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The Secretary cover art

The Secretary

By: Catherine Hokin
Narrated by: Stephanie Lane
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Summary

The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history....

Germany 1940. As secretary to the leader of the SS, Magda spends her days sending party invitations to high-ranking Nazis, and her evenings distributing pamphlets for the resistance. But Magda is leading a dangerous double life, smuggling secrets out of the office. It’s a deadly game, and eventual exposure is a certainty, but Magda is driven by a need to keep the man she secretly loves safe as he fights against the Nazis....

Forty years later. Nina’s heart pounds as she steps into an uncertain future carrying a forged passport, a few bank notes, and a scribbled address for The Tower House taken from an intricate drawing she found hidden in her grandmother’s wardrobe. Separated from her family and betrayed by her country, Nina’s last hope is to trace her family’s history in the ruins of the past her grandmother ran from. But, when she finally finds the abandoned house, she opens the door to a forgotten story, and to secrets which will change everything: past, present, and future....

A poignant and gripping novel about bravery, loss, and redemption during the Second World War. A must-listen for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

©2021 Catherine Hokin (P)2021 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

What listeners say about The Secretary

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    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful story

I love Catherine Hokin’s work; I have enjoyed each and every one. I hope she delivers more soon. Beautifully narrated.

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    1 out of 5 stars

So utterly predictable!

I really struggled with this, particularly as it's a genre I normally love. I found the constant back and forth between Magda and Nina was very confusing and tiresome. From the beginning it was so predictable where the story was going and I struggled to like Magda. I mean, realistically how many lives did she actually save whilst she was wining and dining with Nazis. Of course one life saved is better than none, but I just felt that she was constantly examining her conscience and it was totally predictable where it would end. This was my first Catherine Hokin book and quite honestly it's my last.

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  • Donna Spafford
  • 19-06-21

So disappointed

I love WWII fiction and had high hopes for this book but I can’t get past how stupid the main character, Nina, is. If you love this genre, then this book is worth reading but be prepared to painfully sit through unfathomably ignorant actions. This could have easily been a 5 star story if told through a main character who wasn’t so ridiculous. I would except these actions from a ten year old but not someone coming into adulthood. I rarely write reviews because I hate criticizing someone’s work but this was so painful that I had to stop the book with a little over an hour left because I couldn’t handle rolling my eyes again.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 12-11-21

Confusing

I found the book very hard to follow, very confusing. Chapters referring to the 1980’s seems all over the place and i don’t see any connection with the war years. Very disappointed. The narrating is very fast too.

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  • Jan Smith
  • 16-10-21

Great read

love the story and narration was great as well. the story kept me on the edge of my seat.

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