Catherine Hokin

A story to break your heart – if you read only one book this year, make it The Fortunate Ones. Germany, 1941. When Inge – all blonde curls and good manners – first locks eyes with Felix, she knows instinctively that he’s off limits. Her staunchly proper parents will never approve of a working-class Jewish boy for their precious only daughter. But that doesn’t make their first, shy kiss less significant, or the moment they’re torn apart less shocking. The next time they see each other, it will be across the packed courtyard of a Nazi concentration camp – Felix in the prisoners’ ranks and Inge on the arm of her new, Nazi husband. Inge never knew that her father’s ‘party loyalty’ would extend to marrying her off to a cruel Nazi officer twice her age, who sees his new wife as just another thing to control. She has always been a good girl – a silent wife – but when Inge sees Felix that day – beaten, bloody and brave – she knows she can’t stay silent any longer. She must save him, whatever the cost, whatever her husband or even her country might do to her later… What readers are saying about The Fortunate Ones: ***** ‘What an amazing read, well written emotional and very compelling… I was totally absorbed in the story and I would love to give it 10 stars. One of my best reads this year. I can't begin to say how much I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, absolutely brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer ***** ‘Heartbreaking... I cried many, many times…This story showed just how important hope can be.... The historical detail Hokin poured into this book through her research was simply phenomenal. The Fortunate Ones is a must-read.’ Goodreads reviews ***** ‘This was a wonderful story about romance, life, and survival. I could not put it down… heartbreaking.’ Crossroad Reviews ***** ‘This story just swept me away… I was left speechless… just wow!!... I do recommend a box of tissues… This book will have you turning the pages.’ Red Headed Book Lady blog ***** ‘I stayed up all hours to finish this book. There were moments I could barely breathe. A fantastic and compelling read if you like suspense, WWII, and stories that aren’t always tied neatly with a bow.’ Goodreads reviewer ***** ‘What an extraordinary, engaging story. It moved me to undiscovered heights of understanding and compassion. A novel that will stay in my mind forever.’ Goodreads reviewer ***** ‘Contained within a richly detailed narrative was a story that spoke of prevalence of the human spirit, both resilient and beatific, bowed but never broken by the unfathomable horrors of war. Captivating. Sobering. Unflinching. 5+ stars.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘The writing is deeply moving, so much detail is cleverly woven throughout to make this a vivid and entrancing read. Strong characters make this such a gripping read.’ NetGalley reviewer ‘From the first to the very last page this story was a sheer joy to read. One of hope, despair, love and loss and history combined this book has it all. Thoroughly recommend.’ Goodreads reviewer

Beautiful and heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction

The Fortunate Ones

‘The best historical fiction book I’ve read this year! I was awake until the early morning hours finishing it, because I could not put it down! The story was heartbreaking… It held me riveted from the first page to the last.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart. The house she grew up in feels haunted by the memory of her father’s closely guarded secrets about her beautiful mother Elizabeth’s tragic death years before. As she packs up the house, Karen discovers an old photograph and a stranger’s tattered love letter to her mother postmarked from Germany after the war. During her life, Karen struggled to understand her shy, fearful mother, but now she is realising there was so much more to Elizabeth than she knew. For one thing, her name wasn’t even Elizabeth, and her harrowing story begins long before Karen was born. It’s 1941 in Nazi-occupied Berlin, and a young Jewish woman called Liese is being forced to wear a yellow star… A beautiful and gripping wartime story about family secrets and impossible choices in the face of terrible hardship. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an amazing read, well written emotional and very compelling… I was totally absorbed in the story and I would love to give it 10 stars. One of my best reads this year. I can't begin to say how much I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, absolutely brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This is a wonderfully heart-breaking story of life, love and above all survival. A truly emotional book and very hard to put down. 5*.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The more I read of this book, the more I had to read! What a fantastic story this is touching just about every emotion there is.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This story just swept me away… I was left speechless… just wow!!... I do recommend a box of tissues… This book will have you turning the pages.’ Red Headed Book Lady blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This bittersweet story will grab you from the first page and will keep you up late at night reading chapter after chapter. The characters will stay with you long after you finish the last page. In a bookstore full of World War II novels, this one is a must-read!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Contained within a richly detailed narrative was a story that spoke of prevalence of the human spirit, both resilient and beatific, bowed but never broken by the unfathomable horrors of war. Captivating. Sobering. Unflinching. 5+ stars.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an extraordinary, engaging story. It moved me to undiscovered heights of understanding and compassion. A novel that will stay in my mind forever.’ Goodreads reviewer

