The Secretary
- Downloads：5545
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-15 08:31:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Catherine Hokin
- ISBN：B08XW6QGW2
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Hazel Lewis
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WarYes， another war story， yes， another based on the Holocaust but somehow this is different。 It was for me anyway in that the story is basically about those who 100% believed in the Nazi solution and those who 100% believed they were evil but worked within the system while trying to save lives。
Mrs Nicole M Middleton
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A good readA troubling and disturbing story！ Very well told and the characters brought to life on the pages are very real。
catherine Riffice
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I did enjoy the book 。 I had trouble with the characters they were all difficult to really like。 The time span did not help you to really understand the characters
Susan Buist
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Interesting twists and turns to this story about this very tragic time in history。
Mystica
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Germany 1940。 Magda is in a very high position as Secretary to Himmler。 She appears to her fellow citizens as a traitor， despicable and despised but she has by sheer grit come to this position to get information and help her fellow citizens。 Fast forward forty years and her grand daughter is now in East Berlin acting in the same manner as her grandmother and creating dissension amongst the East German police， and trying to protect her fellow countrymen。 Magda despite her connections cannot save Germany 1940。 Magda is in a very high position as Secretary to Himmler。 She appears to her fellow citizens as a traitor， despicable and despised but she has by sheer grit come to this position to get information and help her fellow citizens。 Fast forward forty years and her grand daughter is now in East Berlin acting in the same manner as her grandmother and creating dissension amongst the East German police， and trying to protect her fellow countrymen。 Magda despite her connections cannot save Nina and Nina is imprisoned。 Nina trying to trace her family's enigmatic history stumbles upon the Tower House， from a drawing found in her grandmother's cupboard and the whole story of Magda's past trickles out。 The house was originally owned by Jews， requisitioned by Himmler and given to Magda for "good behavior"。 Magda hated it， did not want to have anything to do with it and did not talk about it to her family。The story with this setting was emotional and tense。 It also showed how for the spirit of survival even family can split， and for the same spirit of survival it can sacrifice everything for the sake of another。 The story is sad because for me the whole loss of actually life to the full is deprived in situations like this， people make do， sacrifice， live on the bare minimum for the sake of loyalty to ties of family， politics and in the case of nazis， even to their own beliefs in their systems。 The racism that was so alive and kicking in that day is sadly evident today as well in other forms。 The story was an eye opener。 。。。more
loopyloulaura
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1930s and 40s Berlin。 Magda is horrified by the Nazi rise to power but uses her position as secretary to Himmler to obtain information。 1980s East Berlin: Magda's granddaughter Nina struggles to comply with the oppressive nature of life。 She yearns for freedom but uncovers family secrets at the same time。。。The Secretary is an emotive and fascinating dual timeline novel。 It features two generations of the same family living through dangerous times when they seek to challenge the ideologies in pow 1930s and 40s Berlin。 Magda is horrified by the Nazi rise to power but uses her position as secretary to Himmler to obtain information。 1980s East Berlin: Magda's granddaughter Nina struggles to comply with the oppressive nature of life。 She yearns for freedom but uncovers family secrets at the same time。。。The Secretary is an emotive and fascinating dual timeline novel。 It features two generations of the same family living through dangerous times when they seek to challenge the ideologies in power。I was interested in Nina's timeline as I know very little about life under regime of the GDR （East Germany）。 I do remember the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 but was unaware of the significance。 However， Magda's timeline was much more familiar to me and was captivating in a haunting way due to the atrocities she is witness to。The contrast and comparison between the 1940s and 1980s is impressive。 Two regimes of oppression and control。 Violence and brutality， secret systems of crime and punishment。 Both timelines had been well researched to allow the author to bring them to life。The two main women are brave and determined， unhappy to sit back and accept the regime in power。 Both women are also driven by love but this takes a less prominent role in the narrative。 The personal relationships of Magda have greater impact on events in the book and I did feel like her character was more developed。The Secretary was a fascinating historical novel but not for the fainthearted due to the emotional and threatening historical content。 。。。more
Lynn
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This is another story that takes place both during WWII， and also in a later time （in this case， the late 1980's）。 It is the story of Magda， a brave woman who along with Walter Tiedemann， a wealthy factory owner and the love of her life， Christopher， worked behind the scenes to assist Jewish families to escape war-torn Germany and to get information to the Allies in the hopes of bringing help。 A big part of that strategy was to play the part of a Nazi sympathizer， staying as close to those in po This is another story that takes place both during WWII， and also in a later time （in this case， the late 1980's）。 It is the story of Magda， a brave woman who along with Walter Tiedemann， a wealthy factory owner and the love of her life， Christopher， worked behind the scenes to assist Jewish families to escape war-torn Germany and to get information to the Allies in the hopes of bringing help。 A big part of that strategy was to play the part of a Nazi sympathizer， staying as close to those in power as possible。 