The Secret Letter

By: Debbie Rix

Narrated by: Jacqueline King

Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Germany, 1939. A tumbledown farmhouse, on the outskirts of a close-knit village in the heart of the rolling hills of Bavaria. A once happy family home torn apart by Nazi rule. And one young girl who refuses to give up on what she believes in....

London, 2018: When 94-year-old Imogen receives a letter addressed to her in neat, unfamiliar handwriting, she notices the postmark is stamped from Germany - and it sends shivers down her spine....

Germany, 1939: Thirteen-year-old Magda is devastated by the loss of her best friend, shy and gentle Lotte, cruelly snatched from her and sent to a concentration camp – the Star of David sewn on her faded, brown coat. As the Nazi’s power takes hold, Magda realises she’s not like the other girls in her German village - she hates the fanatical new rules of the Hitler Youth. So Magda secretly joins The White Rose Movement and begins to rebel against the oppressive, frightening world around her.

But when an English bomber pilot crashes in a field near Magda’s home she is faced with an impossible choice: to risk the safety of her family or to save a stranger and make a difference in the devastating war that has claimed the lives of so many. Little does she know, her actions will have the power to change the life of another girl, on the other side of enemy lines, forever....

Inspired by a true story, this is a heart-wrenching, gripping and absolutely unforgettable tale of the strength of human kindness in a time of unimaginable heartbreak. Fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Book Thief will be utterly gripped by this beautiful, sweeping, World War Two novel.

©2019 Debbie Rix (P)2019 Audible, Ltd

Based on a true Story

This is a historical fiction based on the wartime experiences of the author’s parents.

The book is well written and researched. The story takes place during WWII and is about two girls: one English, Imogen, and the other German, Magda. The stories of the two girls are told separately and only unite at the ending. This is a different but dramatic approach in telling the story. Imogen and Magda grow up during the War and both hate the Nazis. It is a story of bravery and hope. It is an easy to read story. This is my first experience with both the author and the narrator. I highly recommend this story.

The book is twelve hours and twenty-one minutes. Jacqueline King does a good job narrating the book. King is a British actress and audiobook narrator.

Thought provoking

A poignant story set during WWII that shares the experiences of war on everyday life and how it affects the two main characters. Very unlike any other war time story I’ve read, it is more than the military encounters. It allows the reader to really experience the effects of war on smaller and larger scales throughout the story in ways I had never thought of before. A very well written novel!

Narration Is Awful....

I'm still in the middle of listening to this audio book and while I'm enjoying the characters and the storyline, the German accents are so distracting that I am actually considering taking a break from it to listen to something else for a while.... the other characters' accents are fine, but the parts read by the characters with German accents are terrible. Am I the only one who finds this book difficult to listen to?

Riveting from the start.

I was drawn in immediately to the brave lives of Magda and Immogene. The performance was fantastic.

I thought at first this would be fairly predictable

It was, to some extent, particularly for those of us who regularly read novels based on the wars.
However, knowing this was based on real experiences added to the impact of the storyline and reality of the horrors but also some humanity still found in unexpected places.
I enjoyed hearing the authors comments at the end.
The narrator can make or break any audible book, or be a non-event. I think this narrator was very skilled and brought warmth to the story, abd a sense of reality with her varied accents.
I will look for more from both author and narrator. Thanks

Excellent!

Narration was excellent - especially being able to pull off male voices and the British and German accents, which she did beautifully. Overall only 4 stars bc there were a few weak spots, the ending and wrap-ups seemed a bit rushed, plus these people would be well into their 90s and not quite as spry as this story depicts...BUT it was a great listen & the frustrations of living amidst the Hitler Youth and the Nazi reign, the dual stories and intertwined lives of the 2 protagonists were all very interesting. Loved the author's comments at the end that parts of the story were based on her parents' experiences. Highly recommend!

Good story

This story kept me interested it was a good read. The narrator did an excellent job.

A most wonderful story of 2 families

an interesting WWII tale from the perspective of 2 young girls and their families, one German and one English. Extremely well done.

Very well done

I enjoyed this book very much. Knowing it was based on true events made it all the more interesting as I love history. Being it is both the German and the British side from two young girls keeps it moving along very well.

Performance was Amazing

I loved that the book took two characters to tell their stories and it was eye opening for many parts of WW2. The hardships and tragedy of war in both countries. Having read slot on WW2– their were some things that were out of character for the shortages— they were always having coffee and chocolate which I thought were hard to come by. In Germany— I have read the army ravaged countryside for food— yet they seemed to have their herd of cows, chickens etc to the end. A few of the Romance situations were a bit trite... But please listen as it is beautifully done and if you like WW2 - a must!!!