$7.23 with 34 percent savings
List Price: $10.99

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
$3.99 delivery Wednesday, May 15. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$7.23 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$7.23
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
M R . B O O K M A N
Ships from
M R . B O O K M A N
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Catherine Hokin
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

The Secretary: A heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical novel Paperback – May 19, 2021

by Catherine Hokin (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,791 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$7.23","priceAmount":7.23,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"7","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"23","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"ps7DX%2BzvepG%2FUwBBU1ckco8wvHmuZSE9EjocwRdgg71ihUX6GMZerpbaBz3P4Pa6vltgYRw3L%2FGon4czQPV039EViWmeY7ADhL0UdEY5On14CgnTFn7k17SclEMMyJxZHmo3r6VhYjy5FeigXK8%2Ft2IZyKkj4tyJsMUJPToKfmORCx6QZfo5fQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

The Tower House. Down a secluded path, hidden by overgrown vines, the crumbling villa echoes with memories. Of the family who laughed and sang there, until the Nazis tore them from their home. And of the next woman to walk its empty rooms, whose courage in the face of evil could alter the course of history…

Germany 1940. As secretary to the leader of the SS, Magda spends her days sending party invitations to high-ranking Nazis, and her evenings distributing pamphlets for the resistance. But Magda is leading a dangerous double life, smuggling secrets out of the office. It’s a deadly game, and eventual exposure is a certainty, but Magda is driven by a need to keep the man she secretly loves safe as he fights against the Nazis…

Forty years later. Nina’s heart pounds as she steps into an uncertain future carrying a forged passport, a few bank notes, and a scribbled address for The Tower House taken from an intricate drawing she found hidden in her grandmother’s wardrobe. Separated from her family and betrayed by her country, Nina’s last hope is to trace her family’s history in the ruins of the past her grandmother ran from. But, when she finally finds the abandoned house, she opens the door to a forgotten story, and to secrets which will change everything: past, present, and future…

A poignant and gripping novel about bravery, loss and redemption during the Second World War. An unputdownable read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network.

What readers are saying about The Secretary:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartbreaking… captivating.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Next level… An auto-buy author for me now.’ Goodreads reviewer

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow!… I was stunned, I was gripped, I was very moved… A treasure.’ Linda Strong Book Reviews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Absolutely fantastic.’ Goodreads reviewer

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    330 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    May 19, 2021
  4. Dimensions
    5.06 x 0.83 x 7.81 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1838889558
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1838889555
  7. See all details
Next page
Layla
"Layla" by Colleen Hoover for $7.19
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more

Frequently bought together

The Secretary: A heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical novel
$7.23
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by M R . B O O K M A N.
+
The Lost Mother: A beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical novel
$10.99
Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
What Only We Know: A heart-wrenching and unforgettable World War 2 historical novel
$11.99
Get it as soon as Monday, May 13
Only 5 left in stock (more on the way).
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bookouture (May 19, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 330 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1838889558
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1838889555
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.83 x 7.81 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,791 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Catherine Hokin

Catherine Hokin

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

I write historical fiction set primarily in Berlin, covering the period from the 1930s up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and dealing with the long shadows left by war. I've had nine novels published with Bookouture to date, including a series, and there are more to come. My books have also been translated into a number of languages including French, Danish and, most recently, German.

I spends as much time as I can in Berlin, where my son also lives, and can read German fluently, although I speak it more like a toddler. I'm from the North of England but now live in Glasgow with my American husband. I love to travel and am currently planning a trip next year to Japan. If I'm not at my desk, you’ll find me at the cinema or just follow the sound of very loud music but bear in mind that I've been told, more than once, that I have the musical tastes of a teenage boy…

