The Secret Locket

Germany, 1941. Noemi’s hazel eyes shine with tears as she takes Pascal’s hand. ‘Please don’t go,’ she begs him. ‘If you leave me now, we might never find each other again…’

When Pascal kisses Noemi and presses his mother’s locket into her hands, it is a moment she has been longing for her whole life. But when war is declared, overnight their love becomes forbidden – Noemi is Jewish, while Pascal is being pressured to become a Hitler Youth officer by his father.

When Noemi’s parents are captured and taken to Dachau, she knows her hometown is no longer safe. With time running out, Pascal smuggles her onto a train, praying she will be able to hide unnoticed until the war is over. Devastated, he watches the train leave, promising himself he will find her again one day.

As the months turn into years, Noemi remains determined to find her family and leave behind her feelings of heartbreak at Pascal fighting for the Nazis. She knows they can never be together but still she remembers the pendant he gave her, and hope flickers in her chest like a flame, that one day they might reunite…

Realizing that everything he was told about the Nazis is a lie, Pascal vows to make amends for his past mistakes. When back in his hometown he learns that Noemi is in danger, he vows to save the girl who long ago took his locket, and his heart.

But with war still raging, will Pascal be strong enough to find Noemi? And if he does, will she ever truly forgive him for his past?

A heartrendingly emotional page-turner about hope in the darkest of days, and how love must always prevail. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Book of Lost Names.

What readers are saying about Catherine Hokin:

‘I cried buckets… Heartbreaking… This one will have you on the edge of your seat.’ NetGalley 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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A masterpiece… vivid… mesmerizing… gripping… If I could, I would give this book ten stars… Lingers in your thoughts long after you’ve turned the last page.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Literally broke my heart… Unputdownable… I went through an entire box of Kleenex by the time I arrived at the last page… Masterpiece of a story.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I completely lost track of time as I was pulled into this story, flipping through the pages at such a rapid speed that I couldn’t stop reading.’ Diane.likes.to.read ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I felt myself flying through the book as I had to know what happened… All the stars and more… Superb.’ Kelly Lacey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow what an amazing stunning book! Couldn’t put it down and have talked nonstop about it! Absolutely heartbreaking.’ NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