Magda took this a step further by becoming Heinrich Himmler's secretary。 Unfortunately， Walter's jealous and vengeful daughter was forever a thorn in Magda's side。Nina is Magda's granddaughter， who grew up on the East side of the Wall in communist Germany and is fighting her own battle of resistance against the Soviet occupation during the 1980's。 When she stumbles upon a picture of a beautiful house that once belonged to her grandmother， and which her grandmother refuses to talk about， and after the Berlin wall is taken down， her curiosity leads her to investigate the houses origins， and thus unveil the secrets that Magda has been keeping。Like Hokin's other books， this one was well-written with a complex story line that kept me reading。 It wasn't my favorite， however， because there were sometimes too many chapters between the two different time eras， so that I'd have to refresh my memory as to all of the characters in each。 I got better as the book progressed， though。 Another excellent read！ 。。。more
Mrs S Parker
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Brilliant book！！！This is without doubt one of the best books I have ever read， and I do read a lot。。。。。at least 6 books a week。The main character is Magda， but the book covers a number of years from the 1933 pre war years in Gemany， through the war and。on to how Berlin was split into sectors and how they lived in East Germany onwards。It really is a truly remarkable read。。。would recommend to everyone。
Helen Hopwood
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The Secretary is a powerful story of hope and bravery in the face of evil， portrayed through the character of Magda during the Second World War。 But then the ramifications of this are explored through Magda’s Granddaughter， Nina throughout the 1980’s。The author has thoroughly researched the history and politics of Berlin and she has then successfully penned a novel that I would highly recommend。 This is the second Catherine Hokin novel that I have read and once again， her writing is impressively The Secretary is a powerful story of hope and bravery in the face of evil， portrayed through the character of Magda during the Second World War。 But then the ramifications of this are explored through Magda’s Granddaughter， Nina throughout the 1980’s。The author has thoroughly researched the history and politics of Berlin and she has then successfully penned a novel that I would highly recommend。 This is the second Catherine Hokin novel that I have read and once again， her writing is impressively descriptive and educational。I found the plot to be very cleverly thought out and the pace of the story flowed well between the dual timelines。 The characters are deep and incredibly well-developed。 This informative novel is filled with tension， twists and turns that made it a really compelling read。I am grateful to the publisher， Bookouture， via NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Gill James
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This is such an engaging plot。 However， I only manged to read it to the end because I am so interested in the two eras portrayed。 At the beginning in particular there were some very long passages of backstory / exposition。 No wonder readers complain about "telling" rather than "showing"。 Towards the end it become exciting。 It's a shame that pace and tension wasn't there throughout。 This is such an engaging plot。 However， I only manged to read it to the end because I am so interested in the two eras portrayed。 At the beginning in particular there were some very long passages of backstory / exposition。 No wonder readers complain about "telling" rather than "showing"。 Towards the end it become exciting。 It's a shame that pace and tension wasn't there throughout。 。。。more
Sally
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Catherine Hokin’s new novel takes readers to 20th century Berlin， where two women opposed the government at great risk to themselves， albeit in different ways。 There’s a strong sense of foreboding from the start of The Secretary。 The opening pages describe mysterious ceremonies at the home of Heinrich Himmler， where a young woman is presented with a house which once belonged to a Jewish family。 She has no choice but to accept the dubious honor， even as she participates in a dangerous game to und Catherine Hokin’s new novel takes readers to 20th century Berlin， where two women opposed the government at great risk to themselves， albeit in different ways。 There’s a strong sense of foreboding from the start of The Secretary。 The opening pages describe mysterious ceremonies at the home of Heinrich Himmler， where a young woman is presented with a house which once belonged to a Jewish family。 She has no choice but to accept the dubious honor， even as she participates in a dangerous game to undermine the very government for which she works。 Fast forward and we see her granddaughter vocally questioning the diktats of the East German government。 In doing so， she risks imprisonment or worse。 Is it better to disobey secretly （as Magda does） or publicly？ I found The Secretary a difficult book to put down。 The parallel stories of Magda and Nina wrap around each other until they combine for an explosive conclusion。 The younger generation， born into a divided Germany， must wrestle with the actions of their grandparents – actions that are only now being revealed with the fall of the Berlin Wall。 At times， the book is traumatizing。 Magda’s observations regarding the treatment of the Jewish people and the contrasting attitudes of high-ranking Nazis and their wives are startling。 And it’s hard to not feel emotion as both Magda and Nina’s thinking is turned upside down。 What can you do， after all， when what you thought was the truth turns out to be a lie？ And， furthermore， what can you do when what you believed was right turns out to be a wrong set of beliefs？ Aren’t we all wrestling with the changing of beliefs that were formerly set in stone even today？ Meanwhile， I also wondered how complicit Magda was in the actions of the Himmler and his fellow Nazis， by doing the work she did， even though her intention was to prevent and circumvent。 Should she have come forward with her knowledge after the war？ Do you speak up even when doing so could put your life in danger？In The Secretary Hokin includes real events and places， such as a Berlin neighborhood known for its anti-Nazi sentiment during the 1930s and 40s。 The street where the Tower House was situated is real - I looked at both satellite and street views of it online – as is a station from where Jewish people were deported to their deaths。 This is an expert coming together of both the real and imagined， to the point where I was surprised not to read that this was based or inspired by real life events and people。 It’s an incredible book which I recommend to any lovers of historical family sagas。 You won’t regret it。Disclaimer: Although I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher， the opinions above are my own。 。。。more
