THE MAID'S SECRET
by Shari J. Ryan
Blog Tour
Release Date: September 29, 2022
Genre: Historical FictionTrope: World War II
Synopsis
Czechoslovakia, 1940: “We will always have our memories,” he says, as the soldiers pull him away. “You will survive this. You are braver than you know. Remember that, always.” This heartbreaking World War Two page-turner shows that love is more powerful than hatred, bravery can overcome evil, and hope is stronger than darkness.
In the middle of the night, while I am curled in Ben’s arms, there is a harsh knock on the door. My blood turns to ice. The love of my life is Jewish, and I am a Romany gypsy maid; every second that we exist in Hitler’s Europe, we are in danger. Every day, we have been huddling around a crackling radio, listening for news of this evil war. Every night, we have feared we won’t live till dawn.
The banging continues, and we leap out of bed. I can hardly breathe as I open the door, seeing Nazis standing before us. My heart cracks as the soldiers grab Ben. I’m powerless to stop them from shoving him into a wagon, bound for the place of no return.
The love of my life is now imprisoned in wire with thousands of other innocent inmates. For every moment he is trapped behind the gates of hell, he gets closer to death—surviving on scraps of food, and forced to work in gruelling conditions.
The soldiers haven’t arrested me yet, but it’s only a matter of time. I vow to stay alive for Ben, not to give up hope. I’ll stop at nothing to escape the enemy as they hunt me down.
With our fate in the hands of monsters, will we ever see each other again? And will our love for one another save us—or kill us?
Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Book of Lost Names will be utterly glued to this heart-wrenching and utterly gripping World War Two novel which shows that, if you have love, you can survive anything…
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About the Author
Shari J. Ryan is USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Massachusetts with her wicked awesome husband, and two wild sons who fill her life with non-stop comedy.
With a life full of love, writing, drawing, TV binging, reading, and Starbucks, Shari is living her best life.
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Elizabeth's Review
My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Would Recommend to a Friend
Review Copy Provided by Author
I have come to expect excellent historical story telling from Ms Ryan’s WWII fiction, the Maid’s Secret is true to this tradition.
Told in alternate points of view, we see Mila and Benedikt navigate the late 1930’s as parts of Europe slip further and further under Hitler’s grip. I grew to like both of these characters and rooted for them, even when I had an idea of what their futures were going to hold. I also appreciated how their examples influenced the people around them, this is especially true for Mila and Hana (Benedikt’s mother)
Ms Ryan does an excellent job of using dates to progress the time line so that we get to experience the increasing pressure the Jewish population experienced in the late 30’s and the horrors of their incarceration during WWII.
I won’t give away what happens to this characters, but I will say that their journeys are valuable. It is increasingly important that we remember, even if it’s in fictional works, the horrors of WWII.
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Thank you so much for reading and reviewing The Maid's Secret!!! I'm so grateful for your support! <3
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