Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "What Only We Know" in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Hokin has written a heartfelt and moving story weaving together WWII, East and West Germany, and England. The prologue of the story starts on July 10th, 1971 when an unnamed character walks fully clothed into the sea.

The story then weaves from Berlin in September 1936 to Berlin in September 2001. The story revolves around the main character Liese who is a 16 year old when the story starts. She is the daughter of Paul and Margarethe Elfmann who own the Haus Elfmann - a fashion house - where all the beautiful people go to get extravagant dresses.

After the Nazi's rise to power the Elfmann's lose their business, are thrown out of their home, forced to live in a ghetto and then deported to camps. Liese is sent to Ravensbrück a concentration camp exclusively for women. One arrival she lives through the deepest horror imaginable and then is "saved" because she is recognized as the daughter from the Haus Elfmann. She is set about to making fancy dresses for the officers wives and uniforms for the officers. After liberation she meets Andrew Cartwright a British soldier who helps nurse her back to health along with her childhood friend Michael. The two men are obviously both in love with Liese. Due to a turn of events only one man can save her by spiriting her off to England and a new life.

The other man character in the book is Karen who lives in Aldershot with her father Andrew. It soon becomes clear that Liese was Karen's mother. Karen at the age of 18 sets off to Germany on a school trip to find out the story of her mother. Her father has never said anything and she wants to clear up the secrets. In East Berlin she meets Michael and his son Marcus. Though cool at first, Marcus warms up to Karen and helps her on her quest. The pair also manages to reunite old friends Andrew and Michael.

This was a beautiful read that requires some tissues nearby as some parts of the book are rather difficult to read.

What Only We Know is the second book to be published this year from Catherine Hokin following The Fortunate Ones which was published in January. Again as with her previous book, for the first half of this new story I felt it was only an OK read but then came that one pivotal moment/scene that transformed the story from average to fantastic. You quickly come to appreciate the many layers involved packed full of emotion, sacrifice, loss and pain that transcend the later half of the book. Yes there is a really slow start and I know several weeks prior to publication that the beginning was redrafted slightly to make it feel less slow in its pace so that we could get to the action more quickly but still I think this problem persisted and it was the same with her first book.

The beginning felt sluggish and disjointed and I couldn't see how connections would start to become apparent and as it was a dual timeline story I was quite worried that the modern times began in 1971. I'm not used to this, I like a dual time line story set in the very present day that then reverts back to the past. In this instance I thought the two timelines were too close together. There wasn't much separating them in terms of years and this needs to happen in order to get a real sense of mystery and of characters in the present delving far back to a time so very different from the one they live in now in order to unravel secrets and puzzles that have been hidden for many years. Thankfully the author moved the story forward and brought us up to the 1990's and when this did happen I could see the necessity for starting in 1971 and following Karen from childhood into adulthood as one event significantly shaped the rest of her life. It may sound like I didn't enjoy this book at all but that couldn't be further from the truth. Aside from what I have mentioned up above and I felt the necessity to do so because I think other readers will feel the same and I have noticed it mentioned in some other early reviews of this book, this story is a remarkable, heartbreaking one and at the halfway point because of one particular scene I became completely invested in it right until the very end.

The book opens with a brief and mysterious prologue set in July 1971. The reader can tell a woman is at breaking point and that her divisive actions will form the main focus for the remainder of the story that will unfold. Something has happened that has made her deeply unhappy and anxious and the guilt is eating away at her. We then move forward to September of that year as Karen aged 11 faces the realities that her mother is dead and she must try and come to terms with the new world presented to her. Her father Andrew is cold and standoffish and because he is in the army he adheres to strict rules and regulations that spill forth into his home life. He was not open, warm and loving like a father should be especially in the wake of his daughter losing her mother.

But you can tell that things were never truly normal for this family and that the loss of her mother will have a profound and lasting impact on Karen. Things that she took for granted as she was growing up as to how her mother acted, behaved and mothered her over time she will begin to question these. Andrew eradicates all signs of his wife and is determined life will continue on but he forms no connection with Karen. Nor does he offer her the solace and comfort and also answers that she so desperately craves. Over the course of the book we move forward in Karen's life at various intervals, we come back to her story in between reading that of Liese's. Some sections regarding Karen I felt were necessary whereas others felt surplus to requirements and did nothing to move the story further forwards. It's only when we reach the point that Andrew has a heart attack and becomes seriously ill as a result that Karen's story really picks up and she soon discovers there are many layers to her life and her past that are there waiting to be uncovered.

