The Secret History of Audrey James
A novel by Heather Marshall
Simon & Schuster, 2024
By Julie Kish
The Secret History of Audrey James is a powerful action-packed story about a courageous young German woman who risks everything to protect her Jewish friend. It’s about the unbreakable bonds of friendship and the healing that comes from sharing your secrets with your loved ones.
Canadian author Heather Marshall has written a riveting piece of historical fiction that is engrossing from beginning to end. It is inspired by a real-life heroine, which makes the story even more intriguing. Unlike most WWII historical novels, this astonishing novel is told through the eyes of German women.
The Secret History of Audrey James is a dual timeline story that shifts between Berlin in 1938 and Northern England in 2010.
The story begins in 1938, just before the start of the Second World War. Young Audrey James is studying the piano at a prestigious music school in Berlin. Her father has relocated to England, so Audrey resides with her best friend, Ilse Kaplan, and Ilse’s family.
Life for Jewish families in Germany becomes increasingly dangerous, and one day Ilse’s brother and parents are taken away. Audrey hides Ilse in the attic when the Nazis come looking for her. When two Nazi officers decide to reside in the Kaplan’s upscale home, Audrey takes a job working as their housekeeper so she can look after her friend in the attic.
In addition to protecting her friend, Audrey also displays incredible heroism by joining the underground anti-Hitler movement. Unfortunately, her brave and dangerous actions have horrific consequences.
In 2010, poor Kate Mercer lost her parents, and her marriage ended. In search of a fresh start, she leaves London with her faithful dog, Ozzie, and takes a job at an old guest house near the Scottish border. This is where Kate meets the secretive elderly property owner, Audrey James. They become fast friends, and she urges Audrey to tell her fascinating life story before she runs out of time. This is the literary vehicle used to slowly reveal the secret life of Audrey James.
I’m a big fan of historical fiction and I am particularly drawn to WWII stories with strong female protagonists. American author Kate Quinn is one of my favourites, and Canadian author Genevieve Graham is also exceptionally skilled at writing suspenseful historical fiction. I will now count Heather Marshall as my newest favourite historical fiction author.
I can also recommend Marshall’s debut novel, the international bestseller Looking for Jane, which tells the incredible story of a group of daring women in the 1970s who operate an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto.
Marshall’s upcoming novel, Liberty Street, scheduled to be released in spring 2026, is set in 1960s Toronto and is also inspired by real-life events. The story is about a female reporter who goes undercover in a women’s prison to bring light to an unjust law that allows authorities to lock up women without a trial if they are guilty of being “incorrigible, adventurous and independent.” I’m looking forward to reading it.