The Secrets Between Us

by Laura Madeleine

A gripping mystery with a heart-breaking revelation, The Secrets Between Us is a sublimely satisfying story of lost love, betrayal and the dangers of war.
Perfect for fans of Kate Morton's The Lake House and Dinah Jeffries' Before the Rains.

High in the mountains in the South of France, eighteen-year-old Ceci Corvin is trying hard to carry on as normal. But in 1943, there is no such thing as normal; especially not for a young woman in love with the wrong person. Scandal, it would seem, can be more dangerous than war.

Fifty years later, Annie is looking for her long-lost grandmother. Armed with nothing more than a sheaf of papers, she travels from England to Paris in pursuit of the truth. But as she traces her grandmother’s story, Annie uncovers something she wasn’t expecting, something that changes everything she knew about her family – and everything she thought she knew about herself…

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, World War II

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Laura Madeleine is the bestselling author of The Confectioner’s Tale, Where the Wild Cherries Grow, The Secrets Between Us and An Echo of Scandal.

As Lili Hayward she is also the author of The Cat of Yule Cottage and A Midwinter's Tail.

She lives in Bristol, but can often be found visiting her family in Devon and plotting with her sister, fantasy author Lucy Holland. You can find her on twitter @lauramadeleine or @lilihayward and instagram at lauramadeleineauthor and @lilihaywardauthor.

Laura is represented by Meg Davis at Ki Agency.

Reviews

[Joanna Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a big fan of Laura Madeleine since I read her first book The Confectioner’s Daughter.  So you can therefore imagine my excitement when I was offered a copy of her latest book and invited onto the blog tour, as I think this is her best book yet.

The story alternates between 1993 and Annie’s journey to try and find her grandmere, and Ceci’s story in 1943 describing her life in a small mountain village near the Italian border.  Unusually for a dual time line story I enjoyed both sides of the story, finding both Annie’s and Ceci’s story fascinating.

I’m a big fan of WW2 fiction and love reading books about that period, particularly if they are regarding a different side of the war then I had read before.  I hadn’t read much about the Italian Occupation of parts of France or about the Jew that were sent to border towns to be kept an eye on.  The story of their plight was very poignant to read about .  We all know the story of what happened in the Holocaust but I still always hope for a happy of different outcome and then the truth of what happened always shocks me anew.

Laura’s fantastic descriptions of life in the small french town makes you feel that you are really there watching all the action unfold.  I felt that I knew all of the characters personally which made me much more invested in what happens to them.  As with her other books the author particularly has a fantastic way of describing food, sot that the reader feels that they can almost smell and taste the food mentioned.  I again found myself looking up recipes for the food that she mentions as I wanted to make it myself.

One of the best things about this book was that there were no amazing coincidences .  Annie doesn’t discover her grand mere or her story by chance, instead she unfolds the secrets in real time at a normal pace which I felt made this story more realistic and enjoyable.

The build up to the ending was absolutely brilliant.  The reader is aware about halfway through the book that something big happens at a certain date, and with every chapter headed with a date the reader is very aware of a count down as such towards this date.  Toward the end of the book I literally couldn’t put the book down and read late into the night, when with a small baby I should have been getting sleep while I could.  The tension and uncertainty felt by the characters, in particular Celeste, was almost palpable and felt so real that i was totally swept away with the story.  I simultaneously wanted to read on to discover what happened and wanted the story to never end as I had so enjoyed it! Always a sign of a good book.

This is Laura Madeleine’s third book and the third that I have been lucky enough to read.  She is one of my favourite authors and one that I always recommend when asked.  A comparison to Kate Morton is quite common at the moment but in this case it is definitely deserved and if you are a fan of Kate Morton or Kate Mosse you will enjoy this book.

Huge thanks to Hannah Bright and Transworld publishers for my copy of this book and for inviting me on the blog tour.

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well that was unexpected! I would not have chosen this book from the blurb, & the cover definitely lets it down too ( very mills & boon looking?) but just, wow! Very thankful it was a book club choice so I did pick it up. A great read, lovely writing, full of emotion & unpredictable twists all leading to a very satisfying finale.

I have one big issue with it (a big spoiler so don’t read on if you haven’t read it) If Myriam only had St Antoine as a point of contact & sole link with her girls why on earth didn’t Celeste return there after the war? Arrrgh!! I also had some minor issues where credibility was stretched (such as how easily Annie found Celeste in the care home & at the end of the novel, finding Myriam’s book in the first book shop she tries, wouldn’t Celeste have kept looking for a book over the years too?) I am nit picking - on the whole it was a fabulous read. Recommended.

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I received a free digital copy of this book from the publishers/author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Secrets Between Us is a beautifully told tale of two different women - one part of the story is told by Celeste, an 18-year-old woman living in a mountainside French village under Italian control in 1943 that sees an influx of Jewish refugees. Celeste becomes friends with a young woman called Myrian and it changes her life. Fifty years later, Celeste’s granddaughter Annie is trying to uncover her grandmother’s past which means unearthing secrets that have stayed buried for a very long time.

This book definitely surprised me with how beautifully told it was and how easily it sucked me into the tale. I had been expecting a completely different kind of love story truth be told so the direction this book went threw me off guard at first but then just made me love the book and story so much more. It tells a tale of a wonderful female friendship as well as a love that burned for over half a century.

I was definitely a lot more connected to Celeste’s story than Annie’s. Annie seemed very dull and boring compared to Celeste because she wasn’t really doing much and her story was really just a tool so we could see what had become of our Celeste. There were some points made to try and flesh out Annie a bit more - like the potential of a relationship with the village doctor, and a job in the library in Nice but it all fell a bit flat for me because I just always wanted to get back to Celeste in 1943.

I have to say I felt for poor Paul. He wasn’t a bad character overall and some of Celeste’s actions were a little bit selfish at times (though she was, of course, pushed into the marriage by her parents) but I thought the fact we never got a conversation between him and Celeste before he died a bit sad, and I feel like he was slightly shortchanged when he had died trying to protect Celeste and her family.

I would have liked a bit more at the end if I’m honest. I didn’t like that all we found out about the Reiss’s was told in just one little line, and I felt like there was still a whole story waiting to be told there. I did really like the last line, but I do wonder how it took so long in the end when the book was out there for over 40 years.

But this was a beautiful story and I’m so glad I picked it up.

P.S This book made me want to eat all the bread. ALL the bread!

[Justina Urbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knyga nuostabiu viršeliu. Ir sakyčiau apgaulingu. Bėgdama nuo dabartinės realybės ir norėdama atitrūkti knygos pasaulyje pakliuvau į... karą. Laimei, kad karas ten buvo labiau kaip fonas, o plėtojama istorija tikrai įdomi ir įtraukianti.

1943 metai. Vasara kalnuose pakeitusi Selestės ir kitų žmonių gyvenimus. Vyksta karas, trūksta būtiniausių produktų, tačiau mergina ir toliau su tėvu dirba kepykloje ir aprūpina gyventojus duona, menkesne, labiau beskone, bet vis tiek duona. Miestelio gyvenimas ima keistis leidus čia apsigyventi žydams. Selestė artimai susidraugauja su nuomininkų šeima, tačiau draugystę apkartina nuolatinė baimė.

„- Karas daug ką pakeičia. Niekas nebebus taip, kaip anksčiau.“

1993 metai. Po penkiasdešimties metų Anė ryžtasi atnaujinti santykius su močiute, su kuria nebendravo jau daug metų. Tik ar ji suras savo močiutę teturėdama vienintelį seną jos dokumentą? Ką dar atkleis tos paieškos?

