What Only We Know

A Heart-Wrenching and Unforgettable World War 2 Historical Novel

By: Catherine Hokin

Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow

A door slammed and the unmistakable sound of boots came crashing up the hall. Liese held her little daughter’s hand so tightly, the tiny fingers had turned purple. The SS officer’s hand was at Liese’s throat before she saw him move. "I can kill you easily, then I can kill your daughter." He relaxed his grip a little. "Or perhaps I could kill her first?"

England, 40 years later. When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart. The house she grew up in feels haunted by the memory of her father’s closely guarded secrets about her beautiful mother Elizabeth’s tragic death years before.

As she packs up the house, Karen discovers an old photograph and a stranger’s tattered love letter to her mother postmarked from Germany after the war.

During her life, Karen struggled to understand her shy, fearful mother, but now she is realizing there was so much more to Elizabeth than she knew. For one thing, her name wasn’t even Elizabeth, and her harrowing story begins long before Karen was born.

It’s 1941 in Berlin, and a young woman called Liese is being forced to wear a yellow star...

A beautiful and gripping wartime story about family secrets and impossible choices in the face of terrible hardship. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones, and The Alice Network.

©2020 Catherine Hokin (P)2020 Bookouture

starts slow but worth the read

Wow. I was not expecting that!

This WWII novel starts slow but by 50% it picked up enough that I was hooked. I might have even given it 5 stars if the beginning hadn't been so slow to get started.

Told through the voice of Liese, a Jewish girl living in Germany during the War, and the voice of her daughter Karen, 40 years after the war. The silent pain and suffering that both of these woman dealt with was heart breaking. I so badly wish the story could have had a happier ending but it unfolded the way it needed to.

This WWII story is not for the faint of heart. There was more darkness than I expected but I don't want to spoil any of the story so I'll leave it there.

Things to know about content: a few mild curse words, implied sex but no details, war time violence, child neglect.

Captivating

Artfully spoken story reaching deep into the feelings and aftermath of a horrific time in world history. I traveled vividly along with the individuals thru their struggle for healing and hope. Thank you Ms. Hokin for the journey.

Another new author

This book was very good. It starts out slow (I almost returned it), but have patience and keep listening. Something in this book happens that is so awfully sad you just can't stop listening.

Reader is amazing!

Her ability to flip between an English, American, French and German accent is terrific. The story was also excellent and heart pounding.

More emotion than I bargained for.

I'm rather an "old hat" at reading WWII historical fiction, or so I thought. However, I'm not sure exactly why but this one was almost more than I could bear. So terribly terribly brutal and sad. Guard your heart. This story won't be leaving me quickly or easily, I fear...

Another lesson from history

These stories remind us how fragile life is and how much is destroyed during wars. I always think I couldn’t live through these circumstances but reality hits & you realize there’s no choice. So many didn’t survive but the ones who did must wonder how they did . The stories they tell always remind me to count my blessings & stay strong during life’s struggles.

How much pain was incurred during their lifetime,

The warm feeling on how it ended , it came together very well, really enjoyed it

Gripping

this book started slow but as it u folded, became all encompassing. beautifully written, heartbreaking and hopeful.

Captivating-Download now!!

Where to begin? This novel is a multilayered and fascinating story. The narrator did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and bringing feeling to the story. At times, I forgot it was 1 person reading. I have been enthralled with the stories that each individual has to tell from this time period and have read/listened to countless novels on this subject. This is a top one for me and wouldn't be the same without the chosen narrator. I used to be a die hard reader but some books just hit different being read aloud by the right narrator.

Riveting

very well written, composed and read. early on the time warp is a bit confusing, but soon becomes meaningful.