Many years ago having found a picture and passport details of her mother whom she knew as Elizabeth set forth a chain of thoughts and ideas but at that time Karen never had the true compulsion to act on them but now as she clears out her fathers house she discovers a letter written to her mother and it presents questions she knows she has to find the answers to. What she thought of as fact from her childhood may all be fiction and if she can travel to Germany and seek what has eluded her in relation to the reason for her mother's death and why her father acts the way he does as in being so reticent maybe then Karen herself can come to terms with everything. She will be able to alter the course of her future in order to make it more positive.

Karen wasn't the nicest of characters in the beginning. I felt she was very whingey and a bit all about herself. She was someone who needed to open her eyes to the wider world and look at the clues all around her. That in fact her parents may have had an important role to play in the history of the world and what they went through in turn deeply affected how they acted in the present. I thought Karen's story really improved when she went to Berlin and met Markus.

Things started to come full circle and I loved how the author told us about the divide between West and East and how the establishing of the Berlin Wall had such an impact on the citizens especially after having endured so much during the war. We don't get to read about the later history of Germany, normally everything focuses on the war years so this was interesting and informative and helped provide a well balanced view to the overall story. I did think the romance element was a little bit too obvious and maybe just put in there because sure that has to be part of a book as well. It would have been fine without it and it felt a bit forced, rushed and unnatural and I didn’t feel this burning desire between the pair. I'd love an author not to feel the need to include this in every book and instead let the historical elements stand for themselves and do the talking.

For me without doubt, Liese's story were the strongest sections of the book. Again it started slow but built to a crescendo of epic proportions that will leave you heartbroken and aghast but filled with nothing but admiration for a young girl who went from the daughter of one of the top fashion houses in Berlin to the lowest of the low in Hitler's quest to rid the world of Jews. Liese was a remarkable character who time and time again showed her worth, her strength, courage, determination and the endless love and devotion she had for someone she had so dear to her heart forever and always. When we first meet Liese times are still good for her family. Her parents Paul and Margarethe are the toast of Berlin society because of the fashion house they run with help from Otto. But this pair are truly caught up in themselves and really don't have the right to call themselves parents. Liese is completely neglected emotionally and she spends her time with Michael Otto's son who has joined the KPD, a group set up to oppose Hitler and all he is trying to enforce. Michael goes on to play a crucial role throughout the book and his role in the resistance is to be admired for the danger he places himself in and the sacrifices he makes and the devotion he shows to Liese time and time again.

Paul and Margarethe were characters who I wanted to slap in the face and as the situation with the Nazi's worsened and their home life deteriorated the couple just proved how worthless they were as their business crumbled around them and a target was placed on the family's backs because they were Jewish. We move forward in time every few chapters and we can see their fall from grace and it is Liese who now steps up to the forefront and tries to make the best of a horrific situation as they are confined to two rooms in a less than desirable area and more and more laws are being introduced with tighter and tighter food restrictions also.

I'm glad no details were spared as what Liese endures for the remainder of the novel was horrific. How she remained so stoic and never gave in to the taunts and the things that she actually wanted to do I will never know. For what befalls her is abhorrent, heinous, gruesome and earth shattering. At times I questioned how could the characters cope and keep going on as things just kept getting worse and worse and in particular the later half concerning Liese broke me in two. It was detailed and grim but it needed to be to make such a powerful impact. Throughout my reading of this book I was constantly questioning would there be a big reveal or a moment where I would be left open mouthed with shock and yes there was and it truly helped me make sense of the entire story and I realised that the author had blended imagination with historical fact to an incredible level.

Do bear with What Only We Know because to do so proves very fruitful and rewarding. That one scene will completely change your attitudes towards the story and any opinions you may have formed of it. From the midway point Catherine Hokin excels at telling a story that will completely wrench you in two and leave you heartbroken and devastated but at the same time a small bit of hope remains as one character finds redemption and acceptance. OK it won't grab your attention from the immediate start and I was worried I wouldn't like it as much as her previous book but to abandon it would be completely unfair as persistence does pay off as you are taken on an exhilarating journey full of strength, conviction, empowerment and yes horror, sadness, loss and devastation but overall the author really pulled it off and confirmed for me that if the issues with the beginning of her books could be sorted that she will truly catapult herself to the top of the historical fiction genre and all of her books will become impossible to stop reading once you pick them up.