A heart-wrenching and unforgettable World War 2 historical novel

What Only We Know

'What is this place?' She lowers her camera and takes in the frail bodies and desolate faces staring back at her. 'It's hell on earth. Where the desperate abandon their last hope.' In that moment, she knows that taking pictures is not enough, she has to help these people... 1933, Berlin. Ten-year-old Hanni Foss stands by her father watching the celebrations marking Adolf Hitler as Germany's new leader. As the torchlights fade, she knows her safe and happy childhood is about to change forever. Practically overnight, the father she adores is lost to his ruthless ambition to oversee an infamous concentration camp... Twelve years later. As the Nazi regime crumbles, Hanni hides from her father on the fringes of Berlin. In stolen moments, she develops the photographs she took to record the brutality of the camp - the empty food bowls and hungry eyes - and vows to get justice for the innocent people she couldn't help as a child. But on the day she plans to deliver these damning photographs to the Allies, Hanni comes face to face with her father again. Reiner Foss is now working with the British forces, his past safely hidden behind a new identity. He makes it clear that he will go to deadly lengths to protect his secrets, but Hanni knows she can't give up her fight. But what will she have to sacrifice in order to keep the promise she made? A heartbreaking novel about the incredible courage of ordinary people during the Second World War. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will never forget this powerful story of hope and humanity. What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The best historical fiction book I've read this year! I was awake until the early morning hours finishing it, because I could not put it down!... Heartbreaking.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Amazing... I was totally absorbed in the story... 10 stars. One of my best reads this year. I can't begin to say how much I loved this book, I couldn't put it down, absolutely brilliant.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'If I could give this book more than a five-star rating, I surely would! It is absolutely the best WW2 historical fiction I've read in a long time!... I couldn't bear to put it down.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Can I give a rating higher than 5 stars?!... I really loved this book.' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Have you ever read a book that has torn at your heartstrings so much that you just know it's going to leave a lasting impression for the rest of time?... This book is going on that list!' Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This story just swept me away... I was left speechless... just wow!!... I do recommend a box of tissues... This book will have you turning the pages.' Red Headed Book Lady ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The more I read of this book, the more I had to read! What a fantastic story this is touching just about every emotion there is.' Goodreads reviewer

A Compelling and Heart-wrenching World War 2 Historical Novel

The Commandant's Daughter

1944. 'I have to go away, my darling. Please, be brave, stay alive, for me.' Her mother's voice breaks. The little girl tries to stop the forbidden tears from falling, as the train takes her mother, and she is left alone in the camp... Berlin, six years later. When Hanni Winter shows her new husband the heartbreaking photos she captured during the war, his reaction is unexpected. His face white, Freddy can't take his eyes off the photo of a young girl around four years old. 'That's Renny, ' he whispers, 'my sister, she was taken by the Nazis...' Hanni remembers her perfectly - the child with the wide eyes and bitten lips, who wouldn't let herself cry despite the chaos and cruelty all around them in the camp. Her heart had broken for the little girl as she took her picture, desperate to reveal the truth about the Nazis to the world. If that child is Renny, then they must try to find her. They must return to hell on earth. But when Hanni arrives at the black and white arch of the camp, she comes face to face with a man she fears more than any other. Can she find the strength to fight again, or will every hope for the future be lost forever? A heart-wrenching novel about love and courage in the face of terrible odds. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will need a box of tissues handy. Readers love The Girl in the Photo: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I found myself up into the early hours of the morning absolutely engrossed in this gripping and heartbreaking story. It has you riding the emotional rollercoaster on every page.' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Glued to the book from the first page... yet didn't want to finish as I knew I would miss the characters... Stunning.' Netgalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Heartbreaking story... curl up and be transported to the past.' Goodreads reviewer Readers love Catherine Hokin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The best historical fiction book I've read this year! I was awake until the early morning hours finishing it, because I could not put it down!... Heartbreaking.' Goodreads reviewer

A Completely Gripping and Heart-wrenching World War 2 Novel

The Girl in the Photo

Every day he stood exactly where he was directed. He listened for his number, shouted his answer in the freezing cold. He was ragged and he was starving, but he was alive. He was one of the fortunate ones whom fate had left standing. And he needed to stay that way. For Hannah. Berlin, 1941. Felix Thalberg, a printer's apprentice, has the weight of the world on his shoulders. His beloved city is changing under Nazi rule and at home things are no better - Felix's father hasn't left the house since he was forced to wear a yellow star, and his mother grows thinner every day. Then one night, Felix meets a mysterious young woman in a crowded dance hall, and his life is changed forever. Hannah is like a rush of fresh air into his gloomy, stagnant life and Felix finds himself instantly, powerfully infatuated with her. But when he tries to find her again, she's vanished without a trace. Was Hannah taken away by the Gestapo and held prisoner... or worse? When Felix himself is imprisoned in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, his thoughts are only for her safety. And when a life-threatening injury lands him on the ward of Dr Max Eichel - a Nazi medical officer with a sadistic reputation - his love for his lost Hannah sees him through the pain. Until one day Dr Eichel brings his pretty young wife to tour the camp and Felix's world is thrown off-kilter. Framed in the hospital window he sees - impossibly - the same girl he met that fateful night... her wrist in the vice-like grip of the deathly calm SS Officer. And it's clear Hannah recognises him at once - there is no mistaking her expression, she has been dreaming of him too... A gripping and beautiful wartime love story about two people facing impossible odds - heartbreaking, moving and unforgettable. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network.

