In Maia Caron's The Last Secret, two parallel storylines eventually meet in surprising ways.

In the primary storyline, Savka Ivanets is forced from her home on a mission for the Ukrainian Underground resistance in 1944, but is discovered by the Russians. She makes an impossible choice in the hopes of saving the life of her child, and from then on, fights all odds to try and find him. She is shadowed throughout that search by both her own choices, and the Russian secret service officer who is determined to track her down.

In the parallel storyline, Jeannie Esterhazy is a reclusive painter, trying to disappear from the world after a horrific accident in 1959. Her caregivers keep her contained in a home on Salt Spring Island, but she is beginning to find clues that suggest perhaps they are not putting her care high on their priority list.

I picked this up because some of my own family history parallels the Ukrainian story. I found the parallel storylines detracted from both stories, and that it was challenging to find anything to hook me into either narrative. Jeannie's story is told in disparate chunks, to mirror the state of her mind, and is only gradually revealed. For me, that made it challenging to get caught up in her story - I wasn't sure how it could fit with the dramatic, harrowing tale of Savka's life. Everything does eventually come together, but it wasn't a convincing climax for this reader.

3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for the e-arc.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada | Doubleday Canada for allowing me to read and review The Last Secret A Novel by Maia Caron on NetGalley.

Published: 09/24/24

Stars: 2.5

This was a total miss for me. Dual timelines: 1944 Ukraine I didn't believe it. 1972 Salt Spring Island went on far too long.

There is profanity. This is a point of contention. Caron is writing to women. I found the swearing senseless and disrespectful to all the people who died in real life giving her the right to choose her words.

I didn't see it coming, didn't expect it, nor did I like the female sex.

I would suggest removing the profanity and consider short stories.

This book was something else. I love a historical fiction, and the British Columbia setting was an added bonus! Maia Caron showcases two main storylines from two different timelines. At first you are not really sure how the two connect but as the story progresses you start to figure it out.

One story follows Savka, a Ukrainian woman trying to find safety for herself and her family during WWII. The story also brings to light the stuggle of the Ukrainian people that are still fighting today for their freedom. I loved the strength that Savka portrayed through the whole story; her love for her family was evident throughout. She is strong, smart, and so brave.

The second story follows Jeannie, a painter who has become recluse, after a significant injury, relying on her nurse to aid her in most aspects of life. I liked the character of Jeannie, but I didn’t like her past storyline of the ‘fire bride’, that part didn’t seem to connect with me.

I really appreciated the authors note at the end of the book that shared where she got a lot of her information and insights to what she had wanted to bring light to. The amount of research that when into telling this story is appreciated and the fact that she based some characters after real people to help showcase their story’s is helpful to the impact of the story.

Overall this is an exceptional story of brave women, and I am honoured to have receive the Advanced Readers Copy

Thank you so much for allowing me to read this book! I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down! I love this time period in history! The story brought me straight into the world!

Incredible!! I was totally captivated by the storytelling in this book. The writing was concise and not filled with endless pages of descriptions. Two stories are being told and will meet together in the end. This book will take you to the war torn country of Ukraine during WWII and an Island off the coast of Vancouver Island. At first you do not know how the characters fit together until you continue reading. I read and chewed my nails at the same time. Acts of betrayal and acts of love. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy for my honest review.

The Last Secret is an intense story of espionage that spans not just countries and continents, but also decades. Beginning in Ukraine during WWII and alternating with BC in the early 70's, we learn the stories of Savka and Jeanie.
One is fleeing war and it's many atrocities, while the other is reclusive on a island trying to heal from physical and emotional trauma. They both have secrets.

I was easily caught up in the these two enticing characters, finding them easy to empathize with, and wanting to know how their stories end.

Savka will do anything for her son Taras, leading her across many European countries in an attempt to keep him safe from the Soviets.

Jeanie just wants to paint and live her life, but finds out her nurse has been drugging her to keep her from flourishing. Now she must find a way out from under Pat's thumb, hoping a nurse and friend from her past will help her.

Just as I would think things were resolving I would be thrown for another loop, it really kept me guessing about the last secret until the end.

There are lots of TW's for this one including, rape, miscarriage, physical abuse, death, prescription drug use, and suicide ideation.