A tear-jerking, heart-wrenching WWII novel about a daughter's search for her mother's secrets.

This book did start out slow for me, but once the story started evolving I couldn't stand to put it down. I actually cried a few times while reading this beautifully written story.

One of the things I really loved the most about "What We Only Know" was how it shows the mental illnesses many Holocaust survivors struggled with for many years after the war had ended, and how mental illnesses weren't talked about openly during that time. There is a mention of suicide in this book, but it's not overly mentioned.

I really connected with Liese Elfmann, who is one of the main characters. My heart ached for her so many times as I was reading. She suffers so much during the war (and many years after), but she always kept pushing even when she has so many reasons to give up.

While there is a lot of heartbreak and horror in this book, there is also so much courageousness and hope. The book is told in two different timelines, but they are connected by a mother trying to make the best choices she has in front of her and by a daughter looking for her mother's past.

If you like historical fiction books that deal with the Holocaust, the secrets of the past, and redemption then this is a book for you.

I received a free digital galley from Bookouture via NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Karen wants to find the answers about who her mother was before she died. Karen learns her mother had a different name long before she was born.
The story alternates between Karen and Liese. It covers a wide range of times from when Liese was a teenager to the present day where Karen is now a grown-up and looking for answers.
I really enjoy reading historical fiction books and this one did not disappoint me.
I was more invested in Liese’s story right from the beginning. It is a sad story, at times I cried. I did enjoy Karen’s parts in the story as well. I felt they were important. They really showed how times and places had changed threw out history.
I enjoyed the pace of the story. It kept me hooked and reading.
I recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All opinions are my own.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Available May 27, 2020

Captivating. Compelling. Creative. Crushing. Unforgettable. This one will stay with me for a very long time. The author has created an amazing story that takes place in the heart of WWII, but with equally important events in the shadow of the fall of the Berlin Wall. The balancing act between the two historical eras is masterful. The author also captures the humanity of survivors as vividly as the inhumanity of the Nazis. And the insight from Michael (you’ll know when you read it) is something I see rarely addressed – extremely well-done, and at the top of my list for the year. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.

What only we know is a beautifully written historical fiction novel about more than just the Holocaust. Unlike many other Holocaust novels, the horrors endured lay just below the surface; hinted at but only mildly explored. Rather the story delves deeper into the emotional and mental turmoil wrecked on its survivors. It is evident that those who survived the Holocaust were often haunted by more than their physical scars.

The book is written in parallel timelines. The story of two women intertwine and make for a truly heartbreaking read. One women lives through the Holocaust only to succumb to her survivors guilt while the other desperately searches for the answers to why.

What only we know is truly a book of love, forgiveness, hope and overcoming the past. It is a tragically beautiful novel that draws you in and leaves you captivated.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh the secrets! This is the story of two women- Liese and Karen- and moves back and forth in time and space. Liese was a member of a wealthy Jewish family in Berlin until the Nazis took over. Karen is now a successful architect but she's never gotten over the death of her mother and feels distant from her father, who is now dying. She's known for years that there was something mysterious about her mother but her father wouldn't answer questions. Now, though, she's decided to go looking for them. It's a nicely done novel of WWII and how it reverberated over time. It is a bit slow to start but once you're reading, you'll find the pages turning. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

HOLOCAUST FICTION THAT'S ABOUT SO MUCH MORE

There are about a myriad (give or take) books out there that chronicle the horrors of the Holocaust. What I truly liked about this book was that it didn't do that - it told the story of the tolls of the Holocaust- of not believing it would ever get to that, of living with the aftermath in the Cold War years. This is as much about mental health as it is about history.

"Our glorious new leaders don't care much for Jews and they're getting very skilled at spotting us."
- Michael


👍 WHAT I LIKED 👍

Effects: Books like The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas show the horrors that people lived through during the Holocaust, the torture, the fear and the inhumanity. What I really liked about this book is that the Holocaust is more of an unseen, visceral horror that isn't made explicit in so many words. This book is more about the effects of the Holocaust on the psyche and mental health for those that lived through it. It was a very interesting take.

"It was as if no one wanted her [her mother] remembered except Karen, who was terrified to forget."


