The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a compelling historical novel that intertwines the lives of two women across different eras. Set against the backdrop of World War II Germany and modern-day Northern England, the story explores themes of friendship, sacrifice, and resilience.
The novel follows Audrey James, a young woman on the brink of graduating from a prestigious music school in Berlin in 1938. As the war looms, Audrey's life takes a dramatic turn when her best friend, Ilse Kaplan, is forced into hiding due to her Jewish heritage. Audrey becomes a housekeeper for high-ranking Nazi officers while secretly aiding the anti-Hitler movement, showcasing her bravery and determination
Kate Mercer moves to a guest house near the Scottish border to heal from a personal tragedy. There, she uncovers the hidden past of the elderly proprietor, linking her story to Audrey's wartime experiences. This dual narrative structure enriches the novel, providing a deep and emotional exploration of the characters' lives and highlights the unbreakable bonds of friendship.

I love reading WWII books because I learn so much about the resilience of people. I love that there were people fighting against evil and fighting for those being oppressed. I love to learn about the thing women did to help the during the war. Women were so important during WWII because they were always underestimated, While I know that Audrey James wasn't an actual person, she is based on actual people who fought against the Nozis in WWII.

This story is so well written and so beautiful. I loved the back and forth of the Audrey's past and Kate's present. I love how Audrey and Kate connected and how their stories unfolded and crossed paths. Audrey was so incredibly brave. She got Ilse to safety after the attacks in the streets and managed to keep her safe in her own home even once SS officers took control of the home. The fact that she put herself in harms way to help get information to try to save Germany and the Jewish people. I was in awe of her and determination and drive. Kate having lost all of her family goes in search of the place her parents spent their Honeymoon and finds Oakwood and Audrey. I loved that these women were able to unburden themselves and help each other heal. I also enjoyed that among all this very heavy topics, Audrey helped Kate to find love. While Kate and Ian's story is minor to this novel, it was lovely.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of this ebook. All opinions expressed are my own.

It can be difficult to find an unputdownable historical fiction book, but this is it. I loved both of the dual timelines and found them equally compelling. This book deserves to be placed on the same shelf as The Nightingale.

When a tragic accident throws her life into chaos, Kate Mercer flees her heartbreaking memories that seem to surround her to Northern England to start over. Her new boss, elderly Audrey James, is cantankerous and closed off. Audrey resents the help unknowingly brought to her, but behind that tetchy behavior is a heart of gold.

As Audrey slowly opens up about her past working in the German resistance in Berlin during WWII, Kate discovers a remarkable woman almost lost to history. In helping Audrey tell her story, Kate works through her own grief and begins to understand her own history a little better.

Alternating between two timelines, Audrey and Kate show us what it means to love, to lose, and to forgive. These two strong female leads persevere when things get ugly and together, they have found a way to find a semblance of peace despite their circumstances. The Secret History of Audrey James is a beautiful exploration of both the personal and historical, interwoven in a way that feels healing and redemptive.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballatine Books, and of course the author Heather Marshall for the advanced copy of the book. The Secret History of Audrey James is out now. All opinions are my own.

I read and loved Looking For Jane. The debut novel by this same author. This is a brilliantly told story. The way this author weaves the two main characters together is nothing short of perfection.

I loved this line in this story:
""Audrey nodded warily. "Yes. My name is Audrey. Audrey James."" It was just the perfect sentence at the time. It just broke me....

This is a story about two women who are childhood friends living in Germany during the time when Hitler was starting his reign of terror. As he was fooling people into believing that what he was doing was what was best for Germany and it's people. To get rid of any people that were less than. Any people who were considered by him to be unworthy. He made people believe that the Jewish people were causing trouble for Germany. That they were doing much harm to Germany. He started grooming young kids to be in his army. He was a horrible little man who caused so much destruction.

Audrey was a German child who had hardly any friends. When the Kaplans moved in across the road Audrey ran over and introduced herself to Ilse. The Kaplans were Jewish. This was not a problem for Audrey. She and Ilse became fast friends. They were inseparable throughout their childhood. When things went crazy in Germany with the Nazi's rounding up the Jews Ilse was separated from her family. She saw her father gunned down by a soldier and her mom and brother taken away. She had no one. No one except Audrey. Audrey loved Ilse and would do anything to keep her safe.

