The Secret Hotel in Berlin

De: Catherine Hokin

Narrado por: Harrie Dobby

Berlin, 1944. ‘It is a great honour to have you here, Herr Hitler.’ Lili doesn’t stumble over the lie, her hand steady as she pours champagne. Everything must be perfect, no one can suspect a thing…

Lili Rodenberg and her husband Marius run the Edel, Berlin’s most glamorous hotel. For its wealthy guests, it is an escape from the destruction outside, with its elegant piano bar and fine amber brandy. But Lili is Jewish, a secret she is terrified will end in tragedy for her and their beloved little girl.

Lili’s only choice is to hide in plain sight, her heart racing each time uniformed officers step through the Edel’s grand entrance. As Berlin becomes a more frightening place, Lili pleads with her husband to help shelter those in danger but Marius is adamant: he will not risk the lives of his wife and daughter. Until the day he is called to the front–and goes missing in action.

Left in sole charge of the Edel, a heartbroken Lily fixes her smile as she serves men who would have her killed in an instant if they knew the truth. She decides she must fight back, hiding Jews in the hotel’s wine cellar before moving them to safety. Though she is seized with terror, it gives her the strength to carry on.

But her courage catches the attention of the Resistance. What they ask of her is impossible.

Lili has protected her daughter by living a life full of secrets. Can she risk it all now and put her child in danger for the sake of her country?

An absolutely unforgettable and heartbreaking story of bravery, love and sacrifice that will keep you reaching for the tissues. Fans of The Nightingale and The Book of Lost Names will be swept away by this stunning novel.

©2024 Catherine Hokin (P)2024 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

A little cheesy

On the one hand, the book explored some parts of WWII and the aftermath that don’t get told as often. On the other hand, it did get a little soap opera-ish and the coincidences were a little too much at times. The narrator was poetic, although the German pronunciations could have been better.

Twists and Turns

I LOVE the family connections within the story that wove the plot together in an intriguing way. The twists and turns within the story were so captivating that I would often get up in the middle of the night to either reread a chapter or read the next chapter to see what would happen next.
Such a wonderful book!

A little twist on WW2

It took a bit to get past the narrator pronouncing “assume” as “ashume” but didn’t ruin the entire story. Predictable storyline.

Two young women who beat the odds

Did not like the hidden cruelty of the male character and the fact that she was so unaware

Easy listening

A bit tired of the two time period ploy. However, the story of the earlier time period is surely riveting