Praeities linija man pasirodė stipresnė ir įdomesnė, tiek dėl aprašomų veikėjų, tiek dėl veiksmo vietos, tiek dėl paslapčių ir sukeltos intrigos. O kur dar tie minkomos ir kepamos duonos aprašymai, kurie tiesiog skatino varvinti seilę.

„Duona labai svarbi,- ji stebėjo kaip maišau tešlą.- Tai ne tik maistas. Tai gyvenimas. Duona ir druska - štai kas sujungia žmones. “

Tikrai labai graži istorija, kaip tik tai, ko man reikėjo šiuo metu. Knyga apie draugystę, meilę, pasiaukojimą, laisvės troškimą, tačiau tuo pačiu apie kančią, baimę, slapstymąsi ir patį sunkiausią gyvenime sprendimą. Taip pat tai knyga apie viltį.

[Lynsey Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secrets Between Us is another sumptuous and mouth-watering offering from culinary fiction genius Laura Madeleine.

I first came across this authors work last year with 'Where The Wild Cherries Grow' and was instantly in love with her style of writing. So I was thrilled when I started The Secrets Between Us to see that her very unique style was mirrored in this book.

With the authors tried and tested format of being written in the voice of two people; Ceci set in 1943, telling the story as it happened and Annie in 1993 investigating what happened, the two weave seamlessly unveiling the tale of Celeste Corvin / Picot (Ceci) - Annie's grand-mere and her complicated love life of the war-torn years of 1943 in a little mountain village in the South of France.

But of course, the story is not just merely the telling of a love story. There is the side of Annie too that needs to be discovered. Annie raised by a single mother, and always left wondering about her father, whom she never knew and her long-lost grand-mere who she had not seen since she was a child following a fight between her mother and mothers mother, Annie is lost. With little self confidence or courage, she struggles to know who she is. By finding her grand-mere and forcing herself on an adventure she never thought she was brave enough to take she is finally discovering her true sense of self.

Once again, Madeleine has told a gripping and engaging story in the most gentle way by infusing the most beautiful and sense-enhancing imagery into it. This time we are tempted into this world by baking - bread of all descriptions leave you wanting to run out to the nearest baker, asking for a loaf hot out of the oven just to touch and inhale to give you the same sense of purpose as what it gives the character in the book. It is so clever - I never knew a description of fougassette could be made so sensual - this is the genius of Laura Madeleine.

I said in my review of Where the Wild Cherries it is rare I find a book I keep because I know it will be one I return to read again and again, but in that book I had found one. It is even rarer I find two by the same author where I will do the same. I think the Laura Madeleine collection will be that first however.

[Lisa M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was sublime! I don't think I expected to enjoy it quite as much as I did. Told from the perspective of 2 women - 1 in 1943 and 1 in 1993 I have always felt an affinity for these novels but found myself leaning drastically towards enjoyment of 1 story over the other, however both Celeste and Annie's stories had me captivated as it raced to a gripping climax.

I had tears teetering on the brink at the end and I felt some of the tension and fear that some people, Jews in this instance, must have felt during the war.

Some of the descriptions were bordering on poetic and I loved Laura's writing style. A clearly well-researched book, I will absolutely be picking up another of her novels!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best thing about book clubs is that every once in a while a book is chosen which isn’t your usual type but you give it a go anyway and end up loving it. The secret between us was one of those books.

When I got half way through this book I was determined that I would give it 5 stars however I had a few qualms regarding events which happened towards the end of the book. The ending and epilogue seemed a bit rushed and thrown together However putting those few things to one side this was still a beautifully written book which told two women’s stories about life, love and struggles during the war. I didn’t predict the twist regarding Evie and it really showed the lengths people will go to for true love. I’d definitely recommend this book and I’ll be looking up other books by this author.

[Meda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely writing, gripping story, interesting content. Although Annie seemed very dull and boring and there were a few things (like how very easily Annie found Celeste), but this heartbreaking story easily sucks you in.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully written story. I loved the way that the chapters switched seamlessly from past to present and back again. I’ve read plenty of books set during wartime but felt that this was an original take on events. I did guess how Ceci’s story would end but it still brought a tear to my eye!

[Enchanted Prose · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dangers of love during an unfamiliar slice of French WWII history (South of France, February – September 1943; England and France, 1993): Laura Madeleine has found her secret to writing elegant, heartfelt novels set in France. The Secrets Between Us her third. (Her prior novel reviewed here.) It’ll be interesting to see what she comes up with in Spain, the setting of her soon-to-be-released fourth novel, An Echo of Scandal.

A few of the author’s secrets seem knowable; the rest, the magic of writing. As a former baker who still creates her own recipes, one ingredient she employs is her passion for baking. A French village bakery centers the WWII storyline, producing “life-giving dough” amidst the despair. Fifty years later, a second plotline intersects with it.

Two female protagonists narrate: 1943 eighteen-year-old Ceci, baker-assistant to her father, and 1993 twenty-something Annie, an archivist living in England. It doesn’t take long for their connection to become evident.

The war story is set in a fictional mountain village, Saint-Antoine about forty miles north of the French Riviera. It’s inspired by the historically significant one, Saint-Martin-Vésubie.

In January 1943, a month before the novel opens, the anti-Semitic French Vichy government established its Gestalpo equivalent military force – the milice – to go after members of the French Resistance risking their lives to save Jews. In February, the novel begins, timed to when Jewish refugees were rounded up and sent to the village occupied by the Italians not the Germans until September 1943, the month the war story ends, when the Germans took over. An example of fine research blended into exceptional fiction.

The real town’s non-Jewish residents were honored by the World Holocaust Center Yad Vashem, with the designation Righteous Among Nations for what they did to protect the Jewish people. These courageous acts are inspiring and bring a slice of lightness to the inhumane Holocaust darkness. Made more compelling when we learn about the Italians’ role in WWII – historical fiction not often seen.

Generations of family, particularly grandmothers, are key to the two narratives. Another ingredient the author mixes in, surely adding emotion to the writing as the author’s grandmother’s WWII stories in France inspired the novel. (See her post, which includes photos of the historic village.) The author’s family lives in France; today she lives in England. Much like Annie, who travels from England to France, in search of her long-lost grandmother at the urging of her famous anthropologist mother.

Annie grew up without knowing who her father was. Her grandmother Celeste helped raise her when her single mother was off traveling. Still, she’s reluctant to pick up and leave her new history-documenting job outside of London, having just returned to her workplace after an unexplained absence. Miserable in her new position, a “demotion” in her eyes. Computer cataloging historical documents isn’t intimate like thumbing through personal, handwritten artifacts. Annie’s kept it a secret why she had to take leave, a sign she’s an extremely private person, much like Ceci. Two different women decades apart, but they share loneliness and compassion for others, resulting in both choosing uncharacteristic paths.

Annie abides by her mother’s wishes partly because she’s worried her cancer surgery means she’s running out of time to make amends with her mother Celeste, whom she hasn’t heard from in years. Annie doesn’t know what happened between them, nor, ironically, the details of her own family’s history – the other reason she can’t turn away.

With access to historical information, Annie’s personal research takes off quickly. As Ceci’s and Celeste’s stories converge, chapters increasingly flow seamlessly into one another, letting the years conflate, letting the past merge into the present. Rightfully so: burying far-reaching secrets persists and torments.

Generations also drive the labor-of-love performed at the bakery, owned by four generations of Ceci’s family her father inherited. Five years ago, times were better, but during the war even basic ingredients were hard and dicey to acquire. The bread barely edible, nothing like the savory and decadent taste it once was. (Think chocolate stuffed into quintessential French dough.)