Jackie M
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The Secretary by Catherine Hokin。 Bookouture， 2021。This wonderful， dual timeline is a compelling story， both impossible to put down and difficult to read。 Readers will immediately engage with Magda， a secretary in WWII and her much loved granddaughter Nina living in late 1980s East Berlin。 Magna’s story was especially hard to read， knowing more about the Nazi history， what happened and what to expect。 I knew much less about life jn East Berlin before the end of the Cold War and dismantling of th The Secretary by Catherine Hokin。 Bookouture， 2021。This wonderful， dual timeline is a compelling story， both impossible to put down and difficult to read。 Readers will immediately engage with Magda， a secretary in WWII and her much loved granddaughter Nina living in late 1980s East Berlin。 Magna’s story was especially hard to read， knowing more about the Nazi history， what happened and what to expect。 I knew much less about life jn East Berlin before the end of the Cold War and dismantling of the Berlin Wall。I love dual timeline books， especially books that show shared likenesses between different family generations。 This book is much more than that， it is an education， so well written that we see life up close through the eyes of each of these women as they struggle to do what they see as right。 It is difficult to do this book justice in a short review。 Warmly recommended。Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Secretary for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 #TheSecretary #NetGalley 。。。more
J_Mc 251
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Most historical fiction has a contemporary storyline and the historical one and they dovetail or feed into each other。 This one not only has a staggering WWII plot （more on that in a minute） but it also has a “contemporary” line that takes place in the 70s and 80s， so that’s more historical as well。 The WWII story follows Magda as she is the secretary for a business owner in late 1930s Germany。 The more modern line takes place in East Berlin/Eastern Germany in the late 1970s and 1980s。 Magda is Most historical fiction has a contemporary storyline and the historical one and they dovetail or feed into each other。 This one not only has a staggering WWII plot （more on that in a minute） but it also has a “contemporary” line that takes place in the 70s and 80s， so that’s more historical as well。 The WWII story follows Magda as she is the secretary for a business owner in late 1930s Germany。 The more modern line takes place in East Berlin/Eastern Germany in the late 1970s and 1980s。 Magda is now a grandmother （not a spoiler） and her granddaughter， Nina， is learning what life is like under the oppressive thumb of the Stasi。 The parallels between the women and the governments are fascinating。 This should be a definite addition to your TBR list。 For a detailed review， please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks。 Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book。 。。。more
DJ Sakata
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Favorite Quotes:Magda was shouting。 She never shouted。 Her eyes were black and hard， as if someone else was using them。It’s come at a price， believe me – being with men whose values are as twisted as Himmler’s corrodes a little piece of your soul。 But if it means I can help decent men keep their jobs and old friends get to safety， close is where I have to be。He was of medium height and medium build and his hair was thinning。 He had the kind of pasty complexion that suggested long hours in dark r Favorite Quotes:Magda was shouting。 She never shouted。 Her eyes were black and hard， as if someone else was using them。It’s come at a price， believe me – being with men whose values are as twisted as Himmler’s corrodes a little piece of your soul。 But if it means I can help decent men keep their jobs and old friends get to safety， close is where I have to be。He was of medium height and medium build and his hair was thinning。 He had the kind of pasty complexion that suggested long hours in dark rooms。 He was so completely unremarkable， he didn’t seem real。That’s the worst of these things， Nina; that’s what I never wanted you to have to learn。 There’s always a choice that isn’t a choice。 It’s always impossible to save everyone。There has been talk of a memorial on the platform the death trains went out of， but… Every time a plaque is installed there， it gets stolen。 Sometimes I wonder what kind of people are still living here。My Review:This was an intense and tragic read yet Ms。 Hokin’s writing was extraordinarily poignant， well-crafted， and thrummed with a taut and anxious tone throughout due to the constant peril her characters faced in both timelines。 The storylines were rife with family drama， intrigue， subterfuge， and the constant danger of discovery。 I was quite taken by the quality of the characters' development as the individuals were realistically flawed and believable human beings who made serious errors yet were well-intentioned and endearing， even though I often wanted to give them a pinch or two。 。。。more
Shelley
