related.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I truly enjoy reading historical fiction. I also love reading books that are based on true stories. Rix writes a fabulous story based on her own parents’ experiences during WWII, as a WREN and RAF pilot. To add to the fascination, she includes the story of a German woman, Magda, so that readers are experiencing side by side war time stories from both England and Germany. I read this book in one sitting. I loved the author’s explanation and historical note at the end. It’s a book worthy of many readers.

The Secret Letter is a dual timeline historical WWII novel showing how the war affected everyone, including children. The story alternates between teenagers - Imogene in England, and Magda, who lives in Germany. This is a unique novel because it's not until the end that we find out the connection between the two girls. Thanks to author Debbie Rix, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

This is such a unique look at wartime historical fiction! Rix examines the intimate lives of two families - the Maiers and the Mitchells- on opposite sides of the war and reveals the wider conflicts and complexities of this time period.

It is a dual timeline story told through the eyes of two teenage girls. Imogen Mitchells parents, like others in her school, send her to the Lake District in England for three years at the start of the war. Not only is her schooling not interrupted, but she’s safe in the countryside. Magda Maier grew up on a farm in Augsburg, rural Germany. After they finished high school, Imogen went to work as a Wren and was involved in Operation Overlord and Magda joined the resistance to fight against the Nazi regime. Yes, that’s right. AGAINST. Both of these girls are strong and intelligent and had perseverance that helped them have a significant impact on the war. The two timelines alternated seamlessly and Rix joined them together with the introduction of a young RAF pilot.

Rix reveals how the indoctrination in Germany crept into the girls' education and then spread like wildfire throughout the country. It started with conforming to strict hairstyles and dress codes and escalated with teachers encouraging relationships with soldiers outside of marriage in order to increase the Aryan population. I was shocked to read about ‘mattresses’ and girls feeling uneasy turning down dates from guys in the Hitler Youth for fear of retribution. I was fascinated learning about the Germans who were desperate to fight back against their own government and the courage it took. Standing up to cruelty and opposing the evil of Hitler’s National Socialists was risky. Rix has truly honored the young people of Munich who stood up to Nazi tyranny.

In England, Rix focuses on the young people who developed an incredible ability to retain a sense of morality and humanity in the midst of appalling brutality. Their indomitable spirit shines through this story.

I love how historical fiction fosters such a greater understanding of what a particular time and place in history was like. I had never read about the White Rose Movement, never seen references to BIGOT, didn’t know anything about a Cassini grid for plotters, nor did I know that the WRENS were involved in the invasion plans for D-Day or that there was compulsory involvement in one of the forces when British girls turned 19 years old. Rix has really revealed how much I didn’t know about this time period, despite being an avid reader of wartime fiction. This makes me happy.

A ‘chatty’ read, this book was based on true events. Rix’s parents were the inspiration for Freddie and Imogen. It’s a must read for every historical fiction lover.

I was gifted this advance copy by Debbie Rix, Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

This is the first book I’ve read by author Debbie Rix, and I must say, I absolutely loved this story. From the prologue on I was completely hooked. The story is told through two main characters, during WWII. Magda, a German farm girl and Imogene a. London city girl. We read on as both girls come of age during the war. The influence of Karl, Magda’s brother, living abroad in London has great influence over his sister and the direction she decidedly takes.

There is so much to love about this story. It’s extremely well written. The thing I love the most about the story it is Rix accounts come directly from the lives of her parents and with that she made everything feel so very real, which for the most part was.

Thank you to #netgalley, #forevergrandcentralpublishing and #debbierix for the opportunity to read such a wonderful story.

History tends to trivialize the many German citizens who opposed Hitler and all he stood for. In Rix’s new book, we meet Magda, a young German girl who has seen her best friend carted off to a concentration camp because of her faith. Horrified at what she sees going on around her, Magda joins a resistance group called the White Rose Movement. The group tries to disseminate the truth about the “Final Solution” to German citizens, but It’s not until a British pilot crashes nearby that Magda must put everything on the line. Is this man’s life, the life of millions of Jewish prisoners of war worth the potential cost of losing her own family? A brave and beautiful story about how the actions we take can have repercussions we can’t even begin to imagine

I have read so many books about WWII in recent years, and I know some people think they are overdone, but I adore learning about a new aspect of what happened during one of our planet's darkest times. This is one reason I really enjoyed this book. Telling the stories of two girls as they mature into women: one an English evacuee, the other a German farm girl, this book talked about elements of the war I had not known about before.

I think both of the girls were flawed, but still heroines of not only their stories, but of the bigger story. I enjoyed seeing them navigate relationships and politics and morality in the midst of their formative years. If you like historical fiction, especially WWII fiction, then I think you will enjoy this book.