Ceci and her father rose at 4 am, baked until 11, then began selling, now to a long-line of starving Jews who’d lost everything when they were forced into the stone mountain village. Ceci’s childhood best friend, Paul, who grows more fond of her by the day, assists too when he’s not off playing his hidden role in the war.

Ceci, and the other villagers, are poor. A hotel, with its friendly managers, is the bakery’s major source of income. Then it becomes vital to the refugees, and shows up in the wow ending. The villagers rent out rooms; Ceci’s bedroom over the bakery rented to a Jewish couple. She shared it with her brother, now an imprisoned soldier gone missing. Ceci moved in with her grandmother, but the bakery is where you’ll usually find her.

The Jewish boarders in her house escaped from Belgium, Myriam and Daniel Reiss. Ceci realizes they’re well-off, so why didn’t they pay someone to falsify their identity papers so they weren’t stamped J, to avoid the round-up? What have they done? Seen? Heard? And why is Daniel gone most of the day, leaving Myriam alone?

He says she’s a writer and fragile, but that doesn’t quite mesh with her inconsistent behavior. For days on end, Myriam holes herself up in Ceci’s bedroom where if she’s writing she’s also crying. But then Ceci spots her laughing, drinking, smoking at the town’s café. Ceci is watchful, then confused by a subtle look on Myriam’s face, which turns into a fixation on what’s up with beautiful Myriam.

Ceci is the character who palpably feels the anguish of the refugees. The Italians protected the Jews as best as they could. Who knew this aspect of the war?

When the milice arrive, we brace for what will happen. The author doesn’t want to hit us with graphic violence. One scene she touches on it, others allude to it, but her technique is to grab us emotionally with lyrical, merciful prose.

From beginning to the end, the novel captures us, starting with the opening quote: “There is bread and salt between us.” Defined as “an Arabic saying expressing an alliance, a bond, an oath not to be broken.” In this novel, a hopeless bond.

A Prologue refers to the Bible, to Lot’s wife “who was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back.” Precisely what the novel does. Salt also refers to the ancient salt trading roads; the old path winds its way into the steep mountains surrounding the village. And, of course, a pinch of salt is essential to bread.

Ceci notices other refugees, like three boys who lead us to imagine the unimaginable as fewer Jewish children survived the Holocaust than adults. These children don’t even know what happened to their parents. Compared to their trauma and plight, Ceci doesn’t feel sorry for herself. It’s impossible not to want to hug Ceci.

Ceci never spoke about the war, like everyone from that greatest generation. Maybe that’s why there’s such an appetite for WWII fiction. For the sacrifices made for country, survival, freedom, human rights, and for the desperation of tender wartime love never forgotten. Baker-turned novelist Laura Madeleine knows how to feed that appetite.

Lorraine (EnchantedProse.com)

[Adri Dosi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kniha sklízí ovace a já se nechytla. Nezačetla jsem se, nepropadla jsem hrdinkám. Přišlo mi to nudné, tuctové, jako už jsem četla tolikrát. Možná se pletu a prostě jsem ji neměla v ruce ve vhodný čas... nevím. Kousala jsem se jí.
Kniha probíhá ve dvou liniích a odhaluje příběh Ceci a nejen její. No jede to tak trochu v anglickém stylu.. hodně popisů navozujících atmosféru, které popisují louky a tak... hmmm
No zkuste, mně prostě asi nesedla.

[Stefani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Makes me want to visit a bakery and go to Nice again. A heartbreaking story about World War II and it's consequences on the lives of ordinary people. The ending was a bit Hollywood-esque but I can live with that this time around.

[Pia · Rating 4 out of 5]

would’ve liked for the epilogue to be a little more detailed but all in all this was a great read and much better than expected! couldn’t put it down

[Ramune · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nuostabi knyga apie meilę, šeimą, draugystę, pasiaukojimą.

[Sharon Goodwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://www.jerasjamboree.co.uk/2018/0...

Saint-Antoine, occupied by the Italian army in 1943 is suffering the hardships of war. Ceci’s parents own the bakery and manage to keep going with alternative ingredients. Comparisons between 5 years ago and now make it clear just how much the bakery has changed. An influx of refugees change so much in this community, not least for Ceci on the edge of becoming a woman.

1993. Annie’s mum is away in Australia. Having lost touch with her mother after an argument, a change in life circumstances has her expressing a desire to find her mum to Annie. Acting out of character, Annie makes an impromptu trip to Paris, little knowing what she will find and how it will impact on three generations of women.

Two very different female leads. Ceci, breaking rules and keeping secrets but trying to portray the dutiful daughter whilst Annie lacks confidence (which isn’t helped by her bullying colleagues) and doesn’t believe in the value of who she is. I enjoyed seeing Annie breaking out of her self imposed boundaries to experience how life can be. Ceci is the character who stole my heart though. Wild and earthy, she unfurls along with the seasons. She pulled me in and made me feel so deeply. I cried when the story ended. And then cried some more …

I enjoy how Laura Madeleine’s writing makes me feel:

I walk back across the tiled floor, feeling as if I’ve swallowed something far more than champagne, something fitful and shadowy, too big to fit inside my skin.

Pause a moment. Do you feel the sensations too?

The setting and community of Saint-Antoine was very vivid. As you would expect from a Laura Madeleine novel, baking and the fruits of nature are prominent in the story, tantalising the senses. Once ‘inside’ this story, the outside world just didn’t exist for me. Exactly what I look for!

The Secrets Between us is heartbreaking – a love that was never allowed to flourish. And also the plight of refugees whilst there and what happens once the Italians move out. Civilization at its most repressed fighting for survival … this story shines a light on the darkness and shadows and gives hope. A must read.