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On her author page on Amazon， Catherine states “I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest。 Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books。” and in The Secretary I most certainly did。 There are two leading ladies in this story。 Both are smart， courageous and determined。 Magda， the secretary of the title is a young German woman who is fighting to save innocent German lives right from inside the li On her author page on Amazon， Catherine states “I am a story lover as well as a story writer and nothing fascinates me more than a strong female protagonist and a quest。 Hopefully those are what you will encounter when you pick up my books。” and in The Secretary I most certainly did。 There are two leading ladies in this story。 Both are smart， courageous and determined。 Magda， the secretary of the title is a young German woman who is fighting to save innocent German lives right from inside the lions den。 She hates the Nazis and everything they stand for but she knows that by working right within the heart of the enemy she can make a difference。 She plays her role well but danger is around every corner and one tiny slip could cost more than she can possibly imagine。Years later Nina has grown up in post war Germany。 A Germany where a wall divides East from West。 She longs to escape the prison that has become her country ， to find a way past the wall。 As a child she discovered the existence of The Tower House， a place that looked as though from a fairytale， a place her grandmother once lived when she was younger。 She longs to escape the East and find this beautiful house that her grandmother never speaks of。 But there are secrets buried within the past， secrets that may be misinterpreted。 Secrets that could prove deadly for the future of both Nina and Magda。This was such a fascinating read and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 I have read many historical novels based around the Second World War and the Holocaust and this novel added a fresh perspective of those horrific events in history。 Told entirely from the viewpoint of a German family， it shows the very real horror that was faced by those who did not follow the Nazi regime， those who watched the senseless murders begin to unfold and how they tried to stop it and how they tried to tell the world。It is also a reminder， for me at least， that the end of the War did not bring peace to many German citizens。 I found Nina’s story and fight equally fascinating and an eye opener to how long it took for many people to be free of the dictatorship （of one form or another） that controlled their lives。At times heart-breaking but always filled with courage it was a highly enjoyable and gripping read and I thoroughly recommend it。 。。。more
wellreadtraveler
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Did you know 63% of millennial/Gen Z are unaware 6 million people died during the Holocaust？ This is the reason we need to read books both historical fiction and memoirs to share with our youth what we learn。 Especially right now when we are seeing so much hate。 If we’re not careful we will find ourselves going back in time。 1940- Magda works as a secretary to the leader of the SS。 Her job puts her at risk as she’s secretly helping to fight against the Nazis。 Magda must use the information she g Did you know 63% of millennial/Gen Z are unaware 6 million people died during the Holocaust？ This is the reason we need to read books both historical fiction and memoirs to share with our youth what we learn。 Especially right now when we are seeing so much hate。 If we’re not careful we will find ourselves going back in time。 1940- Magda works as a secretary to the leader of the SS。 Her job puts her at risk as she’s secretly helping to fight against the Nazis。 Magda must use the information she gets to help keep a loved one safe。 But how far is she willing to go and will job help or hurt those involved？ 1980- Nina found a drawing in her grandmothers trunk and is hoping it will lead her to answers about her family。 Her grandmother ran away from her past and Nina wants to know what she was hiding。 Nina has no clue what she’s about to uncover， and it will change everything she thought she knew about her grandmother。 Beautiful story of the past and present and how they are intertwined。 。。。more
Renita D'Silva
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Just beautiful。 Touching。 Emotional。 An epic， stunning， heart rending tale that makes you think and question， cry and ache along with the characters。 Do read this one。
Page~Turners
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This fast-paced World War II novel is a must read for all historical fiction fans。 The author quickly transports you to Berlin and sends you back in time， with the flip of a page。Magda is The Secretary working in The Tower House during the Second World War， she is living a double life and is storing up and smuggling secrets out of her office。 But， she is determined to keep the man whom she secretly loves safe。 Fast forward forty years later when Nina， Magda’s granddaughter， is in Berlin with a f This fast-paced World War II novel is a must read for all historical fiction fans。 The author quickly transports you to Berlin and sends you back in time， with the flip of a page。Magda is The Secretary working in The Tower House during the Second World War， she is living a double life and is storing up and smuggling secrets out of her office。 But， she is determined to keep the man whom she secretly loves safe。 Fast forward forty years later when Nina， Magda’s granddaughter， is in Berlin with a fake passport in her hand， some bank notes and a piece of paper with a scribbled address of The Tower House。 When Nina locates and enters The Tower House where her Grandmother Magda also walked those same hallways all those years ago， so many things are revealed to her。 Nina is so much like her Grandmother， that it is almost as if you are reading about the same person。 This story was so well written and researched， that it is not only a history lesson， but so descriptive that you forget your reading a book and feel you are watching an entertaining movie playing out in your minds eye。This extraordinary and engaging read was absolutely amazing。 I really enjoyed this time-slip novel and I cannot recommend it enough…absolutely， heart-stopping amazing。 Thank you Catherine Hokin for this outstanding read， loved it。 。。。more
Karen
