The Secret History of Audrey James is a pre WWII historical fiction novel that describes the rise in power of Hitler and the Nazi Regime. Told in two alternate time lines, there are two main characters. Kate is a young women escaping from a failed marriage and her own personal demons dealing with her parents accident and death. Audrey is a ninety year old women who reveals her past history to Kate as a way of absolution in preparation for her own impending death.
Both characters are strong women who form a wonderful connection as they deal with their own horrible and never ceasing memories. The story evolves around the time before Poland was invaded, when the Natzis began their campaign to eradicate the Jewish population, and the breakout of WWII. There is an interesting story woven into this story with the two main characters. The story deals with self forgiveness and coming to terms with one’s past. This is a good book for WWII historical fiction fans.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

A great read that snagged me from the very first words and drew me in. Especially love the end where the true bits were shared so you understand what was weaved together and the amazing women in the past.

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.

Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres to read and the fact that this book was inspired by true stories made it even better to read. I think anyone who loves reading about historical events will love this book.

I received an e-mail invitation from NetGalley to read this book and I am so glad I did! The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline story, with the first timeline telling the story of Audrey and her best friend and neighbor Ilse, who is Jewish, beginning in Germany during the WWII time period where the Nazis were taking over everything and terrorizing/rounding up Jews. The second timeline is in the UK in 2010 and features Kate, who has just survived an horrific car accident which took the lives of her parents at the same time that her marriage is breaking up. Kate travels to Scotland to begin a new job at the Oakwood Inn, where she believes her parents stayed on their honeymoon years prior, and meets the elderly Audrey, who begins to tell her the story of her life in Nazi Germany. This is a sometimes-difficult-to-read (as are most stories involving Nazis, IMHO) tale of love and loss as well as redeption and second chances. I especially enjoyed the authors notes at the end, where she explained the real life persons who influenced her creation of the characters. I loved it. Looking forward to reading more from this new-to-me author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

While I vowed I wasn’t going to read any more novels centered around World War II, when I received an invitation to review this from the publisher I couldn’t turn it down. And I’m so glad I read it. Told in dual timelines, Berlin before, during, and after World War II, and England in 2010, it is a story of friendship, family secrets, loss, tragedy and love during one of the darkest periods in history. The author did a brilliant job searching through historical records to craft her story and her diligence shows. However, writers of historical fiction must not only be cognizant of the historical events but also of the language of the period and this is where the author failed. 4 stars instead of 5 because of the historically inaccurate use of the F-bomb throughout. Thanks to Penguin/Random House and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this story. This was a very well written account of a woman trapped in Nazi Germany during WW2. This story flipped back from the 30s-40s to present time (2010). It was done very well and there was no confusion as to which time period you were in. The story held my interest and was believable.

No suspense here--I loved Heather Marshall's The Secret History of Audrey James, a dual-timeline history set about a decade ago and during World War II. The narrative, broadly, concerns one woman's involvement in the German resistance and another's struggle to get over the car accident that killed her parents and ended her marriage. There are certainly unbelievable bits to the narrative and occasional research errors. That said, the narrative flows beautifully and I was invested in both timelines--a rarity in these works where I normally only care about the historical narrative. I think that Marshall's introduction of an LGBT element was something new and different for these types of books and, while I think it could have been handled slightly better, I was happy to see it. This is still a five-star read for me. I really just flew through it and enjoyed it immensely.

Outstanding, suspenseful , riveting!!! This novel tells a very important story and one I have never read about before . It is an important novel and one to add to everyone’s Holocaust library or list of books read on the subject. It is so very well written, I couldn’t put it down. There are great twists and turns in the story and the surprise ending was the icing on the cake. Kudos to Miss Marshall for writing such an outstanding piece.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline book focusing on the relationship between a young woman trying to put herself back together after a tragic accident and divorce as well as well as an older woman trying to navigate the end stages of her life as an inn owner, while simultaneously focusing on her previous life in World War Two. The World War Two storyline was gripping, interesting, and, of course, given the genre, sad. The more present day storyline was perhaps not as strong and at times, could be a bit unbelievable. Overall 4/5 stars, and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for generously providing me with the advance reader copy.