[Jurga Jurgita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aš vis dažniau save prigaunu, kad perskaičiusi knygą, jos apžvalgą galiu parašyti tik po 24 valandų. Atrodo, kas gali pasikeisti per tokį trumpą laiką, kad mintys apie tai, ką perskaičiau, dėliotųsi praėjus tik parai. Tačiau žinant mane, aš negaliu imti skaityti naujo kūrinio, neparašius perskaitytos knygos apžvalgos. Tad tiesiog mintys kartais pradeda rutuliotis einant gatve, gaminant, miegant, žaidžiant su sūnumi arba gimsta spontaniškai vos tik pradėjus rašyti. Vienintelis didelis darbas - sklandžiai jas sudėlioti savo tinklaraštyje. O paros dažniausiai reikia todėl, kad viskas susigulėtų ir rastų vietą atitinkamuose stalčiukuose. Ne išimtis ir su nauja knyga, kurią perskaičius aplankė savotiškas ir keistas jausmas. Ne kartą esu jau minėjus, kad nesižaviu Prancūzija, prancūzų kalba ir gyvenimu toje šalyje. Nejaučiu jai simpatijų ir tiek. Tačiau, kas susiję su literatūra, vis dažniau pastebiu, kad skaitau prancūzų autorių kūrinius, kad pasirinktų romanų veiksmas dažnai vyksta Prancūzijoje, o kas keisčiausia, kad tekste sutinkami prancūziški žodžiai jau nesukelia tokio pykčio, kaip anksčiau. Kitaip tariant, turbūt vyksta kažkokia mano literatūrinė transformacija. Bet aš ne apie tai noriu pakalbėti. Štai mano rankose guli knyga, kurią perskaityti norėjau turbūt labiau nei prancūziško batono su sviestu, kurį taip mėgstu rytais. Kai prieš artėjančią Vilniaus knygų mugę pamačiau šios knygos anonsą, aš žinojau, kad ją noriu perskaityti nedelsiant. Kodėl? Iškart atsakau, kad tai ne reklama, o tik pagarba šios knygos vertėjai, kurios pirmasis išverstas kūrinys į lietuvių kalbą "Pilna burna paukščių" man padarė didžiulį įspūdį, todėl ir antrasis jos literatūrinis kūdikis netruko atsirasti ir mano namuose leidyklos dėka. Turbūt ne paslaptis, kad esu be proto sentimentali praeičiai, karo laikmečiui, tiems įvykiams, to laikotarpio žmonių meilei, prisiminimams. Skaitydama tokias knygas aš išgyvenu visas emocijas, kurių metu ir ašarą braukiu, ir juokiuosi, ir pykstu, ir smerkiu, ir galų gale finale lieku patenkinta taip, kaip viskas baigėsi. Tad štai noriu jums pristatyti tokią knygą, kurią skaitydama išgyvenau visą minėtą emocijų pliūpsnį ir kurios nesinorėjo paleisti iš rankų, o užvertusi paskutinį knygos puslapį dar ilgokai mąsčiau. Tai britų autorės Laura Madeleine knyga "Mūsų paslaptys". Nors autorė tik trejais metais už mane jaunesnė, bet plunksną rašyti įvaldžiusi meistriškai, nes tai jau antrasis autorės romanas išleistas lietuvių kalba. Žinot, aš retai skaitydama knygas atkreipiu dėmesį į kvapus, aprašomo maisto skonį bei išvaizdą. Tačiau skaitydama šią knygą, taip užsinorėdavau šviežios, purios ir traškios prancūziškos duonos ar gardaus pyrago. Kodėl? Tai suprasite vos tik atvertę pirmuosius knygos puslapius. Paliksiu ir jums intrigą pakviesdama pasimėgauti tuo pagauliai gurmanišku tekstu, kuris jus nukels į Pajūrio Alpes Prancūzijoje. Tačiau grįžtant prie pačio kūrinio noriu pabrėžti, kad jį skaitydama aš tiesiogine ta žodžio prasme KAIFAVAU, nes jame tiek daug visko sudėta, kad, rodos, tampi sotus ne tik pačiu kūriniu, bet ir aprašomais prancūziškos kepyklos skanėstais. O dar tekste sutinkami prancūziški žodžiai, suteikiantys kūriniui autentiškumo ir originalumo, leido prisiminti neseniai vykusį pašnekesį su turbūt didžiausia Prancūzijos mylėtoja Erika Umbrasaite. Aš jums sakau, kad Prancūzija bando mane prisivilioti savo kerais, kvapais, rašytojais ir jų kūriniais. Tačiau grįžkime prie kūrinio "Mūsų paslaptys", kurio trumpas pristatymas, tikiuosi, kad patrauks ir jūsų akį bei paskatins kuo greičiau jį perskaityti. Atokiame kalnų miestelyje Sen Antuane Selestė Korvin, visų vadinama Čeči, kasdien su tėvu dirba šeimos kepykloje. Tačiau kepiniai nebe tokie skanūs kaip anksčiau, nes vyksta karas ir trūksta būtiniausių produktų. Selestės brolis Leonas yra suimtas ir jo likimas kurį laiką lieka nežinomas. Tačiau vieną dieną Sen Antuane gyvenimas pasikeičia, kuomet italų valdžia leidžia apsigyventi žydams. Tarp atvykusiųjų yra Miriam Rais, kuri su savo vyru išsinuomoja kambarį Korvinų namuose. Netrukus Selestė susidraugauja su Miriam ir didžiąją laiko dalį jos leidžia drauge. Tačiau jos abi turi paslapčių. Kokių? Kaip jų paslaptys gali pakenkti jų bendravimui ir kiekvienos iš jų gyvenimui? Tai tik viena šios istorijos pusė, kuri mus nukelia į 1943-uosius metus. Taip, jūs tikrai nesuklydote, šio kūrinio veiksmas apima tiek praeitį, tiek dabartį. O dabartyje mus pasitinka Anė, kuri po penkiolikos nebendravimo metų, pradeda ieškoti savo močiutės. Tiesa, nebendrauja su močiute ir Anės mama. Turėdama vienintelį dokumentą, kuris ją gali nuvesti iki močiutės, Anė iš Anglijos leidžiasi į Paryžių ieškoti tiesos. Ką ji sužinos vos tik atvykusi į Paryžių? Ar jai pavyks pamatyti savo močiutę? Ką istorija, prasidėjusi 1943-aisiais turi bendro su Anės močiutės gyvenimo istorija? Paliksiu išsiaiškinti viską patiems, pasineriant vos ne į penkiasdešimt metų apimantį pasakojimą, kuriame sutiksite meilės ir kančios, sudėtingų ir lemtingų sprendimų priėmimą, balansavimą ant mirties ribos, pajusite baimės ir išsvajotos laisvės skonį. Ir pagaliau bus kalbama apie sugrįžimą ten, kur viskas įvyko. Ši istorija yra tarsi kelionė laiku, kur tuos pačius žmones po daugelio metų matome visiškai kitokius, tačiau prisiminimais sugrįžtančius į praeitį, kuri jiems buvo negailestinga ir žiauri. Bet gražiausias šio pasakojimo akcentas yra duona, kuri šiems žmonėms yra ne tik maistas, bet tuo pačiu ir visas jų gyvenimas, o druska tik priedas, sujungiantis drauge visus šiuos žmones: jie maitinasi ir dalinasi ja tarpusavyje. Skaitant apie tai, apima toks jausmas, kad to krašto žmonės vadovavosi tuo, kad kiekvieną alkstantį reikia pamaitinti ir nesvarbu ar jis vargšas, ar turtingas, ar kareivis, ar žydas. Duona buvo ne tik jų visų maitintoja, bet tarsi ir sąjungininkė vieniems su kitais. Nepaprastai gražus kūrinys, kuriame pagrindinis dėmesys yra skiriamas paieškai, kuri apima visą margą pasaulį, apie laiškų ir knygų rašymą tikintis, kad tarp milijonų skaitytojų atsiras dvi, kurių ir reikia. Skaitant šį kūrinį norisi įprasminti tokius dalykus kaip vyro pasiaukojimą, kuris atiduoda savo gyvybę, kad žmona surastų tai, ko neteko jie abu. Negaliu nepaminėti ir vaizdingos kūrinio kalbos, kur palyginimai vietomis tokie meniški, kad atrodo kūrinys tarsi susiliejęs su pačia gamta, jos gyvybe ir ritmu. Čia jau nuopelnas yra vertėjos, kuri skaitytojui norėjo perduoti žinutę apie tuometinį knygos veikėjų gyvenimą, gyvybe trykštantį Sen Antuano miestelį. Skaitydama jaučiausi tarsi būdama ten, Pajūrio Alpėse, nes taip vizualiai tikroviškai viskas perteikta, kad nieko kito nebelieka kaip su knygos herojais keliauti kartu per jų gyvenimą. Ir dar viena svarbi detalė apie šią knygą yra ta, kad ji parašyta remiantis tikrais istoriniais įvykiais, o visa kita palieku išsiaiškinti bei sužinoti jums patiems. Kam galėčiau rekomenduoti šią knygą? Visų pirma skaitytojams, kurie mėgsta autentiškas istorijas, persmelktas karo negandų, stiprios meilės, lemtingų pasirinkimų ir pilnas paslapčių. Kviečiu skaityti ir tuos, kurie mėgsta knygų puslapiais keliauti lyg laiko mašina iš praeities į dabartį. Bet turbūt labiausiai patiks tiems, kurie dievina Prancūziją ir jos apylinkes, prancūzišką gyvenimą ir maistą, nes tai knyga tarsi išaukštinanti tą kraštą ir jos žmones, nepamirštant ir gurmaniškų dalykų. Tad nieko nelaukus kviečiu pakeliauti po nuostabų Prancūzijos regioną ir įminti to krašto žmonių paslaptis. Na ir pabaigai, visgi norisi pasakyti tokius žodžius: "Pakankamai sunku yra saugoti savo paslaptį, bet vienam saugoti svetimą-dar sunkiau"