Parallel timelines: This book has dual timelines of the 1930's and 1940's on the one hand and the 1970's and 1980's on the other. In each timeline we follow a woman, who has been impacted by the Holocaust - and we learn about their relationship with one another. I am not usually one for parallel timelimes (unless it's written by the queen of parallel timelines, Gill Paul) but here I really enjoyed seeing the timelines slowly come together and the stories intertwine. It was very well done.

Liese: Liese is our main character from the 30's and 40's and I was very impressed by her character and her arc throughout the book. She felt like a very realistic character who went through a great deal - from spoiled daughter, to strong mother and finally broken woman. She was character I could easily like because I felt like she was real.

Mental health: The Holocaust is about so much more than just the human horrors - it's about living with those horrors afterwards. The characters in this book each have their own way of dealing with what they went through during those years, and I found that very interesting to read about.

👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎

Karen: Our main character from the 70's and 80's did not impress me. As much as I liked Liese's arc I disliked Karen's. I didn't feel like she made any progress throughout the book, she had a way of dealing with things that I just couldn't connect with and I found her very unlikable.

Karen Cartwright is still haunted by her mother Elizabeth’s death when she is called home to nurse her ailing father.

There, she discovers an old photograph and a love letter to her mother postmarked from Germany after the war. Confused, she asks her father but he refuses to talk about her mother’s life before their marriage.

Karen travels to Berlin to find out more about her mother’s childhood where she discovers her mother’s name wasn’t Elizabeth.

Who was really Karen’s mother and why does her father refuse to talk about her past?

This is a truly captivating story that kept me hooked, it had themes of personal growth as we follow the main character discover her roots as well as a good mystery. I enjoyed putting the clues together and there were more than a few twists and turns, and the ending was rather unexpected.

Both story lines have their own voice, and the author moves between them seamlessly. Karen’s story is told in present time, and follows her personal growth as she finds out and learns to accept her heritage. Elizabeth’s story is told in the past as a girl growing up in Germany and all the events that lead her and her husband to lie about her past.

The ending was unexpected but it gives good closure and explains the secrecy around Elizabeth’s previous life. What Only We Know is a beautifully written historical novel that will captivate you.

Disclosure: I would like to thank Bookouture for an advanced copy of What Only We Know by Catherine Hokin. This is my honest review.

https://jemimareads.wordpress.com/

Can one ever outlive their past?

This is two stories in one. It is the story of Liese Elfman and her family in Germany leading up to and during the Nazi rise to power under Hitler. The Elfman's were into the fashion business and even though they were Jewish they somehow felt they would be okay with the Nazi's because they were famous in the fashion world. They refused to head the warning signs until it was too late and they lost everything. Leise was only a young woman but she then had to look after her parents who had no idea how to live under Nazi rule. Michael her friend helped them until one day when the soldiers came and they were trapped.

The second story is that of Karen Cartwright. When Karen was eleven her mother died and although she is now a successful architect she never got over the death of her mother. When her father falls ill she comes home to care for him. While going through some papers she finds a photo and a letter. She is determined to find out what it means and her mother's history. Her father refuses to talk of her mother before they were married and she wants to know more.

She finds that sometimes it is harder to learn about the past than to let it be. It does however bring her and her father closer together once she learns the truth.

The book is about love, death, the horrible things the Nazi's did to the Jewish people during that time period and how many of them never got over the cruelty inflicted on them and were unable to live a productive life afterwards. Survivor guilt, the unfairness of the trials for the Nazi criminals, and the still felt anti semantic feeling in Germany even after the war was lost. The loss of loved ones, sometimes whole families was such that many could not bear it.

This book is also about love, forgiveness and letting go of the past and living and loving again.
I couldn't put this book down once I got into it, although it did start off a bit slow in spots. It was a good read although a sad and tragic one. I would recommend it.

Thanks to Catherine Hokin, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

I really dislike giving negative reviews because the time the author spent researching the historical aspects of this story was very apparent. However, I just could not connect to the characters. The dialogue didn’t seem authentic which I couldn’t get over.

I enjoyed portion featuring the story of Liese as a girl and would have enjoyed an entire book devoted to her experience with the fashion house and WWII.

3/5 stars

Berlin 1936: Margarethe, Paul and their daughter Liese run a top fashion house making clothing for wealthy women. Theynare Jewish. When circumstances start to change around them, the family chose to ignore them. They end up loosing everything. They have to live in a ghetto. But one night her parents get taken away.

