If you’re a fan of historical fiction and you enjoy reading about World War II, then you will appreciate two books I just finished. The Secret History Of Audrey James by Canadian author Heather Marshall and The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden are coincidently similarly themed. Both novels are about the fallout of Nazis and SS officers seizing and occupying the homes of Jewish deportees. I didn’t realize these books would be so similar when I downloaded them but two stories by different authors enriched my understanding of the conditions and experiences of the time.

The Secret History of Audrey James is the story of the relationship between a young non-Jewish woman, Audrey James, and Ilsa Kaplan, her Jewish friend who shared a life in pre-war Berlin. The girls grew up on the same street and were instant friends. When Audrey’s father moved back to England after her mother’s death, Audrey moved in with their neighbours, the Kaplans who lived across the street so Audrey could continue her advanced studies in music.

Their lives were ripped apart even before the war started when the Kaplan family was rounded up while out shopping and deported. Audrey’s friend Ilse managed to avoid capture leaving her and Audrey to return alone to the Kaplan home. Almost immediately their home was seized and occupied by two senior SS officers who allowed Audrey to remain as housekeeper while Ilse was forced to hide in the attic.

Intrigue, resistance, and subterfuge soon engulfed the household as everyone was in a fight to survive. The story toggles between 1938-1941 and 2010-2011 and is a fascinating journey. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll leave my summary there so you can dig in and experience the full story yourself.

The Safekeep is set in Amsterdam and involves another Jewish family who was brutally removed from their home when the Nazis invaded Holland. It is difficult for those of us who live in freedom in the twenty-first century to imagine being evicted from our homes without notice, leaving behind all of our personal belongings and memories. What happens when a survivor returns after the war to be met with strangers occupying their home, using their china, sleeping in their beds, and treating the home as their own?

Ownership of property after the war was further complicated by questionable legal arrangements under the Nazis and the prevailing attitudes of moving past the events of the war and starting a new life. The Safekeep is the story of that very scenario. When a surviving member of a Jewish family tries to reclaim her heritage and family home, she is confronted with another family that bears no responsibility or guilt for their good fortune in occupying the home. What secrets will they uncover in the post-war conflict and how will it get resolved? Those issues are what make The Safekeep a fascinating read.

The stories in both of these books are sensitively portrayed. Both involve unlawful displacement, family tragedy, conflicting loyalties, and forbidden love. I highly recommend reading them both. The endings are surprising and gratifying.

If you are unable to obtain The Secret History of Audrey James by Heather Marshall or The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden from your local bookstore or library, click on the links provided to have them delivered directly to your door or tablet from Amazon. 

(Disclosure: I may receive a teeny, tiny commission. Thank you!)