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secrets Between Us is the third book from Laura Madeleine and my god what a read this turned out to be. I read Where the Wild Cherries Grow last year and still have The Confectioner's Tale on my TBR but with this new read Laura has certainly confirmed what a brilliant author she is. Initially while reading this book I had similar feelings as to when I was reading Where the Wild Cherries grow. Those being that this was an OK read with nothing much to set it apart from most of the historical fiction I love to read. Then bang there was that pivotal moment, that point where all my opinions changed and this book turned from a nice enough read to a completely, unputdownable book that I tore through the pages to discover the ending.

I think that's what this author does, well in my experience of reading her books this is what I think happens. She lures you in with lots and lots of descriptions of the characters and scenery, the setting is explored and to me not much really happens. The story appears to be ambling along and you are waiting and waiting for something explosive, that twist that makes you sit up and take notice to occur. You are wondering is this it? Will anything ever happen? Then all of a sudden with a few simple words or one crucial chapter everything is turned on its head and you think wow this is excellent and really all the chapters that had gone before it were so worth it. They were essential to the plot. The Secrets Between Us was my first read of 2018 and I flew through it in a couple of hours so compulsive did the tell unfolding before my eyes become.

The story moves back and forth between Ceci Corvin living high up in the French mountains near to the Italian border in 1943. The war is at its height and the little village of Saint Antoine may seem like a refuge for some but outside forces make their mark ever known. In April of 1993 Annie Picot works in a library. She lives in London but is now in Cheshire working on a job cataloguing government documents so that they are all online. This is top secret work and Annie is at the lowest levels of the operation. Will her personal story and that of the distance between her mother and grandmother make her do something which could threaten her job? I loved how the story effortlessly moved back and forth over the 50 year time period. The chapters from Annie's viewpoint were short and to the point the further we moved into the story as if the author knew the reader wanted to get back to 1943 to learn more about an incredible love story at a time of such cruelty, hardship and horror. Not that I didn't enjoy the sections from 1993, I did but the story of Ceci held my interest ever so slightly more. But Annie's story was brilliant too as it brought connections and secrets to the fore and the more she uncovered and learned about a time many wanted forgotten the more I was keen to see how all the strands of the story may eventually come together.

Laura Madeleine's talents lie in her descriptive abilities. She has such a way with words that I could clearly picture the narrow cobbled streets of Saint Antoine with its array of houses and some small shops. It seemed like another worldly place where the residents try to put the ravages of war to the back of their mind believing that they could be safe and cocooned. The village surrounded by mountains appeared as if cut off from the rest of the world bar the ratting bus that came every so often if one had business to deal with in Nice. What is also clear is that food and in this case the bakery plays an important role in all of the authors books. Despite the rationing and food shortages Ceci and her family run the local bakery as best they can. The descriptions of the process of bread making, rising early in the morning to bake everything to supply the town even though they had such limited resources were wonderful and throughout the book food continued to play a vital role. Bread, salt, life and love are all elements very important to Ceci. I sensed Ceci had led a good life before the outbreak of war but now everything has changed. A state of constant alert is one in which she and her family have become very accustomed to. It has become the norm but this shouldn't be the case. Ceci's brother Leon has vanished and the family wonder has he become involved with the milice? But the arrival of Jewish refugees is the turning point at which Ceci's life begins to change once again.

With the influx of new refugees all the feelings Ceci experiences of fear, uncertainty, secrets and danger only grow more prominent. I had never heard of Jews being accommodated in small towns like this during the war but it became apparent this was during the Italian occupation of France and before the fall of Mussolini and then the Germans took over. I am glad such detail has been brought to light in a historical fiction book. The whole topic of men, women and children being forced to leave everything they had ever known was dealt with such sensitivity and tact. Up until this point and for quite some more of the book I felt there wasn't much happening, in fact there seemed to be repetition of days but it is only as the I neared the last quarter I understood things had been bubbling away beneath the surface unbeknownst to the reader.

Ceci's family take in a husband and wife – Daniel and Myriam Reiss. They are given the apartment at the top of the bakery. I understood the pair must have seen such trauma and endured horrors beyond imagination but they came across as being very odd and even more secretive than they necessarily needed to be. The were always very watchful and although Ceci tried to crack the shell they had built around them her intentions were hard to achieve. A tentative friendship is formed with Myriam but it all seemed very strange to me. Myriam was very much an enigma throughout the book. She was mysterious and elusive and almost cast a spell over Ceci, so much so that she forgot what her role was in the family and did things that would threaten her life even more. When certain things became apparent to the reader I thought bravo for including such a storyline as undoubtedly such things didn't just starting happen in the last 25/30 years and it added an even further realistic, human element to the overall storyline. Ceci turned out to be an incredible young woman, way beyond her time, but the question that remains in the present -why did she leave Saint Antoine so abruptly never to return even when it was safe to do so?

Ceci's story in 1943 as far stronger than that of Annie in 1993. Annie was anti social and didn't know how to talk to and engage with people. So what she does in order to discover what made her mother and grandmother not talk or even contact each other for so many years, seems to go against the initial character of Annie that we are presented with. Then Annie seemed to buck up and want to take matters into her own hands, she wants and needs answers before it is too late. For someone at first portrayed as meek and sub-servant, one who would obey any given order, Annie certainly turned things round once she had made the decision to search for her grandmother. I enjoyed reading of Annie trying to find her grandmother and it really did help connect the two storylines. We saw characters transform and bit by bit the truth began to emerge, little details began to make sense and my opinions rapidly changed. As we drew closer to the end the tension levels rose and rose and that moment came that made me realise, yes this was an outstanding book, so cleverly done. I couldn't believe the secrets and connections that were emerging. I was trying to piece and connect everything together. I thought the ending was just perfect and so apt considering all that had gone before. I finished this book with a sigh of contentment and knew it would be a difficult story to get out of head.

The Secrets Between Us definitely leaves you with a book hangover as you contemplate what to read next and wonder can anything leave up to such a stunning read. It was an incredible story and certainly one for the keeper shelf.

[Edita Čib · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dar viena istorinės grožinės literatūros knyga mano sąraše.

Istorija pasakojama dviem siužeto linijomis. Praeitis: 1943 m., II pasaulinis karas, mažas Prancūzijos kalnų miestelis okupuotas Italijos. Miestelio gyventojai kenčia nuo sunkumu, bet net ir tokiu laikotarpiu, jame užgimsta meilė, drąsa ir viltis.
Ir 1993 m. praėjus 50 m., Anė pasiryžta surasti močiutę, su kuria nebendravo jau 15 m. ir išsiaiškina, kas iš tikrųjų įvyko 1943 metais.

Neslėpsiu, daugiau mėgavausi 1943 m. pasakojimu, mano nuomone, antros linijos nereikėjo. Bent jau man, istorija būtų labiau patikusi be jos.

