Powerful & Engrossing
The Girl Who Told The Truth by Catherine Hokin is a powerful historical novel that consumed me from the start.
The action is set in 1930’s-1940’s mainly in London but also in Berlin. We follow one young British woman who desires the truth about fascism to be known. She also wants the perpetrators of an evil regime to be brought to justice.
In contrast there is a young German woman who makes it her mission to make sure fascism doesn’t end with the death of Hitler. She wants to garner support, especially in Britain. She is cunning and evil – but will goodness triumph?
The reader sees the evil Oswald Moseley and his Blackshirts as they try to take over London’s East End but “we won’t be told what to do by men who peddle hatred, not on these streets.” The plucky East End fights back as good triumphs over evil in their hearts.
With World War II comes the opening up of lives for women as they step into roles traditionally occupied by men. “Annie wasn’t the only woman who’d found a sense of freedom and purpose waiting inside the war’s ministries.”
Following the end of the war, the world was supposed to be a better place but “there’s no world fit for heroes to come back to. That promise was built on sand.” People had to re-build lives as well as buildings. Londoners recovered quicker than Berliners whose city was totally destroyed.
Ideologies of evil still existed at the war’s end. Germany was defeated but still there were evil Nazis roaming the world. A brave woman believed at Nuremburg, “I can’t leave until every voice has been heard… until their stories have been told.” As one looked at the German people after the war, it was said “there was collective looking away at best, and complicity at worst.”
All the characters were well drawn. Some were brave, fighting for justice in an unjust world. Others were pure evil, coldly calculating and menacing.
The Girl Who Told The Truth is a powerful tale that I just could not put down.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
Catherine Hokin
Catherine Hokin is the author of several novels inspired by World War Two, including the Hanni Winter series. She writes books set primarily in Berlin, which is her favourite city, a never-ending source of inspiration and also, very conveniently, where her son lives. Her novels cover the period from 1930 up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and deal with the long shadows left by war.
Her passion for history began as a child, flourished doing her history degree course at Manchester University and survived a varied career covering marketing, teaching and politics. She is from the North of England but now lives very happily in Glasgow with her American husband. She loves to travel and, if she’s not at her desk, she can usually be found in the cinema.
- Mailing List: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/catherine-hokin
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathokin/
- Twitter: https://x.com/catherineh66267
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathokinauthor/
The Girl Who Told the Truth
Catherine Hokin
Amazon:https://geni.us/B0FVYBPX7Tsocial
Blood surges through Annie’s veins as she stares into the cold eyes of the Nazi who hurt her mother. She knows she must finally make it right…
Germany, 1946. Annie takes a deep breath, trying to stop her hands shaking as she takes notes at the Nuremberg Trials. She isn’t just here to expose the horrors the Nazis committed, she also has a personal stake. And as soon as she lays eyes on Margarete, the Nazi who destroyed her family, a flame burns bright in her to deliver justice for her mother too.
Only Annie knows how dangerous Margarete truly is. Not only was she one of the last people inside Hitler’s bunker, she left there with a mission to continue his work. A mission that almost led to the murder of Annie’s mother. Now Annie must make a choice. Revealing Margarete’s true identity will also mean exposing her father’s secret relationship with the German woman.
In telling the world the truth, can Annie show the world who Margarete really is? Or will speaking out betray her father and destroy her family forever?
An achingly emotional page-turner about risking everything to protect those you love. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah, Roberta Kagan and Ellie Midwood.
Readers can’t get enough of Catherine Hokin:
‘Phenomenal… Literally broke my heart… Unputdownable… I was drawn into the story at the flip of the first page and I went through an entire box of Kleenex by the time I arrived at the last page. This masterpiece of a story is one that I highly recommend.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow what an amazing, stunning book! Couldn’t put it down and have talked nonstop about it! Absolutely heartbreaking.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Heart-wrenching… A moving tale… Powerful… The emotional impact of the story lingers long after the final page… Devastating… Unforgettable.’ Novel Nerd Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Took my breath away. I can’t stop telling people about this one… Beautiful… pulls on your heartstrings.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘My heart was torn in half… Very emotional read… Five stars.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Wow wow wow!! Absolutely unforgettable and heartbreaking… I flew through [the pages] in two sittings! What a heart pounder!!’ Goodreads reviewer