Thank you Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

This one felt a little like looking at tapestry. For the first half or so, I felt like I was looking at the underside. It was a bit messy and didn’t really make a lot of sense but i could tell it was all working towards something. Once it was flipped over, the picture was much clearer. There were a few loose threads. Maybe a misplaced one or two but overall the picture was pleasant.

Yes, that’s The Last Secret. A slow burn start with lots of questions. I rolled through the beginning feeling like any minute there was going to be a big reveal. It all felt like it was leading somewhere. And it did. Eventually the two points of view became interwoven and little by little my questions were answered.

What I need to note is that I feel like the publishers did this one a disservice. The blurb on the back makes this one sound like it is an epic world war 2 novel full of heroic female spies.

And it’s not that.

Which could definitely be disappointing.

And, I think, for me, was part of where some of the questions in the beginning came from.

It definitely is a WW2 - and from a different perspective, Ukraine during the war, which I really liked- but it was also a story of family and the long lasting marks of tragedy and trauma. It spans decades and documents a life, no, lives, torn apart.

Told from alternating time lines that eventually collapse and collide on each other in the end.

Some wins for me were the Ukrainian perspective, a Canadian author and Canadian setting, lovely writing style and a critical author’s note. I struggled with some big plot holes and key characters that were not only unlikeable but hard to connect with. The villain was definitely a villain though so add that one to the win column.

The Last Secret by Maia Caron
This novel was amazing!
Told by several characters both past and present, it's an amazing story of war, survival, bravery, love and family. How two very different worlds come together.
The characters and settings are so well described, this book had me hooked from the beginning. I couldn't read fast enough to find out what happened next, and I also didn't want the novel to end
I will keep this authorb on my To Read list.
Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

Not only is the cover eye catching, the synopsis will draw you in also. Most historical fictions set in Europe focus on the Germans and the holocaust. This was a different view, focusing in on Ukrainians and Russians.

The second half of this book was my favorite. It had a faster pace, and it held the answers to all the questions that I had built up through out the read, and there were many. The first half felt slow and confusing for many reasons. Much of it was probably because I’m not overly familiar with this part of history.

The dual timeline was interesting. It was only about 30 years difference, which felt so close. I was not a big fan of how much the older timeline jumped. One chapter it’s this year, and the next, it’s 6 months later, and the next it’s 2 years. It was a little confusing. The connection between the two timelines was not at all what I initially had thought. It was more of a fluke chance these paths crossed.

Jeanie’s story was an interesting one as well. I can’t imagine the pain she went through, and I have so much more I want to say, but don’t want to spoil anything.

While this wasn’t one of my favorite historical fictions, I am grateful for this opportunity to learn about a different piece of history. Maia had many notes in the back of the book explaining where her information came from and where she took creative liberties.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction and you’d like a different view, I would definitely recommend checking this one out

The Last Secret is a gripping historical fiction with a dual timeline. It takes place during WWII in Ukraine and in Canada in the 70's. The story deals with secrets, loss, and dangerous situations with unsavoury characters. It is hard to know who you can trust.

Savka who lives in war torn Ukraine is fighting to stay alive and keep her hopes up that her family will be reunited one day. While Jeanie who lives in Canada has her own tragic story. The question is how will these stories intertwine.

I felt the book was a little slow going at first but it picked up after a few chapters. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it especially to readers of historical fiction. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

Maia Caron presents readers with a dual timeline narrative that takes readers from Ukraine in the 1940s to 1972 Canada and many points in between. Although I freely admit that I wondered "Where exactly are these storylines going,?" I am glad I stuck around to find out what would happen. This book also bears the honour of holding within it several characters that just boiled my blood. 🤣

I appreciated the author's note and inclusion of the resources that helped her bring all the ideas together for this book.


Publication Date 24/09/24
Goodreads Review 14/10/24

As a Canadian I'm always thrilled to see both a fellow Canadian author and a story set in Canada.
The brutal imagery of the WW2 era in 1944s war torn Ukraine to the sun drenched shores of British Columbia, Canada in 1972 can't be beat.
Especially when combined with a stunning story of women trying to escape history and lives not of their making.
The sweeping tale illustrates the strength of both Jeanie and Savka, along with the other characters we meet along the way.
At times heartbreaking, the love and deep loss makes this a real page turner. I cried and I was horrified by the betrayals.
Read this book!