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I am passionate about WWII historical fiction。 THE SECRETARY by Catherine Hokin did not disappoint。 I liked this two-time period story involving Magda who is the secretary to Walther Tiedemann who owns a factory and later secretary to Himmler and Magda’s granddaughter， Nina， who spends time in one of East Germany’s famous prisons。 I have not read a book about what it was like to live in East Germany。 As a young girl， I do remember lots of escapes through tunnels under The Wall and people jumping I am passionate about WWII historical fiction。 THE SECRETARY by Catherine Hokin did not disappoint。 I liked this two-time period story involving Magda who is the secretary to Walther Tiedemann who owns a factory and later secretary to Himmler and Magda’s granddaughter， Nina， who spends time in one of East Germany’s famous prisons。 I have not read a book about what it was like to live in East Germany。 As a young girl， I do remember lots of escapes through tunnels under The Wall and people jumping from buildings over the Wall。 Although Magda was Himmler’s secretary， she and Walther were saving as many Jewish lives as possible， Magda has never told her story to Nina。 The book has lots of secrets to unravel。 Both Nina and Magda suffer so much for so many years。 Walther’s daughter， Elsa， is jealous and hates Magda。 She is determined to make Magda suffer， I thought the author did a good job telling their stories。 I felt the tension as I read。 I worried for these two characters and how he story would be resolved。 I also learned a great deal about what East Germany was like from WWII until the Wall came down in 1989。 This was my first book by Catherine Hokin but it won’t be my last。 My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC of this book。 The opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Karen Kingston
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As regular readers of my book reviews know， I regularly read and review historical fiction books。 The synopsis of this one appealed to me but was actually a very different book to what I had imagined。This is the story of Magda and her granddaughter Nina。 Magda spent the war years trying to help people escape persecution by the Nazi party， whilst in a trusted job for a senior Nazi party member。 Years later her granddaughter is trying to escape a different group who were determined to stop the Ger As regular readers of my book reviews know， I regularly read and review historical fiction books。 The synopsis of this one appealed to me but was actually a very different book to what I had imagined。This is the story of Magda and her granddaughter Nina。 Magda spent the war years trying to help people escape persecution by the Nazi party， whilst in a trusted job for a senior Nazi party member。 Years later her granddaughter is trying to escape a different group who were determined to stop the German people from living a full life。This is an excellent book， full of secrets and twists， featuring two important periods of German history from the last century。 It covers some brutal topics， including torture， murder and the death camps。Both Magda and Nina have to face the loss of loved ones and the cruelty of others， but will they ever be able to trust each other with their secrets？ A dark and thought provoking novel about two brave women who try to make a difference。 I look forward to reading more by Cathy Hokin in the future。 。。。more
Vicky
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This book brought back memories of being in West Germany when the famous Wall came down。 My husband was military and we just happened to be stationed over there at that point in time。 It was definitely a poignant moment and you could see on the faces of people how meaningful it was and what memories it must have evoked in them。The author Catherine Hokin not only tied the Wall coming down， but her Character Magda was so deeply immersed into being a spy for the resistance that only a few new and t This book brought back memories of being in West Germany when the famous Wall came down。 My husband was military and we just happened to be stationed over there at that point in time。 It was definitely a poignant moment and you could see on the faces of people how meaningful it was and what memories it must have evoked in them。The author Catherine Hokin not only tied the Wall coming down， but her Character Magda was so deeply immersed into being a spy for the resistance that only a few new and those that did were killed。 She was out in the wind so she kept her mouth shut and remained loyal on the East side because it was the safest place for her and her unborn child。 Now her granddaughter Nina was chafing at the constraints of the East and Magda was going to be forced into dealing with her secretive past。This is an explosive book looking at a different type of angle of resistance and the nuances of what sacrifices one has to pay。 I love all the characters because they are relatable and you can feel them and sympathize。 I definitely would recommend this book。I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions。 。。。more
Katrina
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Look。 I tried really hard to enjoy this more。 I just don't do well with dual timelines in historical novels。 If it takes place over a set of years， I prefer a linear timeline。 When it comes to this story， the two timelines were just so different。We have Magda， so does some pretty brave things throughout WWII。 She had a pretty solid plot that I enjoyed well enough。We have Nina， who has to deal with the affects of the Berlin Wall， which admittedly， isn't something I've ever read before。 Typically， Look。 I tried really hard to enjoy this more。 I just don't do well with dual timelines in historical novels。 If it takes place over a set of years， I prefer a linear timeline。 When it comes to this story， the two timelines were just so different。We have Magda， so does some pretty brave things throughout WWII。 She had a pretty solid plot that I enjoyed well enough。We have Nina， who has to deal with the affects of the Berlin Wall， which admittedly， isn't something I've ever read before。 Typically， it's the "present" time of dual timelines that I don't care for， and while that was the case here， I will say it was much more interesting than other books I've read with the same format。If you love a good mix of historical fiction set in the past， as well as the mystery of figuring out historical connections with family members， this is the book for you！Special thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital copy in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Ethel