Tai istorija apie taurius jausmus, meilę, drąsą, viltį, apie sudėtingiausius sprendimus, apie nežinomybę, baimę.

Labai patiko sukurta atmosfera, taurūs, gražiausi jausmai, gamtos vaizdai, didingi kalnai, laukai pilni gėlių, geliantis, šaltas, tyras vanduo. Ir žinoma duonos ir druskos kvapas.

Duona ir druska buvo svarbi istorijos dalis. Puikiai parinkti simboliai. Druska - vienas seniausių kristalų, kuris saugo nuo blogos energijos. Duona - maisto ir gėrybių, derlingumo simbolis.

"- Duona labai svarbi, - ji stebėjo, kaip maišau tešlą. - Tai ne tik maistas. Tai gyvenimas. Duona ir druska - štai kas sujungia žmones."

Duonos kepimo procesas taip puikiai buvo aprašytas, jog skaitant atrodydavo, jog užuodžiu duonos kvapą, o burnoje jaučiu jos skonį. Skaitant prisiminiau seniai seniai mano močiutės keptą duoną...

Labai sentimentalu.

Patiko, kaip buvo parašyta istorija, kokie jausmai atsispindėjo, kokia buvo sukurta atmosfera. Dar kartą galėjau pajausti, ką teko išgyventi tuo laikotarpiu gyvenusiems žmonėms.

Kiekvieną kartą skaitydama tokias knygas, įsitikinu, kaip mes gerai gyvename.

Šiame materialiniame pasaulyje tai labai svarbu, nuolat reikia sau tai priminti.

"Visos atsistojome, pasiruošusios arba apsikabinti, arba verkti, arba priešintis ir kovoti."

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set between two different times, Annie in England in 1993 and Ceci Corvin in 1943 high in the mountains in the South of France.

The chapters flow between Annie and CiCi, each living different lives. Most of CiCi’s story is set in the past when she was a young woman living in Saint-Antoine working in the family bakery. But with the arrival of hundreds of jews and other foreigners being brought to Saint-Antoine her life changes forever.

1994 Annie hasn’t seen or heard off her grandmother for years, an argument between Annie’s mum and her grandmother caused a rift in the family and they have never seen CiCi since that day. Annie’s mum has been unwell and made her realise life can be fragile and short, so she made the decision that she would like to try to find her mother and heal the past. It’s not long until Annie finds her and it is from there the story really picks up.

Annie wants answers about her own past, who her grandfather was, why her Grandmother left such a beautiful place for Paris and London. She knows there are reasons but they have always been a secret only her grandmother knows.

Now that CiCi is an old woman and is not in the best of health herself she is over the moon at being reunited with her granddaughter but she also knows she needs to open old scars and finally share her secrets. She wants to go back to where it all started for her – Saint-Antoine, but not alone. So both women leave Paris and begin a journey that will stay with them forever!

It is so beautifully written that your imagination comes to life, the setting of Saint-Antoine is easy to envisage and you can almost smell the freshly baked bread alongside CiCi.

It is a story about a forbidden love, family, trust, unlikely friendships, heartbreak, the uncertainty of war and of hope!

The closing chapter felt like a sucker punch in the chest from Conor McGregor hahaha, it made my chest constrict and my heart swell, in a good way of course! Beautiful and packed with emotion. The women are crafted flawlessly, so real and easy to like that their emotions flow off the pages and into mine! Even my Ice maiden heart felt its heartstrings being pulled!

I could not have found a more perfect book to end 2017 on!

If you are a fan of Kate Morton then this is a MUST read, you will fall in love with The Secrets between us.

This is the first book you should read in 2018!

Would I recommend this book? Hell Yeah! A million %!

The Secrets between us was published today 1st January 2018 and can be purchased right now from

Amazon UK for the bargain price of 99p ebook! So go grab your copy quick whilst this amazing offer lasts!

Happy reading and Happy New Year
Welcome to 2018

[Aleasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW.

Now this is the type of book I've been looking for, for so long and it was right under my nose in my Netgalley list. Lately I've been terribly uninspired by the books I've read and haven't found one that grabbed me from the get go and wouldn't let go. This is that book. I could not put it down and it was a very unexpected read for me! I daresay I have not read this kind of romance before and not due to ignorance, I just haven't seem to come across one as yet (you will know what I mean when you read it - I won't spoil!).

This novel is set in two different timelines - one in the past, Ceci's story in 1943 and now, Annie's story. The chapter's change between Ceci and Annie's stories and you really get invested in each of these characters. Ceci, a young eighteen year old in a small town in the South of France is a bakers daughter and works in the bakery herself. Ceci is a very young 18 and does not know much about the world and is on the cusp of a great discovery about herself and a great love she's never known. This is all very dangerous when the world is at war and whilst the small town hasn't been touched yet by violence, it is only a matter of time and rationing is at it's peak. When the town's 'visitor's' arrive - everything changes and Ceci's world is turned upside down.

Annie is a library, cataloguing assistant, not happy in her job and not happy with the way her life has turned out, meek and mild in nature, she longs to lash out at her horrible boss and explore a new life. When the task turns to her to find her long lost grandmother, she jumps in with a lot of hesitation and then goes on the ride of her life, one which changes everything and alters everything she has ever known about her life and her grandmother's life.

The Secrets Between Us is wonderfully written and Laura's descriptions of the small town is so rich and vibrant, you can almost taste the salty bread and smell the flowers in the meadow. Laura has created a world you get lost in and characters you really invest in and the ONLY reason for giving this book 4 stars - (i'd give 4.5 if half stars were a thing) and not 5 stars is due to the ending. I felt like after investing so much into this book and it's characters, the ending was wrapped up in not even a chapter and I felt absolutely robbed.

I would have loved to witness more of a reunion between mother and daughter especially after the bombshell that she was still alive!! I also would have loved to see something develop between Matteo and Annie (even though it was insinuated) given how strong Annie became throughout her journey.

Either way, this book is magic and although a different sort of romance, a stunning one all the same.

4 (.5) stars

[Nora|KnyguDama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kas šį puslapį seka jau seniau, pastebėjo, kad saldūs romanai nėra mano arkliukas. Labai retai imuosi kažko tokio labai rožinio ir nuspėjamo. Bet imuosi, nededu kryžiaius ant šitų knygų – visiems kartais norisi ramaus uosto, kai žinai ko tikėtis ir ką gausi. Tai sprendžiant iš viršelio man ši knyga būtent tokia pasirodė. Tačiau leidykla „Sofoklis“ neleidžia tokių knygų, o romanais dažnai suintriguoja ir nustebina. Ir atspėjau! Knyga tikrai ne meilė – seilė, o viršelis, deja, visai visai netinka netikėtai ir staigmenų kupinai istorijai.

Pasakojimas pasakojamas dviem laikais. Pirmasis veiksmas vyksta 1943 metais, Prancūzijoje, Sen Antuano miestelyje. Aštuoniolikmetė Selestė, kartu su tėčiu dirba kepykloje ir vis menkėjančių atsargų, produktų, šeimos kepykloje kepa ir prekiauja duona. Pasaulyje vyrajanti sumaištis ir grėsmingi pokyčiai paliečia ir jų miestelį: į jį italai atgabena žydus, o jie čia ieško vietos prisiglausti. Selestės šeimai labai reikia pinigų, tad ir jie priima jaunų sutuoktinių porą. Selestė labai susidraugauja su pas juos gyvenančia žydaite
Miriam, tačiau ši draugystė šeimai nulemia labai sudėtingų išbandymų. Kitas pasakojimas vyksta 1993 metais. Tyli, uždara ir niekur dorai nepritampanti Anė dirba archyve. Kolegos į ją žiūri pašaipiai, pats darbas nėrą įdomus, tačiau Anė išpeša iš jo naudos. Archyvuose suranda savo močiutės, su kuria, prieš daug metų mama nutraukė ryšius adresą. Randa ir keliauja jos ieškoti. Į Prancūziją.

