The Secret History of Audrey James
by Heather Marshall
Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2025
Thanks to the author, publi8sher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.
The #1 bestselling author of Looking for Jane returns with a moving novel about a pianist in World War II Berlin and the choices she makes that echo across time and continents.
The story has a dual timeline its set in 1938 and in 2010 and told mainly from the two main characters points of view and it’s very easy to follow. This narrative is very different to the author’s previous book, Looking for Jane and it's just as powerful and compelling.
I highly recommend this book!

A WWII story, set in Berlin featuring "decent" Nazi officers, a hidden person, an adopted baby, and a German pianist caught in the middle of all of them. The Secret History of Audrey James shows lesser-written about aspects of the experience of ordinary people and even more obscure, Nazi officers who opposed Hitler and his ideology.

The story of Audrey James was gripping. It was a story of WW 11. The story goes back in fourth starting in the period of 1940 and takes us through the Hitler period. We are introduced to a family named the Kaplans. There was a young girl named Ilse who was Jewish and had a best friend named Audrey. Audrey was half Jewish but she wasn’t a practicing Jew and in fact didn’t really practice any religion. She did celebrate Shabbat with the Kaplan family and other holidays. Her father moved to England and her mother passed away. When her father moved he agreed to let Audrey stay with the Kaplans and provide her trust fund to pay her own expenses. They were like sisters. Audrey grew to love Ilse not only as a sister but as something closer that Ilse didn’t return those same feelings and made it clear. What took place next was the atrocities of the murders of Jews including the Kaplan family. Luckily Audrey and Ilse were spared. It goes back and forth to the period in time of the 2010. The story is emotional, moving, sad, and heartfelt. I was given the opportunity to read this from NetGalley and this review was my own interpretation. The author did a fantastic job writing this historical fiction and I look forward to her next book.

This is a dual time novel which I found easy to follow. It is told from true stories from WWII about an awesome friendship. It’s a great read.

I’ll start by saying I have not read Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall before getting the ARC of The Secret History of Audrey James. (Insert gasps and heart palpitations), but all the anticipation of the upcoming novel and the premise made me want to dive right in.

2010: Fresh off her divorce, Kate leaves London and moves to take a live in job at a small inn up north where her parents stayed for their honeymoon. Hired by the housekeeper for general office administration help for the elderly owner of the inn, Kate finds her presence isn’t exactly wanted by Audrey. But like the demons that cause Kate nightmares, Audrey has her own secrets that led her to the inn.

1938: Audrey is preparing for her graduation piano recital, so when she goes out in Berlin to find a dress with the family she is staying with, the Kaplans, she is unprepared for what unfolds. While she and her best friend, Ilse, go across the street from the Jewish owned department store that the rest of the Kaplans are shopping in with the hopes of finding the perfect dress, the girls and shop owner witness a confrontation between SS officers and Ilse’s father. After the altercation which leds to Ilse’s family being taken away, the girls return devastated to the home to piece together what to do next. Ilse is unable to leave Germany due to statutes in place for Jews, while Audrey’s father resides in London and wants her to come home. When SS officers show up at the house one day and commandeer it for their own residence, Ilse is forced into hiding in the attic while Audrey takes on the role as housekeeper.

What a ride this book turned out to be. I found myself standing next to Audrey as her tale was told. Descriptive and beautifully written, you will find yourself jumping into the scene to walk the path of the war’s imminent arrival and feel the fear and pain endured by the characters. This would be an excellent book club choice as well. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on February 24, 2025.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #TheSecretHistoryofAudreyJames #RandomHouseBallantine #heathermarshallauthor

This, book, what can I say. Sooo well written, heart breaking, page turned, heart breaking. Couldn’t wait to turn each page..If you are a historical fiction reader, you can’t miss this book !

The Secret History of Audrey James is a pre WWII historical fiction novel that describes the rise in power of Hitler and the Nazi Regime. Told in two alternate time lines, there are two main characters. Kate is a young women escaping from a failed marriage and her own personal demons dealing with her parents accident and death. Audrey is a ninety year old women who reveals her past history to Kate as a way of absolution in preparation for her own impending death.
Both characters are strong women who form a wonderful connection as they deal with their own horrible and never ceasing memories. The story evolves around the time before Poland was invaded, when the Natzis began their campaign to eradicate the Jewish population, and the breakout of WWII. There is an interesting story woven into this story with the two main characters. The story deals with self forgiveness and coming to terms with one’s past. This is a good book for WWII historical fiction fans.

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

A great read that snagged me from the very first words and drew me in. Especially love the end where the true bits were shared so you understand what was weaved together and the amazing women in the past.

Inspired by true stories of courageous women and the German resistance during World War II, The Secret History of Audrey James is a captivating novel about the unbreakable bonds of friendship, the sacrifices we make for those we love, and the healing that comes from human connection.

Historical fiction is one of my absolute favorite genres to read and the fact that this book was inspired by true stories made it even better to read. I think anyone who loves reading about historical events will love this book.