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This is a dual line story where the stage is set in Germany， 1940 and 40 years later in 1980 in East Berlin。 For Magda having graduated from business school， she is now the personal assistant to Walther， the factory owner and a close friend to the Nazis。 As we follow her， we find she becomes the secretary to Himmler， a position she volunteered for。 Magda leads a double life， as one who hates and defies the Nazis and what they stand for， while working for one of the uppermost men in the party。 Th This is a dual line story where the stage is set in Germany， 1940 and 40 years later in 1980 in East Berlin。 For Magda having graduated from business school， she is now the personal assistant to Walther， the factory owner and a close friend to the Nazis。 As we follow her， we find she becomes the secretary to Himmler， a position she volunteered for。 Magda leads a double life， as one who hates and defies the Nazis and what they stand for， while working for one of the uppermost men in the party。 Through this association， we see the inner workings of these dysfunctional people， while Magda smuggles secrets right out from under their nose。Flash forward to 1980 we find Nina， Magda's granddaughter， where both are living in East Berlin。 Nina is very much like her grandmother， she is rebellious and as a teenager caused a great deal of trouble。 As much as the war is over， living behind the "Wall" is just as dangerous。 There are spies everywhere， no freedom， and a life lived under guards and rifles。 For Nina she has a sense of curiosity， wanting to find out about her grandmother's life during the war。 She knows there is a house in question， that was once lived in by Magda， but there are secrets involved with that house， and more secrets that Magda has kept to herself。It is a very interesting novel， interesting to note the parallel and similarities between the 40 years 。 To see how some are brave enough to stand up to tyranny， to see that not all people in Germany stood by as an entire ethnicity was about to be extinguished。 That even in households， there were those who believed in the goodness of people， where hope became the standard， while others in the same household supported the evil that existed in men。 To read this book from a German perspective was quite unique and gave me a bit to think about。 That there were people willing to put their lives on the line to save Jewish people from extinction certainly makes one think of humanity in a world filled with horrors。Well done Catherine Hokin， for your research， for your talent and sharing it with your readers。 My thanks to both NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
cfgreads
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Read this if you:· want a WW2 story from a different perspective· need some strong women inspiration· enjoy an unpredictable endingSynopsis:Magda is the secretary to the leader of the SS， spending her days with high-ranking Nazis。 In the evenings， she spends her time recruiting people to the resistance。 This double life is incredibly dangerous， but Magda is determined to help as many people avoid the ‘resettlement’ trains that she has seen being developed as possible。Forty years later， Nina sets Read this if you:· want a WW2 story from a different perspective· need some strong women inspiration· enjoy an unpredictable endingSynopsis:Magda is the secretary to the leader of the SS， spending her days with high-ranking Nazis。 In the evenings， she spends her time recruiting people to the resistance。 This double life is incredibly dangerous， but Magda is determined to help as many people avoid the ‘resettlement’ trains that she has seen being developed as possible。Forty years later， Nina sets off with a fake passport over the Berlin Wall to try to find the house in the West she heard so much about from her grandmother。 She faces many obstacles in her journey but when she finally makes it there， she discovers even more secrets that she’s not sure if she’s ready to face。My thoughts on the book: This book was so different from any other WW2 fiction I’ve read in the past。 Magda’s story was so heartbreaking but she also showed incredible resilience in the face of all the danger she was in。 I loved the addition of Nina’s story and thought it was great how the author showed the parallels between how the two women handled the adversity facing their shared home of Germany。 The writing in this book was also beautiful。 Everything flowed together so perfectly that I found it difficult to put down。 I felt as though I was sucked in to the book and had to keep going to find out what happened next。 I really enjoyed the experience of having to make connections between the two stories to see where they would start to overlap。 The way both women in this story were written was also incredibly inspirational and really made me stop and think how I would have reacted to being in the same position。 The twists at the end of this book left me totally shocked。 I found that they added to the overall excitement of the book and really made all of the storylines come back together full circle！Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book！ 。。。more
Jennifer
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Loved it！！ I loved "The Lost Mother，" so I was excited to read this book and it definitely didn't disappoint。 So many secrets。 I don't know how they remained hidden for so long。 I enjoyed how the book alternated between Magda in the 1940s and Nina in the 1980s。 Nina wasn't my favorite character， she eventually grew on me。 When she was younger， I don't think she understood what repercussions there would be for her actions。 She's lucky Magda was always there to save the day。 East Berlin didn't sou Loved it！！ I loved "The Lost Mother，" so I was excited to read this book and it definitely didn't disappoint。 So many secrets。 I don't know how they remained hidden for so long。 I enjoyed how the book alternated between Magda in the 1940s and Nina in the 1980s。 Nina wasn't my favorite character， she eventually grew on me。 When she was younger， I don't think she understood what repercussions there would be for her actions。 She's lucky Magda was always there to save the day。 East Berlin didn't sound like a great place to live with all the restrictions and the constant watching。 I can't imagine how it was to live in Germany during Hitler's rule or in Berlin during Soviet rule。 Elsa could learn a few things from the Disney Princess- she needs to LET IT GO！！！ Elsa was cold as ice， vindictive and thought she was a princess。 She placed the blame on what happened on the wrong person。 Loved the ending and finally learning the truth about everything。Definitely recommend the book， especially if you enjoy historical fiction。 I found it interesting reading about East Berlin and seeing how the people lived and the restrictions they were under。 Loved the story， characters and writing style。 Look forward to reading more books by the author。I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Pamela Scott
