The Secret She Kept

A gripping and moving World War 2 historical novel

By: Carly Schabowski

Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard, Sam Alexander

Poland, 1939: As I stare into the German pilot’s frightened eyes, I realize I have no choice but to help him. And in that moment, I know that this young man, and this decision, will change my life forever....

When a German pilot crashes over my parents’ farmland, at first I am terrified. Who is this man? And should I help him or have him arrested? But when I look into his eyes for the first time, I feel in my heart that I must do everything I can to save this stranger’s life.

As I begin to secretly nurse his injuries, he tells me his name is Max. And as we share whispered candlelit conversations, he admits that he didn’t crash his plane, but parachuted over Poland to defect from the Nazis. And as he slowly tells me his story, I realize I am falling in love with this man–with his bravery and his determination to do what is right, no matter the cost.

But when the Nazis arrive, the small world we have built together is shattered in an instant. And when the Germans arrest my twin siblings and I, dragging us to a camp in the dead of night, I know that our only chance of survival, our only hope, is to be rescued.

As I sit in my cell, I think of what Max told me. He held my hand and promised me that if we were arrested, he would go undercover as a German soldier and save us. But will the guards believe his story? And, even if they do, will he make it to us before it is too late?

Based on a true story, this heartbreaking and emotional wartime novel follows one couple’s love story and their courage in the face of unimaginable odds. An incredibly gripping and moving story, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale, and The Alice Network.

©2023 Carly Schabowski (P)2023 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.