Visad renkuosi knygą, kuri pasakojama vienu laiku, nei tą, kuri kalba per du. Bet papuola kartais ir tos dvigubos į repertuarą. Jų tiek daug prirašyta !!! Lygiai taip ir šį kartą – Selestės pasakojmas buvo labai įdomus, o Anės pasakojimo pradžia buvo įdomi, o vėliau viskas kaip visose panašaus tipo knygose. Kažko super originalaus tikrai nebuvo. Tuo trapu Selestės istorija bent kelis sykius privertė kilstelėti antakius ir nustebti. Knyga labai jauki. Ypač tose vietose, kur veikėjai kepa duona. Dabar, su naujagimiu ant rankų esu ir tikrai ne visada spėju pavalgyt. Tai skaitant apie tuos šiltus kepinius pilvas urzgė ir urzgė. Patiko, kad buvo rašoma apie karinę padėtį, bet skaitytojas nebuvo graudinamas, o jau žinomos pasauliui situacijos pateiktos šiek tiek kitu kampu. Anės istorija, kaip ir minėjau, nesužavėjo. Labai šabloniška ir daugiau panašių romanų skaitančiam žmogui beveik viskas ten bus labai nuspėjama. Nėra tai itin rimtas romanas apie karo baisumus, tačiau ir ne visai saldus. Pramoginis, puikiai išverstas skaitinys, mėgstantiems jaudinančias praeities istorijas.

[gwen_is_ reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:

When Annie if finally given the green light to find her estranged grandmother nothing else seems to matter. Not the low level clerical job she has instead of the librarian or archivist she should be, not the fact that she pilfered a government file, and not the fact that the only address she has is twenty years old.

Little does she know that finding Grandma Celeste is only the beginning, that it will lead to a mad-cap escape from a retirement home and a trip into the past.

Celeste, for her part, can’t get over her past. She has made so many mistakes and missed so much, kept so many secrets. It’s time, with her granddaughter, to go back home. To see if there isn’t someone waiting for her after all, or if it will only be memories.

Told in dual timelines we are treated to Annie’s world of 1993, and Celeste’s of 1943- the summer she knew the greatest hunger, fear and love.

My thoughts:

I have such an author- crush on this woman. Every time I read one of her books I feel broken and made again. There’s so much beauty in her stories. Emotions- highs and lows. The descriptions are amazing, the plot rich and seamless. Madeleine has an amazing way of bringing her characters to life. They are gloriously multifaceted, even the “villains” of a story are not without pieces of humanity. I think I love that most about her stories.

Celeste was a really interesting character to me, strong and determined. At times she seemed very naive as well, but had a core of strength that I really admired. I liked how she saw the refugees coming into town- Daniel and Myriam Reese along with the young Wolf and all the others. The love story aspect really surprised me. I adored it, as I feel like it added a lot to the story. I felt deeply for Myriam’s plight, her fear and feeling of being trapped.

Honestly, I just loved all of it. My words aren’t enough…. they never seem to be with her stories. For me, this is a five star book.

On the adult content scale, there is a little language- nothing major, violence, and some sexual content. It was artfully done and not very explicit, so I would still give this to an older teen. Let’s give it a four.

[Amanda Bartoszek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying read and very hard to put down!

The story is split between two time periods: one in 1943 France during the war, and 1993 where a young woman begins to trace her grandmother. Between the two periods, I probably enjoyed the story of 1943 better (indeed, it could have been a story all its own without the 1993 one, it was that good). The 1993 timeline, while enjoyable, lacked the intensity and drive from its 1943 counterpart. This doesn't take away the brilliance of the writing, however. Both parts complement each other well; it's just that I preferred the 1943 storyline.

It was a very gripping story from beginning to end. The story took a turn I wasn't quite expecting fairly early on, though it meant certain story parts were inevitable and I was dreading reaching them (again, in a good way, since the story was so gripping). I felt so much empathy and compassion for Celeste - she was so strong during a time when there was so much happening around her, not just with the war but with her personal circumstances. I can't comment on how certain plot points made me feel without giving them away, but there was a point where I wanted to whisk her away so she would not have to face what she was going to face.

As for Annie... She felt a bit flat in many ways. This is no real criticism of her character, since it's an observation made by other characters that she is a bit 'odd', and her role in her storyline is almost a coming-of-age tale: finding the truth of her heritage, unburying the secrets, and in so doing finding a new 'Annie' to be. At first I thought it was a bit unbelievable how she, an apparently shy and nervous person who would never go out and do anything unexpected or unusual, would suddenly go and do several things that would conveniently lead her to the correct path. But then I thought on it and realised that it can only take one moment of spontaneity to make a change, and this happened to be Annie's trigger. This was just the day that Annie decided to do something different, and it set her on the path.

Five stars for a fantastic read and well-recommended.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secrets Between Us is a dual time novel based upon events in the Alpes-Maritimes department of France during 1943. The author created the fictional town of Saint-Antoine to represent one of the small mountain towns of the area which, for a while, were overseen by the Italian army.

Eighteen year old Ceci worked in the family bakery; times were hard, flour was of poor quality and scarce, but each day they made basic bread for the town. Then news came that the Alpes-Maritimes area was being sent hundreds of people of Jewish descent to live among them during the ‘enforced residence’ project. Ceci’s family offered the flat over the bakery to Daniel and Myriam Reiss in return for rent. The newcomers fascinated Ceci and she soon became friends with Myriam.

In 1993 Annie is a loner employed as a cataloguing administrator for the foreign office, transferring endless paper files to a computer system. Her mother has recently been very ill and has asked Annie to help her find and reconnect with her own mother, Annie’s grandmother. The pair lost contact after an argument many years before, but Evelyn now wants to ask for her mother’s forgiveness.
When Annie finds her Grandmother, the elderly lady has a last request: to return to Saint-Antoine and face a past she ran away from.

I enjoyed the parts of the book set in Saint-Antoine, both past and present events; the descriptions of the landscape, food and people made it come alive as I read the pages. I felt the despair and the fear during the war years as well as the guilt and the pain from Annie’s Grandmother when they returned. The answers that Annie finds about her own family are sweet and, if I’m honest, predictable, but they fit a purpose and offer a happy ending to a story filled with painful memories.

The Italian occupation and the ‘enforced residence’ project are different aspects of the war, which, for me, set this book apart from others I’ve read in this genre. So I would easily recommend it to those who enjoy war years fiction.

[Justė Knygu_gurmane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ką daryti kai esi moteris karo metu priversta tekėti už nemylimo? O jei dar myli moterį? O jei ta moteris yra žydė?

Knyga mane nustebinusi, sužavėjusi ir įsirėžusi ne tik į atmintį, bet ir į širdį. 🖤

Istorija mažais žingsneliais vedantu skaitytoją dviejų laikotarpių pėdsakais.
Pirmoji prasidėjo 1943m vasarį mažame prancūzų miestelyje Sen Antuanas (miestelio pavadinimas pakeistas, bet autorė pabaigoje nurodo ir tikrąjį), kuris buvo okupuotas italų ir į kurį buvo vežami apgyvendinti žydai.
Antroji perkelia mus į 1993m balandį – Anglija, kur jauna mergina paskatinta mamos ieško sąsajų su senesniąja istorija, bando atrasti močiutę ir atgaivinti nutrūkusius saitus.