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https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I’ve read and enjoyed other books by the author so I was really looking forward to The Secretary。 I’ve read a lot of books set during and after WWII including some set in Berlin and Germany so I was on familiar ground with this book。 The Secretary uses one of my favourite structures with the story moving between 1940 telling Magda’s heart-breaking story and 1989 focusing on Nina’s search for the truth and her shocking discoveries against the backdrop of th https://thebookloversboudoir。wordpres。。。I’ve read and enjoyed other books by the author so I was really looking forward to The Secretary。 I’ve read a lot of books set during and after WWII including some set in Berlin and Germany so I was on familiar ground with this book。 The Secretary uses one of my favourite structures with the story moving between 1940 telling Magda’s heart-breaking story and 1989 focusing on Nina’s search for the truth and her shocking discoveries against the backdrop of the fall of the Berlin wall。 This is an engrossing read。 。。。more
Emma Crowley
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The Secretary by Catherine Hokin is a dual timeline story set in Germany during World War Two and the 1980’s as the city is split between East and West。 It’s a slow burner， as I have found with several of this author’s books， but once it finds its footing it really develops into an eye opening remarkable story that gives a fascinating insight into one families experiences of war and its long time reverberating impact。 The book opens as Magda， a young woman who is methodical and never careless， a The Secretary by Catherine Hokin is a dual timeline story set in Germany during World War Two and the 1980’s as the city is split between East and West。 It’s a slow burner， as I have found with several of this author’s books， but once it finds its footing it really develops into an eye opening remarkable story that gives a fascinating insight into one families experiences of war and its long time reverberating impact。 The book opens as Magda， a young woman who is methodical and never careless， always wanting to be safe， is given a gift by her boss Heinrich Himmler。 Tension radiates from the pages and she is on tender hooks thinking she has been discovered。 It’s clear she doesn’t want this gift， that she would return it in an instant。 For it symbolises torture， danger and evil。 She has worked under false pretences with the danger of discovery imminent on a daily basis。 ’We have played our parts so perfectly， they believe we are the same as them。 What if no one ever believes we were not？’ An interesting statement that will stick in the readers mind as they navigate their way through this complex， twisty and eye opening read。The story is told from two female viewpoints， that of Magda during the war years working for Himmler and then we move back and forth between Berlin in the 1980’s as her granddaughter Nina tries to understand why her city is split in two and just what role Magda played in the death of so many innocent people。 I’ve read so many books set during World War Two so it was refreshing that the history of Germany is explored in a new way here。 I really felt as if a window was opened into the past and the ramifications of the war were explored so many years later。 The Berlin that Nina inhabits is split into West and East with Nina living in the East。 She is a complex character who initially I found difficulties in feeling any sympathy for。 She seemed very whingy and moany。 Not at all happy with her life and ok I could see why this was the case as her life is ruled under an iron fist， with innumerable rules and regulations and constant fear that you could be taken off the streets and imprisoned for something in this present day wouldn’t be viewed as a misdemeanour at all。 But still she was hard to crack and perhaps because she was so young I didn’t value her daily life experiences earlier on in the book as much as I should have given the crucial role she played later on。 I found myself much more interested in Magda’s story at least until the last quarter or so of the novel。 Nina is a crucial element to the overall story and she becomes the catalyst in bringing the past and present together in order to confront itself。 She is a character who is confused and lonely and deeply caught up in a longing for a life in the west that was so very far away even though a wall was all that separated the two worlds。 When we first meet her she is a young girl attending her grandfathers funeral but we then journey with her as she becomes a teenager。 She has great respect for Magda but she can’t understand why her past is such a closed book。 Just what did she do during the war that she will not talk about and how does it impact the present political situation。 Nina becomes a rebel and endures many spirit shattering experiences。 She places herself in the firing line in dangerous situations and you do think why is she doing this？ But it’s like the essence of her grandmother is deep within her。 That need， desire and want to do what is right in the face of such oppression and unnecessary suffering。 She is similar to Magda in that she can’t stand by and do nothing but in becoming active with the best of intentions she is putting her life on the line。 One girl can’t change the course of time or history on a national scale but she can delve back into the past on a more personal， family level and in doing so she uncovers a story that is heart-breaking and inspiring in equal measure。 Will Nina believe the cold hard facts as presented or can she search further， pull back the layers and see the wood for the trees and find out just what Magda has been running from all these years？ Was this running and invasion necessary？ Do we judge people far too rashly？ I found the parts of the book set during Magda’s time working for Himmler during the war were the sections that I wanted to get back to when I was reading about Nina。 The research undertaken for this book must have been immense as you really do feel you are in Berlin during Nina’s time。 