Aldershot, England 1971: Karen is just eleven year old when her mother drowned. Now, Karen is sixteen. She decides to take a look in her mothers jewelry box. She is shocked to find her mothers passport with another name on it along with some kind of document. Karen's relationship with her father is not a good one but she decides to confront him with what she's just found. But her father refuses to answer her questions.

Thenstory flips back and forth through the two timelines. Karen delves into her mothers past. She discovers secrets and learns that her father isn't the man she thought he was either. I did find this book hard to get into it please stick with it as you won't be disappointed. This is an emotional read. The characters are believable and true to the era. I really enjoyed this novel.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Catherine Hokin for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a good historical fiction novel. It seemed to lag a bit in the beginning and was overly descriptive in some areas. I enjoyed it and I know other historical fiction fans wil! also.

I enjoy WWII-era books, but I struggled with this one.

It's a split-time book, which I generally love. The story lines do intersect, but the connection wasn't like I'm used to finding. The writing was stilted, and it was difficult to stay engaged. It felt like I was trudging along at times. It was frequently confusing to follow, and the pace was way too slow for me. I never felt connected to the characters.

A story told between two time lines - WW2 in Berlin and present time in the UK.
Karen Cartwright is struggling to come to terms in nursing her fathers failing health. They have never been close and the small relationship they had grew further apart when her mother Elizabeth passed away previous years ago.
As Karen empties the house she stumbles across a jewellery box and finds hidden a photograph alongside a love letter addressed from Germany.
Karen never had a normal childhood growing up she would often see her mother spending days at a time in bed and very sad. Why was this? was it because of her strict father?
Quite quickly she discovers that Elizabeth is not her mother real name and that her mothers death was not as it appeared to be. She sets upon a journey to Berlin and discovers that Elizabeth was part of the Elfmann fashion empire that her Grand parents had ran. They had dressed the highest ranking Nazi officers and their wives but were foolish as the war drew closer around them them in 1938. When the war broke, they lost their house, their money was seized and the business closed. Elizabeth and her family had to survive living in the ghetto apartment and we see how her world crashes when her daughter is born and they are forced to wear 'that yellow star'.
The beginning was slow and felt a little disjointed but the pace picked up and turned into a real page turner.
I enjoyed the character development especially during the war era and understood how the mental health issue would have been so dominant when the secret was released. I literally cried out loud.
Without spoiling giving it away - it was simply unthinkable how the main characters coped. But we know they did and life went on for some.
I did enjoy overall, but lower star ratings here because I think Catherine Hokin lost her way at the beginning with the story telling.

Thank you for the Advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this book. The start was a bit slow for me but once I pushed forward I couldn't put it down. I loved the intertwined story line with the two main characters. I also liked how this doesn't end in typical historical fiction fashion, we see a different side of what I want to say is a more truer side to a horrific time in history. I will be recommending this book in the future.

The more I read of this book, the more I had to read! Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this did not disappoint. This story is done in a then and now format with the story beginning in Berlin in September 1936. Margarethe and Paul Elfmann ,along with their 16-year-old daughter Liese, run a top fashion house making apparel for wealthy women. The Elfmanns are Jewish and as changes begin to happen, the Elfmanns choose to ignore the changes until they lose their business, their home and their money. They are forced to live in a ghetto with Liese looking after them until that night when they hear footsteps in the hallway and a knock on the door with Liese's parents being taken away. Fast forward to Aldershot, England September 1971 where 11-year-old Karen is having a hard time accepting the drowning death of her mother, beginning a new school and living with her cold military father. When Karen is 16, she decides to look through her mother's jewelry box and discovers a passport with her mother's picture and a different name. She also finds another document that she cannot figure out. When she confronts her father, he refuses to answer her questions which further divides them. The story goes back and forth from Berlin to Aldershot and ends in Berlin September 2001. What a fantastic story this is touching just about every emotion there is. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this heart-wrenching story in exchange for an honest review. This is a very well-written and well-researched book.

An emotional and heart breakingly beautiful book about love , loss and humanity.
I would recommend this book highly to all

When tears are not enough to heal a shattered heart. Those that follow must pay the price, A tragic story that leaves you with a heartfelt grief for those broken by war.

This is a wonderfully,heartbreaking story of life,love and above all survival,a truly emotional book and very hard to put down.5*