We meet Kate in 2010 and get to know her. She's going through a divorce after the loss of her parents in a horrific car accident. Kate was with them and was the only survivor. She carries a lot of guilt from being a survivor. Her husband and her were already having problems and she decided to move away and found a job at an Inn. The Inn is owned by Audrey. The two get to know each other and Kate gets Audrey to open up about her life. This is hard for Audrey but also helps her. It also helps Kate to open up about the night she lost her parents. The two survived a lot and bond over their grief.

This story gives a lot of info about what it was like to grow up in Germany when the horrors were happening. It shows how strong some friendships between a German girl and a Jewish girl were. How they endured during soldiers taking over the home of the Kaplans. What it was like hiding in an attic and fearing for the worst. You feel the fear and sadness that emmetts from Ilse. How Kate kept them both safe by lying and being a housekeeper for the soldiers. Then working for the resistance to try and help as much as she could. It shows how strong the bond is between true friends. So strong that lies told by a horrible man could not be broken.

Then you find out how the two main characters lives intersect. How they know some of the same people. What happens to each. And in it all a love story happens. Audrey and Kate are two strong willed women. One survived Germany and the other survived a horrific car wreck. While one is way more horrific they are both essential to this story to bring the characters together and help each find closure.

This book is told from two different times. In the late 1930s mid 1940s, and 2010/2013. I thought this book was so good. It made me do some weeping but it was suppose to do that.

Do not miss the Author's Not at the end. It has a lot of great info and is so worth the read.

Thank you #NetGalley, #RandomHouse #BallantinePublishing for this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC of this book.
Its been a bit since I have read historical fiction but this one was a great one to get back into the swing of things. Well written between present day and past. A story of love past and present with a reflection that spans time. A recommend read.

A timely story about the resilience of humans, especially women. Audrey's story was heartbreaking but was beautifully written.

After a tragic accident, Kate Mercer leaves London to work at a rural guest house near the Scottish border. Her employer, Audrey James has her own secret history from her time around WW2. Despite differences in age a background, the two form a tight bond that helps to reveal Audrey’s past as an English woman assisting the German resistance.

This is inspired by real life events and is a unique perspective that I found interesting. It is well researched with a fascinating authors note. Told in dual timeline and perspective, I found the past timeline to be more interesting and engaging and like the use of the current to push the past timeline along. I did find this book somewhat superficial with none of the tension and emotional connection with the characters that I really like and expect with World War Two fiction. Overall this a good book with an interesting plot, but did not wow me as I was anticipating.

The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall is a historical fiction novel told in dual timelines. The first starts in Berlin, 1938 with Audrey on the verge of graduating from a distinguished music school in Berlin, where he slives in the home of her best friend, Ilse. As graduation approaches, she dreads the thought of returning to her father and leaving Ilse behind. Meanwhile, the situation in Berlin grows increasingly dangerous for the Jewish population with Ilse's family members disappearing, and the Nazis seizing her home. To protect her friend, Audrey takes on the role of housekeeper while secretly hiding Ilse in the attic. She also becomes involved in the German resistance.

In the 2010 timeline, Kate seeks a fresh start in Northern England after a failed marriage. She finds work at a B&B. Kate and the owner don't start off on the right foot, but as they grow closer, Kate gradually uncovers her remarkable past.

This book is based on true events and real people, bringing history to life through a fictionalized narrative. The book was engrossing and the the dual timeline was easy to follow.

Such a beautiful story on the power of love and friendship. Fighting for what is right and taking care of others. The peace of music and home.

The timeline before and during WWII about Audrey was intriguing and strong. But the more current timeline with Kate really brought the story together and I enjoyed those part even more.

“The entire war was about hope that the future could bring something better. The beat of their pounding, fearful, courageous hearts would echo down through generations. Hope would be the world’s inheritance at the end of all the bloodshed.”
4.25 rounded up

THE SECRET HISTORY OF AUDREY JAMES by Heather Marshall is an ultimate pleasure of historical fiction inspired by true stories. In a quiet village, far from the brutal realities of WWII Berlin, a young woman slowly uncovers the past of her guest house host and the terrible dilemmas of being true to the people you love and serving the greater good. I don't want to give away the plot, because it is so well-crafted, but know that the story flows evenly and well from one healing journey blending into another. I was moved to tears at times and enjoyed the way Marshall brought to life her fascinating story. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

"In my experience, a person will never do anything if they always wait until they're ready."

This was a fabulous piece of historical fiction and SO relevant given the current global political climate. I loved the two main characters and how their stories become intertwined. There's a great romantic subplot that doesn't take away from the main story, but also doesn't feel unnecessary.