I'd love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website or at my Cat Hokin FB page, at Catherine Hokin Writer on Twitter or on my Cat Hokin Author page on Instagram.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
2,791 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars "The Secretary"
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
After finishing this book, I’m not even sure which timeline I liked better - the WWII or the Berlin Wall one. Both were so intriguing and realistic, I got really invested into the characters each fighting their own battles and standing up for what is right even when faced with the danger of imprisonment or execution. While weaving a most compelling plot, “The Secretary” poses a question each one of us should ask at least once in our lives: shall I remain a neutral bystander or shall I fight for my beliefs and make a stand for those who don’t have a voice, no matter the price? “The Secretary” will make you hold your breath when rooting for the characters but also think of your own choices - precisely what a well-written historical novel should do impo. For that reason I would highly recommend it to all fans of the genre. Five huge stars!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
jenny valentine
4.0 out of 5 stars Very engaing and engrossing WWII historical novel
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
Interesting and engaging characters, story and writing.
Like the way the author connected the characters over time.
Two stories in one. At least. 4.5 stars.
Loved a quote that feels (to me) apprpriate for today, re the East Germany situation:
"Perhaps they never had the power over us we feared. Perhaps they only ever had power at all because we rolled over and gave it tonthem."
Maybe for that quote, I should bump it to 5 stars.
Anyway, I recommend it.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ann Barry
5.0 out of 5 stars An historical fiction that spans decades
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2021
Verified Purchase
I am an avid reader of historical fiction written about World War II and the Holocaust. This story was not only a wonderfully told story about a brave, strong woman who did what she could to fight the evil of Hitler, Himmler and the SS, but also shows us the world that followed in Germany. This is the first story that I have read that tied the time in World War II to the time of a divided Germany, the Wall, and its fall. Seeing the time that follows through the eyes of a brave grandmother and granddaughter, made this an exceptionally good read.
Helpful
 Report
Sue Dowdy
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2021
Verified Purchase
The more I read the better it got. At first I felt like the characters during the war could have been developed a little more. Now that I have finished the book I don’t feel that way so much. A very believable, somewhat complicated story. Can’t wait to read another of her books.
Helpful
 Report
N952JL
5.0 out of 5 stars A book you will not be able to put dowm
Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
For some reason I am drawn to WWII history. However most history book can be very dry. Historical drama books try to reach a compromise letting us readers readers relive history through made up characters bur Historical accurate events. Ths book will not disappoint you.
Helpful
 Report
Melissa
3.0 out of 5 stars slow
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
The ending was good the rest of the book was very slow. I had higher hopes for this one The end saved it
Helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Sad
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
I said sad as Magda was really a hero during the war but it didn't follow her in to peacetime with her granddaughter as the secrets were to great. How many such hero's had to hide their actions after the war? To many who knew the truth were not around to attest to the truth. Great book
Helpful
 Report
Ceci Cabrera
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivated by Truth
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
I've read quite a few WWII stories, however, this one deeply touched me in such a way I'll remember for quite some time. I couldn't put it down; it was so powerfully heartbreaking and bittersweet. I definitely look forward to Catherine Hokin's next novel.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Shirley Misener
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in Canada on June 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
I have read all of Catherine's books and I have enjoyed all of them, this talks about East and West Berlin which I have not read a lot on. Strong characters it was a hard read at times but it involves WW2 just when you think you have read all about you you learn new facts. I would recommend this book
Report
Jenny R
5.0 out of 5 stars Great gripping story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed the twists and turns of this story and the impact of WW2 on everyone’s lives. The tragedy and impact of allowing dictators to gain so much power. Reminiscent of aspects of life in Europe today, where tragically nothing has been learnt from mistakes of the past.
Report
TyndaFlat
5.0 out of 5 stars Conflicting
Reviewed in Australia on May 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
A heartwrenching book about Germany,the Nazis and choices people made. Of course, those choices impact then and into the future. Hard to put down. Powerful story.
Report
lindsey
4.0 out of 5 stars Gift for Dad
Reviewed in Canada on June 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
Bought this book as a gift for my Dad, he enjoyed it
Report
paul
4.0 out of 5 stars Slow burner
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
This starts off as an almost typical book about the Second World war. It develops into a very interesting account of the way Europe has developed and how cycles come around.
Report