‘The Secretary’ by Catherine Hokin is a dual time historical fiction novel. I have to admit to being a history geek so this book ticked a lot of the boxes before I even picked it up.
The book follows two very strong and brave women on their journeys. We meet Magda – a woman who hates everything the Nazi’s stand for but is working as a secretary for them. She makes it her job to find as much information as possible in an attempt to halt the Nazi cause. The danger of this is clearly apparent but she feels the risk is worth the possible outcome.
Fast forward to the 1970s and we are introduced to Nina. Magda’s granddaughter. She finds a drawing of a house and Magda is visibly shaken when she sees it. The family are now in East Germany. The socialist side of Germany. The country was divided after the second world war. To avoid Germany ever becoming powerful enough to cause war. The Eastern side was part of the Eastern Bloc until 1990 as the wall came down. The Eastern side was terrible to live in. If you had anyone on the Western side you still got split up. The country of East Germany was run by dictatorship and life was very hard for the people.
As the story unfolds alternate chapters show us Magda continue on her mission and Nina growing up in both their timelines. The two strands of the story begin to intertwine as we move towards the end of this detailed and oh, so immersive story.
A book that successfully show showcases two separate periods of history that are both terrible in their own unique ways. The women are both tenacious and so similar in their dogged determination to go against the odds and make a difference.
I found ‘The Secretary’ an emotional and very thought-provoking read, some subjects that Catherine Hokin deals with are horrific but dealt sensitively and touchingly. I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a dual time zone story packed with history and showing how people still had hope for change throughout these periods.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.
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