The one negative - but it is a big one for me, so it cost it a whole star - is that there are 2-3 very blatant and unaddressed instances of one of the main characters casually talking about counting calories or the amount of exercise needed to burn the calories in a piece of food. I kept waiting for this to be addressed as the result of some trauma or at least call attention to it being something she was working on. It being dropped so casually and then never addressed felt very unnecessary to the story.

Other than that, I highly recommend this for anyone who loves WW2 historical fiction - especially in the form of personal stories of the women who resisted the Nazis.

This was interesting for historical fiction. I always want to like historical fiction more, but I think it requires knowing a bit more about the history.

If you love historical fiction buy this book, check it out from the library or borrow it from a friend…just read it!

Historical fiction is my jam and WWII just brings it up a notch for me. This story is woven together seamlessly through the dual POVs . This is my first novel by Heather Marshall but she has created a beautiful story filled with heartache, friendship, strong women, resistance and romance. I could not put it down!

Thank you to @netgalley, @ballentine and @heathermarshall for this advanced copy in exchange for my thoughts.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall.

This smacks very similar to a lot of other female centered WWII historical fiction novels. The double timeline, a modern protagonist, a mysterious older protagonist, and the gentle unfolding of both of their tales. However, that doesn't mean that I don't enjoy them every time.

I thought this did a good job with some of the nuances of the war, and how a person could get themselves incarcerated, not just by being Jewish. It also shone a light on the great risk of those who climbed the ranks in the Reich, with the plans of taking them down, and then being treated as a war criminal anyway.

It's a great story that tackles a lot of terrible topics, and it's done well. High recommend!

This is a duel timeline story of Audrey James. It goes between WWII and 2010. Audrey tells her story to Kate, who has just started working for her. Even though Audrey’s story from the war is the main part of the book, Kate also has her own story that intertwines with Audrey’s. This is a great historical fiction with an unexpected twist at the end.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel!
I absolutely loved it. It's a rare thing to get a historical fiction that is wonderfully researched, pitch-perfectly voiced and unputdownable, but this is the real deal. A perfectly formed masterpiece. I raced through it
With riveting prose the pages fly and the heart beats for the astonishing heroine. Well-developed character pulls you into the story immediately and stirs emotions within you. This book was masterfully narrated.
This really was historical fiction at its finest, this book made me feel things I haven't felt in some time.

This is a completely absorbing, dual timeline historical fiction, with two women at its center. Audrey is British, and a talented pianist nearing graduation. She has lived in Berlin for most of her life and resides with the Jewish family of her best friend. As conditions worsen, she finds herself trapped in Berlin. Audrey's experiences during the war are chilling, as she struggles, along with her best friend, to simply survive. When she begins to work for the resistance, her life takes a dangerous, life threating direction.

The present-day (2010) part of the book focuses on Kate, who has also suffered severe trauma and loss, and is looking for a way forward. She survived a terrible auto accident and has a pending divorce. She accepts a position at the estate of an elderly woman, to manage the estate and the seasonal rentals. The woman also wants Kate to assist her in writing her life story. That elderly woman is Audrey James.

Heather Marshall has brilliantly combined the stories and timelines of these two women into a fascinating account of the lives of both as they reveal long held secrets and discover their connection to each other. The alternating stories are full of surprising twists for each. The horrific experiences of Audrey during World War II are based on an actual woman in the Resistance movement in World War II. (See the author notes.) The author has created memorable characters for a book I will long remember! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

I tried two different times to read this book. The second time I even listened to the audio, and this one just isn’t for me.

Both timelines fail to actively keep my attention and the direction the story is heading is rather predictable.

This was a DNF for me.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for the copy of this book. All views are my own.

This is a well written story that is split between Nazi era Germany and the UK in 2010. Audrey was born in Berlin to an English father and a German mother who died during childbirth. They lived in Berlin until her grandmother died and then her father moved them to London. She greatly missed her best friend Ilse and after being accepted to a prestigious piano school for a three year program, she stayed with Ilse and her family until a terrible event changed everything.
In 2010, Kate is reeling from the death of her parents in a car accident that also injured her and led to the demise of her marriage. She is trying to figure out how to move forward when she comes across some pictures of her parents at an inn up north and ends up with a job there. The historical details really drew me in and I was surprised by the plot twist. I would give it 4.5 stars.