Tai istorija apie gyvenimą pakeitusią vasarą kalnuose, apie meilę ir kančią, apie patį sudėtingiausią apsisprendimą.

Be galo patiko negreitas, bet nuoseklus istorijos tempas, kas padeda susitelkti į veikėjus, jų būsenas ir charakterius. Tai leidžia įsijausti, perkelti savo mintis į pasakojimą, išjausti tą laiką, atmosferą! Va to aš knygose ir ieškau, ne tik prabėgšmai papasakotos istorijos, bet ir jausmo, emocijos .
O pats pasakojimas įtraukė nuo pat pirmųjų puslapių, nes prie istorijos autorė prisega tarsi paslaptį, kurią reikia atskleisti, bet tai nėra pagrindinė užduotis. Pagrindinė mintis papasakoti neįtikėtiną karo meto istoriją, kuri yra paremta tikrais faktais (kas daro knygą dar įdomesnę). Be viso to dar yra nuostabus autorės rašymo stilius – turtingas, bet neperkrautas. Toks balansas tarp istorijos vingių ir subtilaus aplinkos perteikimo!
Šį kart nieko nepasakoju apie patį turinį, bet mane visiškai pakerėjo ne tiek turinys, kiek knygos sukelti jausmai. Istorija kuri nebuvo pasakyta žodžiais, bet leido suprasti ją buvus: tarsi daug nesiplečiama apie žydų žudymus, bet tą gali jausti visada šalia; tarsi istorijos veikėjai ir nedalyvauja tiesioginiame kare, bet jo šešėlis nuolat apgaubęs visą pasakojimą, paskleidęs baimės šydą ir užvaldęs žmonių kasdienybę.
Apibendrinant galiu tik pasakyti NUOSTABI, JAUTRI, IŠJAUSTA IR IŠGYVENTA🖤

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, it must be said that this book cover is absolutely glorious and captures the setting of the novel to perfection.

In 1943, eighteen year old Ceci Corvin and her family struggle to survive in occupied France where, even, high up in the hills, in their small village of Saint-Antone, they are not immune to struggle and hardship. Working in the village bakery gives them a unique place to view what's going on but also places them in danger.

Fifty years later, Annie is unsatisfied with both her work and personal life and seems be searching for something which will give her life more meaning. When Annie's mother, on holiday in Australia, contacts Annie and expresses a wish to reunite with her estranged mother, Annie's grandmother, the search is on to find her. For Annie this is something of a journey of self-discovery, as not only does she make contact with her gran-mére, but also discovers a deeply buried family secret, which changes everything she once thought to be true.

What then follows is a beautifully written dual time story which looks at the turbulent latter years of the Second World War and of the discovery, many years later, of a family mystery which has been buried for far too long. The author writes really well and brings time, place and people to life with fine attention to detail. Of the two halves of the dual time narrative, I was perhaps more emotionally involved in the war time story and thought that the description of life in Saint Antoine was particularly well defined. I especially enjoyed reading of the bakery in Saint Antoine, and such were the delicious descriptions of the breads being produced that I could taste the pain aux noix and sip the Acorn roasted café.

The Secrets Between Us is inspired by true events and is a fascinating story of forgotten friendship, lost family, forbidden love and, ultimately, of the healing power of reconciliation.

[Eva Zar · Rating 5 out of 5]

O man patiko. Labai. Nors ir buvau girdėjusi gerų atsiliepimų apie šią knygą, vis dėlto nesitikėjau, kad ši istorija mane taip įtrauks ir nepaleis.

Knygoje pasakojimas vyksta Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais. Tai priduoda istorijai tam tikrą prieskonį. Nepriteklius, baimė, nepastovumas yra tai, kuo tuo metu gyvena San Antuano žmonės. Duona dabar irgi kitokia. Ji prėska ir nebe tokia skani, nes trūksta reikalingų produktų. Naktimis prie jos pluša pagrindinė romano veikėja Selestė, vietinių vadinama tiesiog Čeči, kurios tėvui priklauso miestelio kepykla.

Vieną dieną vykstantis karas į miestelį atneša pokyčių. Jame leidžiama apsigyventi prieglobsčio ieškančioms žydų šeimoms. Tarp jų - ir Raisų šeima, kuri įsikuria virš Selestės šeimos kepyklos. Neilgai trukus Čeči susipažįsta su ponia Miriam Rais, žyde rašytoja ir tarp jų užsimezga išskirtinis ryšys. Ryšys, ne visai priimamas, tačiau toks stiprus, kad jo nesunaikina nei karo siaubas, nei bėgantis laikas.

1993 m. Jauna mergina Anė, paskatinta savo mamos, ryžtasi ieškoti savo močiutės, su kuria jau daug metų nebepalaiko jokio ryšio. Paieškos ją atveda į Paryžių. Ten jos laukia tiesa, pakeisianti jos gyvenimo istoriją.

Tai jau ne pirma mano skaityta šios autorės knyga. "Saldžiai karti Paryžiaus istorija" paliko taip pat labai gerą įspūdį. Pastebėjau, kad ši autorė rašo tikrai nebanalias knygas, ilgai įstringančias atmintyje.

Rekomenduoju visiems, norintiems lengvo, tačiau įdomaus ir nebanalaus vasaros romano.
5⭐/5⭐

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secrets Between Us weaves together two stories 50 years apart. Annie is in her mid-twenties in 1993 and working as an archivist seconded to a facility in Cheshire from her home in London. Celeste is 18 in 1943 and working in her family's bakery in a village high in the mountains above Nice. As the book progresses, and Annie travels to find her grandmother, the two stories merge into one in which Celeste is remembering the past to tell it to her granddaughter.

A story of identity, history, and love, The Secrets Between Us focuses on relationships between women and the difficult decisions we make as mothers about what is best for our children. The character Celeste grapples with the meaning of freedom, inflected as it is by all that happened during the war. More subtly both Celeste and Annie grapple with the meaning of "home", especially for those who have been migrants or forcibly estranged.

[Amanda Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by this author. I chose it for my reading group and it proved an excellent choice. We all thoroughly enjoyed it; it's unusual to reach such a clear consensus!

The book is beautifully written, especially in its descriptions of the rural landscape and the mouthwatering descriptions of food. The author clearly adores food! I love books which hook you in and teach you something you didn't know. This book was a great source of information about a little-known episode in the Second World War. It invites comparisons with Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

The only thing that lets it down is the title - not at all memorable, certainly not unique and not a great reflection of the content. (Blame the editor, rather than the author?). Maybe the title is the reason why I hadn't heard a lot about it; it was recommended to me. Don't let the title (or the large print cover, which is dreadful) put you off. It is well worth the read and, in parts, unputdownable.

[Lynn P · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dual timeline novel set in 1943 and 1993. I found that I was getting into the story in 1943 and then pulled to 1993, where not so much seemed to be happening. The character Annie in the 90s was a little boring to me. There was so much more action and vigour in the 1943 characters.

The second world war timeline was different than anything I have read about this period before. It certainly opened my eyes to a world in a small village in France I was not aware of. Although not totally historic the author did base the writing on a real village.

I thought that the first half of this book dragged a little. But once the two timelines met I found it much more intriguing and couldn't put it down. This resulted in a satisfying ending which has had me replaying parts of the book to make sense of it all.