Imogen and Magda don't know each other. They are as different as they can be from each other. One comes from wealth with a desire to go to university to become an architect. One lives and works on her parents farm.
As with any war. Lives will become entwined. People will meet and know each other without really knowing each other. Some fight on the part of Germany others for the allies.
Their paths do cross, many, many years later. Ar the end of the day. No matter what side your allegiance was to, all people want is peace. To live together without animosity. These women will meet, both with different views to the same story.
Wonderful, strong, interesting characters. Incredible story.

A different insight about WWII and how it affected the people.
A good interesting , intriguing story about the women during the war.
voluntarily reviewed,

An interesting and engrossing story set in world war two. A look at the circumstances from both sides,with a woman's role taking the main focus.

The story started well, with interesting characters especially the portion of the story that took place in Germany but towards the end became sort of unbelievable and trite. Nevertheless a good summer read.

A fabulous true story of WWII. Two women who are in different countries helping those who arena uttering in the war. They have family members and military member contacts, u knowingly. Their lives are parallel min many ways. I learned a lot as one was living in Germany and the other in Lomdon and Paris. They had to be secretive so it kept you reading to see what would happen next. A different WWII story style. Worth the read. The two main characters were Imogen and Magda and they had different types of lives vutmsrill served their causes in equally important ways.

I received a free ARC of The Secret Letter from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Rix's The Secret Letter represents the time period of historical fiction I normally love - World War II. Even though I am a baby boomer, fiction about this time period depict people I could have known, experiences that could have rippled through my life, and ramifications that definitely impacted my childhood. This novel, however, is a little too similar to others I have read.

Magda Maier, a young German girl, is passionate and compassionate. She and her family, especially her brother, are alarmed at the rise of Nazism and its impact on their neighbors and way of life. She knows it is wrong and during the war will risk her life to uphold her beliefs. The family's day-to-day existence is not as severely impacted as one might expect since their farm is self-sufficient and there is always food. When Magda finds a downed British airman, she and her family hide him as her heals.

In England, Ginny is also ready to leave her protected life behind. First as a young girl, she is forced to evacuate along with her schoolmates to the north of England. Her independent and daring streak begins to appear. She wants to study engineering but because of her gender is unable to do so.. Instead she turns to architecture and studies for a year before she national service in the Wrens. There she serves as a plotter and comes into fleeting contact with the political and military powers of the time. Her new independence is something she is unwilling to give up.

Both young women experience first loves, new emotions, and disappointment. It is nice to read a novel where women demonstrate bravery, hard work, and ethical behavior in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. #NetGalley #TheSecretLetter

This book was positively wonderful. It was, for me, a rather fresh perspective of WW2. I loved Magda and Imogen. Karl and all of Magda’s family. Joy and the Ltimers and Freddie we so well fleshed our. The writing was good, the plot was solid, the antagonists frustrating, and in the end to find out that bits where based on the authors own parents was a lovey surprise. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys ww2 fiction. It really was most enjoyable. I also found it was nice to read a WW2 story with a happy ending.

Well researched WWII novel telling the different sides of the war. The story was entertaining in a sad way and I liked the ending.

This was a beautifully written story about two brave young girls in WWII. The author takes you back and forth between their two stories. Imogene is from England and Magda is from Germany. It was interesting to see the different perspectives of each girls situation as they both found their own way to help with the war. You really feel for these girls as they deal with all the heavy aspects of war. It was an enjoyable read and I would recommend this to my friends. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written book about the lives, fears, loves and bravery of people during WWII.
The book goes back and forth between, two young women, Magda in Germany and Imogen, in England, and the connections they have throughout the story.
It also follows the people close to them in both places, and shows how a lot of times their thoughts and actions are more similar than not.
This book was fun as it had a different take on the war and the characters through out were so interesting to figure out and follow.
The author drew some of the characters from her own families experiences during the war.
The author has a wonderful writing style and I am now very interesting in reading more of her books. This is a well worth read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the Arc of this book.

A good read if you enjoy this type of book but unfortunately it was too slow for me and I wasn't really interested in the characters personally. I think this is because my genre is psychological thrillers but thought I would try this for a change but unfortunately it wasn't for me, although I am sure it is a good book if you like this genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I seem to be in the minority on this one. I did finish the book but skimmed through it. The Secret Letter is the first book I have read by Debbie Rix. I have read many, many books on
World War II and really do not like to rate them less than four stars,, because no matter what, we must continue to read and write about this horrific time so that it is never repeated. I don’t feel like I learned anything new from this book and when any major event took place I felt it was told in one sentence with no emotion.. The author wrote this story based on her parents involvement in World War II.. Her father was a RAF pilot and her mother was a WREN. You will learn about The White Rose Movement and WREN women but not in a lot of detail. The one thing that resonates with me in this book is that there were many Germans who fought with the allies against the Nazis. Even though this was not one of my favorite World War II books I encourage you to read it, many have loved it. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC for an honest review.

