• The Secrets of the Notebook

  • A Woman's Quest to Uncover Her Royal Family Secret
  • By: Eve Haas
  • Narrated by: Jane Carr
  • Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,978 ratings)

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The Secrets of the Notebook

By: Eve Haas
Narrated by: Jane Carr
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Editorial reviews

Going through old family artifacts almost always sets one on a fun course through the lesser-told family stories, but rarely does it reveal the mystery and intrigue that Eve Haas has found. As a teenager, Hass' father showed her a simple notebook from a family member named August. Returning as an adult to that notebook, Eve Haas sets out to find out just who August was and how her family went from royalty to refugee. With a gentle and inviting performance from accomplished actor Jane Carr, The Secrets of the Notebook is a gripping look at one family's history in the larger context of war-torn Europe.

Publisher's summary

“The beautiful owner of this book is dearer to me than my life - August your protector.” This one sentence was the key to a mystery involving some of the greatest and most infamous figures in European history, from Frederick the Great to Napoleon and Hitler - and solved by the author of this book.

Eve Haas is the daughter of a German Jewish family that took refuge in London after Hitler came to power. Following a terrifying air raid in the blitz, her father revealed the family secret - that her great-great grandmother Emilie was married to a Prussian prince. He then showed her the treasured leather-bound notebook inscribed to Emilie by the prince.

Her parents were reluctant to learn more, but later in life, when Eve was married and inherited the diary, she became obsessed with proving this birthright. The Secrets of the Notebook tells how she follows the clues, from experts on European royalty in London to archives in West Germany and then, under threat of being arrested as a spy by the Communist regime, to an archive in East Germany that had never before opened its doors to the West. What she unearths is a love story set against the upheaval of the Napoleonic wars and the anti-Semitism of the Prussian court - and a ruse that both protected Emilie’s daughter and probably condemned her granddaughter - Eve’s beloved grandmother, Anna - to death in the Nazi camps.

When first published in the UK, The Secrets of the Notebook was an Irish Times best seller. A movie based on the book is in production.

©2013 Eve Haas (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Secrets of the Notebook

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Completely uneventful

This book is written very melodramatically, even though nothing happens to the main character. Possibly of interest to those who do genealogical research. Also I found the main character very self involved. Full of descriptions like: "my emotions were so strong in this moment..."

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10 people found this helpful

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A Very Unusual Memoir

I loved this story! It had many twists and turns that kept me interested in Eve's tireless quest for information about her ancestors and the ultimate fate of her Grandmother Anna, who was stranded in Prague when the Nazis swept through Europe.
The narration was perfect. I understand this book is to be made into a movie and I eagerly
look forward to seeing it.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story

Could not stop listening. Narration and story were captivating especially as it was based on a true story.

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5 people found this helpful

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Intriguing Story

I found this true story to be a wonderful narrative about the tenacity of one woman and how she solved a generations old family story, and I learned some Prussian history along the way. The audio performer was terrific as well. She brought the book to life.

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not what I expected but still a good story

I am not sure why but I thought this was a historical fiction book but it is far from that.

although I live genealogy, i wish this had told the story rather than telling the story of finding the answers. i feel this would have been much better as historical fiction.

The narrator was decent but there were occasions where you could hear the saliva in her mouth. yuck!

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Great story

loved it, read in a great way. makes you feel like you were there with them.

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4 people found this helpful

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Great Listen!

When I originally looked at the book, I thought it was historical fiction. To my great delight, it was a true story! The detail and the determination Eve presents, were moving. Our recent generations have little understanding of the suffering many families experienced in World War ll, let alone the years of history before. This is definitely a recommended read!

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4 people found this helpful

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A true inspiration!

WOW! The first biography I have ever read! What a story! That kind of courage and dedication is truly inspiring!

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4 people found this helpful

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This is poignant story that would a be good fictional story that is actually a great historical story.

We started listening to this tale driving back from a family reunion on the west coast. During a rest stop, we had to read a third party review to convince ourselves that the book is a work of non-fiction. Warning- once started you will not want to stop it. A compelling listen!

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3 people found this helpful

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  • Cw
  • 05-29-21

So..so...sooo BORING!

I love history. I typically look for any books involving history, but this one is not worth listening to. I painstakingly listened to the end. It is maybe important to write down the events for author's next generation, but this story is not interesting enough of a story to share with others. Narrator did her best and is pleasant to listen to.

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1 person found this helpful