A big thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada/Penguin Random House for a free, e-ARC of this novel received in exchange for my honest review

This was a wonderful read. I was so impressed with the amount of research done on this book.
I love historical fiction based on fact and this story did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this book to everyone I know. This story takes place in two time lines, 1944 in the Ukraine, during World War 2 and in Canada during the 70's.
Russian spies, Germany and Ukrainian people trying to protect those they love. Lies, secrets, betrayal between people you thought you could trust. . A world at War and two women collide, one from 1944, after the war is over and another in Canada in 1972. This is beautiful written, and you feel for these women. They will do anything for their children and the ones they love. Even if it means death for them. You hate what they have been put through by ones they loved and trusted.
I will give the book, The Last Secret, by Maia Caron 5 out of 5. I hope everyone picks up this book and make sure you read what the author wrote while she was researching. It is truly inspirational.

The Last Secret

Savka’s story takes place in 1944 Ukraine. It’s an unimaginable time of war, famine and abuse. Her son is kidnapped and she is forced to choose between saving her son or saving her husband, “an impossible choice.”
Jeanie Esterhazy, known as the fire bride, story takes place in Salt Spring Island in the 1970s. After losing her husband in a tragic fire and spending two years recovering in a hospital, she now lives at home with her “caretaker” nurse Pat O’Dwyer.
This story is a beautiful, well researched piece of historical fiction.
Written from two vastly different characters’ perspectives, readers will be intrigued to find out how the characters are connected.

When I first saw this book, I was drawn to it for two main reasons. Firstly, it is set at lastly partly in Canada which is my home country, and secondly, it pertains, at least in part, to the role Ukranians played in service to the German armed forces during the second world war. This has been rather a hot topic in Canada since a former Ukranian soldier was honoured in the House of Commons without any understanding that his unit had fought for Germany under the Nazi banner. I felt that in the telling I did gain a better understanding of some of the factors involved in that.

I tend to be a fan of historical fiction that focuses on WW2 history, but this book turned out to be a lot more than that. It was a novel of intrigue, suspense, mystery and murder, and the title was aptly chosen because there were many secrets and surprises throughout the novel.

It is told in dual timeline fashion with a focus on two women. One is in Ukraine near the end of the war, and the other was on the West coast of Canada years after the war. Both women face great difficulties and are in many senses trapped. The modern woman is actually being physically held in virtual captivity and is struggling to break free. How these women are connected forms the basis of this story and the ending came as a huge surprise.

I found it a little hard to get into the beginning of the book but it grew on me as it progressed, and I would recommend it to those looking to better understand what pushed people in the position of being forced into certain actions and reactions.

My thanks to the author, the publisher,Doubleday Canada and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC. The review reflects my own unbiased feelings.

This book started out slowly, but I was eventually hooked on it. It is told from two points of view. In 1944 we meet Savka, who is a Ukrainian woman being coerced by a KGB agent who has taken her son. In 1972 we meet Jeannie, who is an artist with burn injuries being cared for by 2 nurses at her home on Salt Spring Island in Canada. How the two stories unite forms the climax of the book. The characters were inspired by many actual historical people and the history of the Ukrainian independence struggle that forms part of the story seems particularly relevant today. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital advance reading copy. 3.75/5

The Last Secret is a suspenseful historical novel. With a dual timeline and POVs, it tells the story of Savka in 1944 war-torn Ukraine, and later in Canada, and Jeanie in 1972 on Salt Spring Island. The connection between the two women is slowly reveled. This story of broken dreams, family, secrets, and Soviet spies is hard to put down. WWII and historical fiction fans will love this book (or at least I did). Thanks to author Maia Caron, Penguin Random House Canada | Doubleday Canada, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The Last Secret by Maia Caron, a story that captured the horrors of war from a woman’s perspective in 1944 Ukraine and a mysterious link to an isolated female artist living in 1970s Salt Spring Island, Canada. A fascinating combination that drew me in - and if you love historical fiction and enjoy the challenge of unraveling a mystery, with frequent flashback and flashforwards, this is a book for you. The plot involving a war in Ukraine was particularly poignant given the events in the world today. Thank you to Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

The main characters in this are two women, brave in their own way each having to deal with dangerous situations with unsavory individuals – who can they trust? Savka Ivanets as a Ukrainian resistance fighter/ medic with a young son, is in constant unimaginable danger while having to make agonizing decisions between her role in the war and that of a mother. And her role of a wife, as she still loves her husband Marko, a leader in the resistance who has been missing and whom she has placed on a pedestal based on happier pre-war times. There are constant shadowy figures throughout her life that she can never get away from.