The Fortunate Ones: Beautiful and Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction

Blood & Roses

‘Don’t cry.’ Christoph uncurled her clenched fingers. ‘You know why you must work for him: to keep your real work away from your family, to keep them safe so that, if you get caught, they won’t be taken. One day you’ll be able to tell them all of that.’ Germany 1940. As secretary to an influential businessman, Magda Aderbach spends her days sending party invitations to high-ranking Nazis, and her evenings distributing pamphlets for the resistance. When she is approached about a job by the leader of the SS, Magda embarks upon a dangerous double life smuggling secrets out of his office. It’s a deadly game, and eventual exposure is a certainty, but Magda is driven by a need to keep the man she loves safe as he fights against the Nazis… Forty years later. Nina Dahlke’s heart pounds as she leaves everything she has ever known and steps into an uncertain future carrying a forged passport, a few Deutschmarks, and the image of an ornate stone villa, The Tower House, seared into her memory. She has never forgotten the fear in her grandmother’s voice when Nina found the drawing of the elegant building hidden in her wardrobe. And now, with nothing left to lose, Nina is determined to uncover the past her grandmother ran from. But not even Nina’s wildest imaginings come close to the truth that she discovers when she reaches her destination… A haunting and poignant novel about bravery, loss and redemption during the second World War. A beautiful read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The best historical fiction book I’ve read this year! I was awake until the early morning hours finishing it, because I could not put it down!… Heartbreaking.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an amazing read… I was totally absorbed in the story and I would love to give it 10 stars. One of my best reads this year. I can’t begin to say how much I loved this book, I couldn’t put it down, absolutely brilliant.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘If I could give this book more than a five-star rating, I surely would! It is absolutely the best WW2 historical fiction I’ve read in a long time!… I couldn’t bear to put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Can I give a rating higher than 5 stars?!… I really loved this book.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Have you ever read a book that has torn at your heartstrings so much that you just know it’s going to leave a lasting impression for the rest of time?… This book is going on that list!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘This story just swept me away… I was left speechless… just wow!!… I do recommend a box of tissues… This book will have you turning the pages.’ Red Headed Book Lady blog ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘The more I read of this book, the more I had to read! What a fantastic story this is touching just about every emotion there is.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A wonderfully heartbreaking story of life, love and above all survival. A truly emotional book and very hard to put down. 5*.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Captivating. Sobering. Unflinching. 5+ stars.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Squeezed my cold heart… I was turned inside out yet completely invested and unwilling to put my Kindle down while compelled to read late into the night.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What an extraordinary, engaging story. It moved me to undiscovered heights of understanding and compassion. A novel that will stay in my mind forever.’ Goodreads reviewer

A heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 historical novel

The Secretary

She looked at the empty cradle where her baby had been. Her heart felt tattered and empty, like the hollow streets of Berlin after its people began to live in fear. Berlin, 1934. Homes once filled with laughter stand empty as the Nazi party's grip on the city tightens. When Anna Tiegel's beautiful best friend catches Reich Minister Goebbels' special attention, an impulsive act to save her brings Anna under his unforgiving scrutiny. First, she loses her job, then slowly, mercilessly, she finds her life stripped away. After her father is killed by the Nazis, Anna's final hope is to escape to America with her boyfriend Eddy, but when she reaches his apartment on the agreed date, she finds it deserted. Alone and pregnant, the future feels terrifying, but she must try to protect the life inside her. Rhode Island, 1957. Peggy Bailey stares in shock at the faded photograph of two laughing women which her beloved adoptive mother struggled to pass on to her before she died, whispering 'It was inside your baby blanket when we brought you home'. As Peggy continues to stare, she realises that she has seen one of the girls before, in the most unlikely of places... Bursting at the realisation, she embarks on a mission which takes her across America to find the truth behind her heritage. Nothing, however, could prepare her for the tragic story her actions uncover... A poignant and beautiful World War Two story about survival and a mother's enduring search for her child against all the odds. A heart-breaking read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The best historical fiction book I've read this year! I was awake until the early morning hours finishing it, because I could not put it down! The story was heartbreaking... It held me riveted from the first page to the last.' Goodreads reviewer

Catherine Hokin

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