I loved this story of Magda, a thirteen year old girl living in Germany in 1939. Through her eyes we witness the fear and destruction as the Nazis rise to power, epitomised by the removal of her best friend, Lotte, who is forced to wear the ubiquitous Star of David as she is sent to a concentration camp. Whilst her contemporaries in the village are happy to follow the rules of the Hitler Youth, Magda rebels and joins The White Rose Movement.

Meantime in England, 15 year old Imogen is evacuated to the Lake District to protect her from the German bombs that are falling and we witness her story as she writes to her family.

A delightful story, beautifully and sensitively told. I have no hesitation in thoroughly recommending it.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

4.5/5

This book was lovely. I haven't read a book about the Second World War in a while, but this one was really something. I loved these characters, both Imogen and Magda. Both two headstrong girls who have an urge to prove themselves during the war.

It actually blew my mind how well researched this book was. I was turning pages like there was no tomorrow. I was so invested in what happened next, even though I learned all about WWII in high school, but I couldn't read fast enough and find out what happened to Imogen or Magda next.

I really enjoyed the ending. To be quite honest, I didn't think either girl would end up the way they did, but it was a very pleasant surprise after reading about such a horrible time in history. Also, the fact that Mrs. Rix has based Imogen's story on her own parents just warms my heart. Theirs was a story that deserved to be told.

I highly recommend this book if you fancy a well-researched historical fiction.

This is a really good read by this author. She writes these books so well and manages to bring a historical novel to life.
It was easy to warm to the characters and it left me constantly wanting more

A great book

Follow the lives of two very brave girls through World War II. Magda lives in Germany and does not share the Nazi beliefs. She is strong enough to stand against the new rules of the Hitler Youth. Imogen lives in England and is forced to move away from her home and family to go to school in an area that is considered safer. Remarkably, the lives of these two young girls are intertwined several times as they get older and are determined to help others. This book brought out all of the emotions! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Trust me when I say, this one does come together at the end. There's a lot going on, and a long cast of characters to keep straight.

There's young Magda in Germany, struggling and rebelling against the war. And there's young Imogene in Europe, trying to concentrate on school while bombs fall all around her. And we have downed English pilots and Nazi officers. Oh and don't forget the past and present narrative.

But yes, it's worth it

Well I read this in 24 hours, what better compliment can I give it! Although the subject matter is not pleasant at times it was nice to know from the very beginning that the main protagonists survived! What made me keep reading was that I really wanted to know who Imogen's husband was and how he ended up helping Magda in Germany. The book was a page turner (with a few twists and turns along the way), well researched (with further reading at the back if you want to learn more) and loosely based on a true story. I will definitely look out for Debbie Rix in the future!

The gorgeous cover and intriguing title alone pretty much had me sold on reading this book, but the blurb sealed the deal. I seem to be especially drawn to historical novels about WWII lately. What appealed to me most about this novel is that the two main characters are on opposing sides of the war. Imogen is British, Magda is German, and each are expected to do their patriotic duty.

Imogen was evacuated to the Lake District in the early days of the war, safely away from the cities the Germans were bombing. She eventually joins the WRENS where she works on Top Secret projects for the war effort. Magda despises Nazi ideals, and secretly joins the White Rose movement after befriending Sophie Scholl at the University of Munich. Magda is determined to do what is right at all times, despite the risk of discovery—leading to a decision that affects the lives of both women.

This was a fast read for me. It pulled me in right from the start, and I just couldn't put it down. Both Imogen and Magda fascinated me, but it was Magda's part of the story that had me frantically tapping the screen. She was constantly dealing with a threat of some sort or another, and had a few close calls that left me feeling terrified for her. Imogen's part of the story didn't leave me with an impending sense of doom all the time, but the difficulties she faced touched my heart, and I just wanted her to be happy.

I found this novel to be beautifully written, and I was a little sad to reach the end. This is the first time I've read a book written by Debbie Rix, and I'm wondering why it took me so long to 'discover' her books. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.

The Secret Letter is a book that I just didn't want to finish as it was that good.

It is a novel of strength, endurance, family, courage, hardship during the Second World War and after.

It is the story of two girls, Magda and Imogene on opposing sides of the war .

The author does a good job making you a part of their lives and you just want to turn those pages.

This was my first book by Debbie Rix , can't imagine why now. I have my list ready to read by Debbie.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read The Secret Letter.