The Secret Message

‘Amazing… I loved this… Heart-wrenching… Moved me to tears… Gripping, heart-warming… Left me gasping for breath… I loved it.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1944, Poland. ‘Take this message, keep it hidden.’ Shaking, Hana tucks the torn slip of paper in between the loaves of bread. If this secret falls into the wrong hands, her family’s lives are at stake…

Hana’s heart is beating frantically as she weaves through the bombed-out streets of Warsaw. She prays she’ll make it back to the safety of her family’s warm, sweet-scented bakery. Just the thought of being greeted by her younger sisters and sweeping her innocent little brother into her arms spurs her on. She has to deliver this message. But it might cost her everything.

They’ve been trapped in the city for weeks. Nazi guards march past their home every hour and more people are being killed. She’s already lost her father; she can’t bear to lose anyone else. She worries every day about the work her sisters are doing in the resistance. Hana twists her engagement ring on her finger as she remembers Emil, her blue-eyed fiancé. There’s still hope she might see him again. She’s risking her life, but this could be her only chance to save her loved ones.

The crumpled paper hidden between the still-warm loaves of bread contains the message that will begin the uprising of the people of Warsaw against their captors. As Hana walks past an SS officer, her whole body trembles. She looks straight ahead, trying to give him no reason to stop her. But he catches her eye and, in that moment, time stands still.

Will Hana be able to deliver the secret message and help to free the city of Warsaw? Or is her own life now in danger…?

An emotional and gripping WW2 story of incredible courage against all odds and of the power of love and hope in the darkest of times. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Orphan Train and The Nightingale.

What readers are saying about The Secret Message:

‘Gripping… Heartbreaking and heart-warming… It leaves you shattered, it throws a punch in the stomach but it’sso, so good. I urge everyone to read this.’ bookedmybook, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Absolute cracker!… A rollercoaster of a ride, I laughed, I cried, I actually sat on the edge of my seat dry-mouthed… I had every bit of emotion wrung out of me and just absolutely adored it… Absolutely heart-wrenching!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Hooked from start to finish… A real page-turner that will tug at your heartstrings… Gripping.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow!… Had me desperate to read just one more chapter… Gripping… Everything I want from a book!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gut-wrenching… Captured my heart… Wonderful… Exceptional.’ Cindy L. Spear, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Gripping… Deeply moving… Stays with you long after the final page… Unforgettable.’ Novel Nerd Blog, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Gripping… Heart-warming… Incredible… Will absolutely capture your heart… A must-read!’ shivar_anne, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Previously published as The Resistance Sisters.