I was very excited to read this book as I really loved the author's previous book - Looking for Jane. If you haven't read it you really should. The Secret History Audrey James is a story that is based on the life of a real woman during the Nazi uprising. Audrey lived with a Jewish family while studying piano. Audrey is not Jewish and had the chance to leave Germany, but did not want to leave her friend Ilse and her family in Berlin. Of course when the antisemitism becomes worse things change. Audrey cannot leave. The story unfolds as the other main character in the novel, Kate takes a job at an inn in Scotland. Kate has suffered a tragedy in her life and is looking for closure. Her parents had honeymooned at the inn many years ago. Audrey is the owner of the inn. She is elderly and did not want any help. The two women become close and secrets are revealed.
I recommend this book and can't wait to read the author's next novel. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Secret History Of Audrey James. This is a beautiful and brutal story of love, war and self forgiveness. The author has drawn on several true stories to bring this story to life. This is a book that history lovers do not want to miss.

Loved this book of strong women! Story of war but the human side of it. Lots of secrets and lies to follow, what would you do to survive? We never know until push comes to shove. Sometimes you just keep moving!

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Secret History of Audrey James</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Berlin in the late 30s is a dangerous place to be. Audrey, half German, half English, is training to be a concert pianist, a performer. She grew up in Germany and currently lives with her Jewish neighbors, including her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. The rising and overt hatred of Jews under Hitler's leadership soon puts Audrey and the Kaplan family at risk. When the true horrors begin, Audrey's decisions have impacts for many that reverberate for decades.

The novel has a simultaneous plot set in England around 2010. Kate is at a crossroads; she recently lost both parents in a car accident, and her marriage has fallen apart. In a quest to feel closer to her parents, she takes a job as an administrator at an inn where her parents had honeymooned. There, she meets the now elderly Audrey, and gradually, the two grow close.

There are tons of similarities here with other novels focused on World War II. A few similarities include epigraphs from Dante's <i>Inferno</i>, dual timelines with an unexpected and improbable connection between the characters, a troubled individual in the more recent plot line finding purpose, a tangible talisman proving the connection, and a return to Berlin in the more contemporary time-frame to bring the plot full circle.

Nothing in this plot is unique, but Marshall's writing makes readers care about Audrey and the others. Writers who employ the horrors of World War II as a setting must create ordinary people capable of extraordinary bravery when most individuals try to fade into the background. The extraordinary becomes the only choice Audrey can possibly make.

A World War II story, dual storyline, partly in Germany, partly in U.K, with brave female characters, and an exciting plot with true historical references. Well researched and well written, it was hard to put down. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The Secret History of Audrey James” is a WWII historical fiction book by Heather Marshall. I both really liked and was meh about this book. I really enjoyed (after finishing the book) Ms Marshall’s Author’s Note - where she explains the inspiration, the truth, her family history, and where she took liberties. I found the overall idea for this book to be a really great one - I just was meh about the last 20 or so percent when I realized where things were heading and - yep, meh. I much preferred Audrey’s 1939-1945 storyline to the 2010s storyline. I felt that Kate was a meh character and, believe me, I understand being depressed and trying to motivate yourself to do anything, but what Audrey and her cohorts did during the war really reminded me that sometimes you have to go on just because. So, a very high 3.75 rating from me, but rounded up to 4 stars because I do think the idea was fantastic and Ms. Marshall wove the stories (and history) in a great way. I can see many a book club discussion about this book - tons of great questions to ask (though I didn’t see a list in my eARC version).