Flashing forward, Jeanie Esterhazy is a successful but reclusive artist who lives under the constant watch of a nasty nurse on Salt Spring Island. Jeanie experienced a tragic accident as a young woman which she has little memory of. She seeks independence as bits and pieces of her past come back to her, and she suspects that her nurse is more of a jailor than a guardian with her best interest at heart. She is also looking to get away much like Savka.

How are these two women, several years apart, connected by a decades long unsolved death?

I love books that feature strong, independent, intelligent women, and both Savka and Jeanie filled the bill. At times it could be frustrating as an outsider seeing what I saw, but the frustration was likely purposeful. I did find that some of the characters were caricatures in that they were very black and white “evil”, too easy to hate like text book villains. I prefer more nuance – that being said there were a few surprises along the way and I liked how that the story wrapped up with some drama and resolution.

In 1944, Savka Ivan's works as a medic for the Ukrainian resistance against the Nazi soldiers. Her husband, Marko, is a member of the Wafen-SS, and asks her to deliver a coded message that leads to her son, Taras being kidnapped. In 1972, in British Columbia, Jeanie Esterhazy, is kept against her will, drugged and incoherent she is unable to vocalize her own needs. As an artist, she is able to depict her emotions and feelings through her art, but struggles with the strength to persevere against her captivity, as she suffers from severe PTSD. The two women are connected in surprising ways, and demonstrate the power of resilience as they fight against the secrets they must keep to save themselves.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is one of my favourite genres, and this was such a unique and beautiful story. Maia Caron did extensive research on the history of conflict in Ukraine, as well as the historical impact of the Nazi regime in this country. Her research was beautifully woven with excellent story telling. I found both the lead characters compelling and interesting to read about, however the story built quite slowly. A big challenge with dual timelines is often that I like one timeline more than another, and that was the case here, preferring the 1944 story until the end as the secrets began to be revealed, and then the narrative moved very fast.

An absolute must read for any fan of historical fiction!

<b>Epic Ukrainian-Canadian Saga</b>
<i>Review of the Doubleday Canada paperback, audiobook & eBook (to be published September 24, 2024) read via a NetGalley Kindle ARC (downloaded August 22, 2024).</i>

Two women are trapped in figurative prisons not of their own making. There are secrets upon secrets which are either hidden or lost and which they both seek to uncover. All will be revealed in the end, but it will take a journey across time from 1944's WW2 battlegrounds in Ukraine to the 1972 shores of Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada before the last secret is unveiled.

In 1944, Savka Ivanets is forced from her home on a mission for the Ukrainian Underground resistance by her husband Marko, who is embedded with the Waffen SS on orders from the independence movement leaders who hope to build a future Ukrainian Army to resist both German and Russian invaders. She falls into the hands of the Russian NKVD Secret Police who kidnap her son Taras to hold as a means to force her to do their bidding. Her journey to find her son will take her to Poland, to England and finally to Canada. But agents of the now Russian KGB follow her at every turn.

In 1972, reclusive painter Jeannie Esterhazy is kept as a virtual prisoner in her aunt's home of Salt Spring Island. Her caregiver is not the benign nurse that she may first appear to be. Jeannie is regularly kept drugged and complacent, but is still capable of producing a regular output of paintings. Jeannie is the survivor of a burn incident in her youth but also of a traumatic incident when she was recovering in hospital in 1959. Then one day a man appears on the island asking questions about the past. The scene is set for a final confrontation where the secrets from both 1944 and 1959 will be revealed at last.

Maia Caron has produced an epic historical fiction which reveals the further back history of the struggles for Ukrainian independence which are still being fought for during the current Russian invasion and terror. Caron's research on the historical background was quite extensive and the story does not shy away from the horrors that otherwise innocent people must endure in vicious conflicts. Various characters were inspired by actual real-life people and author Caron provides some of that background in her concluding Author's Note.

My thanks to the author, the publisher Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC, in exchange for which I provide this honest review.

<b>Trivia and Link</b>
Author Maia Caron is of Métis heritage and is also the author of <i>Song of Batoche</i> (2017) which is a historical fiction about Louis Riel and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North-West_Rebellion">North-West Rebellion</a>.