I received an e-mail invitation from NetGalley to read this book and I am so glad I did! The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline story, with the first timeline telling the story of Audrey and her best friend and neighbor Ilse, who is Jewish, beginning in Germany during the WWII time period where the Nazis were taking over everything and terrorizing/rounding up Jews. The second timeline is in the UK in 2010 and features Kate, who has just survived an horrific car accident which took the lives of her parents at the same time that her marriage is breaking up. Kate travels to Scotland to begin a new job at the Oakwood Inn, where she believes her parents stayed on their honeymoon years prior, and meets the elderly Audrey, who begins to tell her the story of her life in Nazi Germany. This is a sometimes-difficult-to-read (as are most stories involving Nazis, IMHO) tale of love and loss as well as redeption and second chances. I especially enjoyed the authors notes at the end, where she explained the real life persons who influenced her creation of the characters. I loved it. Looking forward to reading more from this new-to-me author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

While I vowed I wasn’t going to read any more novels centered around World War II, when I received an invitation to review this from the publisher I couldn’t turn it down. And I’m so glad I read it. Told in dual timelines, Berlin before, during, and after World War II, and England in 2010, it is a story of friendship, family secrets, loss, tragedy and love during one of the darkest periods in history. The author did a brilliant job searching through historical records to craft her story and her diligence shows. However, writers of historical fiction must not only be cognizant of the historical events but also of the language of the period and this is where the author failed. 4 stars instead of 5 because of the historically inaccurate use of the F-bomb throughout. Thanks to Penguin/Random House and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this story. This was a very well written account of a woman trapped in Nazi Germany during WW2. This story flipped back from the 30s-40s to present time (2010). It was done very well and there was no confusion as to which time period you were in. The story held my interest and was believable.

No suspense here--I loved Heather Marshall's The Secret History of Audrey James, a dual-timeline history set about a decade ago and during World War II. The narrative, broadly, concerns one woman's involvement in the German resistance and another's struggle to get over the car accident that killed her parents and ended her marriage. There are certainly unbelievable bits to the narrative and occasional research errors. That said, the narrative flows beautifully and I was invested in both timelines--a rarity in these works where I normally only care about the historical narrative. I think that Marshall's introduction of an LGBT element was something new and different for these types of books and, while I think it could have been handled slightly better, I was happy to see it. This is still a five-star read for me. I really just flew through it and enjoyed it immensely.

Outstanding, suspenseful , riveting!!! This novel tells a very important story and one I have never read about before . It is an important novel and one to add to everyone’s Holocaust library or list of books read on the subject. It is so very well written, I couldn’t put it down. There are great twists and turns in the story and the surprise ending was the icing on the cake. Kudos to Miss Marshall for writing such an outstanding piece.

The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline book focusing on the relationship between a young woman trying to put herself back together after a tragic accident and divorce as well as well as an older woman trying to navigate the end stages of her life as an inn owner, while simultaneously focusing on her previous life in World War Two. The World War Two storyline was gripping, interesting, and, of course, given the genre, sad. The more present day storyline was perhaps not as strong and at times, could be a bit unbelievable. Overall 4/5 stars, and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and Netgalley for generously providing me with the advance reader copy.

I was very excited to read this book as I really loved the author's previous book - Looking for Jane. If you haven't read it you really should. The Secret History Audrey James is a story that is based on the life of a real woman during the Nazi uprising. Audrey lived with a Jewish family while studying piano. Audrey is not Jewish and had the chance to leave Germany, but did not want to leave her friend Ilse and her family in Berlin. Of course when the antisemitism becomes worse things change. Audrey cannot leave. The story unfolds as the other main character in the novel, Kate takes a job at an inn in Scotland. Kate has suffered a tragedy in her life and is looking for closure. Her parents had honeymooned at the inn many years ago. Audrey is the owner of the inn. She is elderly and did not want any help. The two women become close and secrets are revealed.
I recommend this book and can't wait to read the author's next novel. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read The Secret History Of Audrey James. This is a beautiful and brutal story of love, war and self forgiveness. The author has drawn on several true stories to bring this story to life. This is a book that history lovers do not want to miss.

Loved this book of strong women! Story of war but the human side of it. Lots of secrets and lies to follow, what would you do to survive? We never know until push comes to shove. Sometimes you just keep moving!

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>The Secret History of Audrey James</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Berlin in the late 30s is a dangerous place to be. Audrey, half German, half English, is training to be a concert pianist, a performer. She grew up in Germany and currently lives with her Jewish neighbors, including her best friend, Ilse Kaplan. The rising and overt hatred of Jews under Hitler's leadership soon puts Audrey and the Kaplan family at risk. When the true horrors begin, Audrey's decisions have impacts for many that reverberate for decades.

The novel has a simultaneous plot set in England around 2010. Kate is at a crossroads; she recently lost both parents in a car accident, and her marriage has fallen apart. In a quest to feel closer to her parents, she takes a job as an administrator at an inn where her parents had honeymooned. There, she meets the now elderly Audrey, and gradually, the two grow close.

There are tons of similarities here with other novels focused on World War II. A few similarities include epigraphs from Dante's <i>Inferno</i>, dual timelines with an unexpected and improbable connection between the characters, a troubled individual in the more recent plot line finding purpose, a tangible talisman proving the connection, and a return to Berlin in the more contemporary time-frame to bring the plot full circle.

Nothing in this plot is unique, but Marshall's writing makes readers care about Audrey and the others. Writers who employ the horrors of World War II as a setting must create ordinary people capable of extraordinary bravery when most individuals try to fade into the background. The extraordinary becomes the only choice Audrey can possibly make.

A World War II story, dual storyline, partly in Germany, partly in U.K, with brave female characters, and an exciting plot with true historical references. Well researched and well written, it was hard to put down. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.