But still it’s further back in the past that caught my attention。 I think we still think the bringing down of the Berlin wall occurred only a few years ago when in fact it was 30 years ago。 But Magda， for me， was the stand out character。 The rise of national socialism in the late 1930’s meant Magda’s life direction took an unusual and over time life threatening turn。 She had been brought up to believe in and stand for equality for all。 That the same standards and laws should be applied to everyone regardless of religion or politics。 But when Hitler is hell bent on eradicating Jews Magda can see that her families opinions are not held by everyone。 When she is offered a job as secretary to Walther， who runs a factory which employs many Jews， she jumps at the chance and as the political situation in Germany deteriorates and the venom of Hitler expands beyond the country borders， world wide， Magda finds herself entangled in a double life that if discovered could lead to the ultimate punishment。Magda was brave， fearless， courageous and determined and the love she has for someone will see her push through the darkest of times as her resistance work increases。 For what she and Walther are engaged in， if discovered， would mean not just their downfall but the end of so many others。 Even after reading lots of books featuring resistance work I still am always surprised by the fact that so many people put their lives on the line when they didn’t need to。 It shows their compassion and need for right to triumph over wrong， good to win over evil and their urge to fight against so much needless injustice。 Magda believes， and rightly so， that nobody is worth more than anyone else on the basis of birthplace or wealth or blood。 ’We bury ourselves in Hitler’s world so we are in step with them， not running behind’。 She certainly did this as accepting the role of Himmler’s secretary， well she really had no other choice， really leads her to the lions den and what she learns and witnesses is very helpful。 But is she too close to the centre？ Will her actions be misinterpreted by those she is really fighting for？ ‘We didn’t stand by， or turn away 。We did something。 That has to count’。 But will it count when Nina makes a discovery and sets about finding the answers that arise。 Secrets and a tangled web are slowly revealed and in my mind the last quarter of the book was by far the most superior with so many twists and turns and things began to make much more sense。 There are several reveals which leave you open mouthed in shock and you think wow what a clever， intriguing and spellbinding story Catherine Hokin has written。 I find this author leads you along a certain route for the majority of her books and then bang with one single sentence whatever opinions you had formed of the book are shattered and the plot takes on a whole new level of intensity。 I just wish as I have said previously when reading her books that this intensity would come much earlier in the book。 What you think is perhaps just an average read becomes something so much more once you reach a certain point and I would love for this to be evident from the outset。 Saying all that Catherine Hokin is a really impressive author and any book I have read by her has opened my mind in a new way to the past and I love the way connections are made with surprising reveals and explanations。 The Secretary is definitely worth a read and will truly show you how the events of the war years were still being felt right up until the early 90’s。 。。。more
Lisa
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I love how this book starts out with the prologue throwing you straight into the war and realising really what was at stake， it makes you want to carry on and find out Magda’s story。 This is the first historical fiction I’ve read where it swaps between the past and present and I loved it。 It was interesting to read how people were affected by the war and everything going on around for a long time。 It was also good to see what war was like from a German point of view and really shows how much pol I love how this book starts out with the prologue throwing you straight into the war and realising really what was at stake， it makes you want to carry on and find out Magda’s story。 This is the first historical fiction I’ve read where it swaps between the past and present and I loved it。 It was interesting to read how people were affected by the war and everything going on around for a long time。 It was also good to see what war was like from a German point of view and really shows how much politics used to rule。 This is the first story I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to read more now！ I love the way it’s written and kept me so hooked I couldn’t put it down！ A big thank you to Catherine Hokin， Bookouture and NetGalley for the arc♥️ 。。。more
Shirley McAllister
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We do what we mustThis is a dual story line featuring Magda in the 1940 world war II years and her Granddaughter Nina in the 1980's during the cold war times when there was an East Berlin， a West Berlin and a wall between the two。Magda never talks about the war years and her time spent during them to her granddaughter。 Nina very much wishes to know about her Grandmother's war years。 She also wishes to escape from the east to the west。 Magda's story is the second story in the book。 It is her time We do what we mustThis is a dual story line featuring Magda in the 1940 world war II years and her Granddaughter Nina in the 1980's during the cold war times when there was an East Berlin， a West Berlin and a wall between the two。Magda never talks about the war years and her time spent during them to her granddaughter。 Nina very much wishes to know about her Grandmother's war years。 She also wishes to escape from the east to the west。 Magda's story is the second story in the book。 It is her time during WWII she doesn't wish her granddaughter to know。 She has kept her activities during the war a secret so far and wishes it to be in the past never to be revealed。 Will Nina find out about her grandmother's past？ If she does what secrets will it reveal and will it cause a rift between Magda and Nina？This was a very good book and I would recommend it。 Thanks to Catherine Hokin， Bookouture， and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for my honest review。 。。。more
Zilpha Owens
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