Audrey is studying piano in Berlin in 1938 when, of course, the war interrupts her life and others. She is living with her best friend, Ilse, and Ilse's family. The war's atrocities hit close to home, and Audrey is no longer able to complete her studies. She is swept into protecting and caring for Ilse and the other characters that come into her life. Told in a dual timeline, we also hear from Kate in 2010. After her parents' car accident and deaths, Kate is searching for answers and the road leads her to an inn in Vermont where she meets Audrey! After Audrey slowly tells Kate her story, they realize that their lives are connected. This is a story of courage in the face of evil and is based on a true story which makes it even more interesting. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy. I loved this book and was drawn into the lives of these unique characters right away!

In “The Secret History of Audrey James,” the book alternates between 1938-1945 with the title character, Audrey James, and 2010, with Kate Mercer who meets Audrey in Alnwick, England. Audrey James is half-German and half-English. Her German mother died giving birth to her. Her English father remained in Germany until Audrey was a teenager, when he returned to England. Audrey remained behind with her best friend Ilse Kaplan’s family while Audrey pursued a music education in Berlin. After Ilse’s father is killed by the Nazis in 1938 and her mother and brother are taken away, Audrey remains in the house, hiding her best friend, Ilse, in the attic while the house itself is occupied by Nazi officers. It is during this time that Audrey begins her work on behalf of the German resistance movement.

In a parallel storyline set in 2010, Kate Mercer, reeling from the death of her parents in a car accident and the subsequent failure of her marriage and loss of her job, decides to leave London for a job as an assistant at Oakwood Inn in Alnwick, England near the Scottish border after finding a photo of her parents vacationing there in 1968. Here she meets Audrey, an elderly woman who owns the inn, and was unaware that her assistant, Sue, had hired Kate to help her. Kate and Audrey have a rocky start to their relationship; however, they soon form a close bond. Audrey opens up to Kate, relating her life story, which Kate begins to transcribe into a memoir at the suggestion of Ian, a bookstore owner who helps with tasks at the house, and has been close to Audrey since he was a child.

Based on extensive research, the novel sheds light on a little known aspect of World War II history, that of the German resistance movement and the types of people who worked for it. In addition, it focuses on strong women who made unheralded contributions to the war effort. Themes of emotional and physical scarring and how these are overcome form a common thread throughout the book.

The novel should appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction with strong female lead characters. For myself, although the book had all the right elements to make it interesting, I struggled to stay invested in the story, which felt long and drawn out, despite its depiction of interesting struggles and the ever present fear of discovery. I chalk this up to my weariness of World War II books. I’m sure that other readers who haven’t burned out on the subject will find this book engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

For some reason the topic of WW2 has always fascinated me, from the how or why to the effects it had on my own family who went to war for the Allies.
As history books just gloss over the ideals of Hitler and the Nazi party it’s our own curiosity that makes us delve deeper in the stories that help us understand what really happened.
This story ripped my heart apart in so many ways because Audrey’s life while she felt she needed to pay a penance for her history should have been honored for her bravery and loyalty.
While again history teaches us that many great things of importance to the downfall of regimes would never have happened had it not been for the women behind the scenes who risked it all for the undying love of another.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline historical fiction novel about two women.
In the current timeline, Kate Mercer is a survivor of a recent tragedy that left her without parents and her marriage in shambles. Looking to make a change, and seeking to feel connected with her parents, she finds a job as an administrator for a guest house near the Scottish border in Northern England. The owner of the house is elderly and curmudgeonly Audrey James. In 1938 Berlin, Audrey is a young woman living with her Jewish best friend's family, as she finishes her studies to become a concert pianist. As the book moves forward, we are able to piece together both Kate and Audrey's pasts as Audrey opens up to Kate, and vice versa. Both women are severely affected by their past traumas, and I enjoyed the development of their relationship as they found solace with each other, and through that, they also found healing.
This is the first book I've read by Heather Marshall, and I found it to be clearly well researched and well written as well. The character development in both women was also well portrayed, and the healing they found in each other also made for a satisfying ending.
Overall, this was an interesting and enjoyable read for me, and I found the WWII timeline to be unique and different from other books that I have read in the past.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Nothing new here. Had hopes that the music would stay with the story but alas, it’s the same story just a different take. Time shifting didn’t help.