🎼🖼️🎤 “The Secret Society of Salzburg” (2022) 🎤 🖼️🎼 – Book Review
Welcome to the Takeover + Review Tour for The Secret Society of Salzburg by Renee Ryan, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
From the author of The Widows of Champagne, and inspired by true events, comes a gripping and heartwrenching story of two very different women united to bring light to the darkest days of World War II.
London, 1933Also Available
The Christy Award 2022 Finalist
My Review
Thank you in advance to the publisher, Love Inspired Trade, for providing a complimentary review copy through JustRead Publicity Tours. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.
This is my first introduction to the author, Renee Ryan, despite wanting to read her The Widows of Champagne (which I still need to purchase). And, she did not disappoint at all!
I have to admit, historical fiction is a genre I have come to enjoy over the last few years – particularly World War II (WWII) fiction. I think that is due to the fact my grandfather served in WWII though he was in the Pacific theater – Leyte, Mindoro, Phillipines – on a naval escort carrier. As of note, his ship sustained damage from a kamikaze attack. No casualties. Talk about a miracle. He died before I turned four so many of these stories I had to learn from my mother – and see one such on YouTube.
And, as a result, I love seeking out WWII stories. It is such a fascinating period for fiction. There are so many stories of miracles, courage, bravery, and love.
There are also stories of atrocities, heartbreak, and lost loves as well.
What is fascinating about this story is that it is based on actual events, and some of which connect with the publisher of this book.
What lurks inside of this beautiful and classy cover is such a tale – love, courage, bravery that is tainted with atrocities, betrayal, and heartbreak.
Before getting too much into the review, I want to warn readers that since this is about WWII – taking place in Germany and Austria, there are references to Nazi Germany, its leader makes an appearance in the book, there are mentions of the laws regarding Jews, mention of torture, as well as concentration camp conditions.
These are going to be disturbing for those who’ve lost loved ones in the Holocaust. The author does not go into gory or vivid details, given the restrictions of the line. But, even the mere mention can be traumatic for some readers.
While the back blurb lists 1933 as the start year – the events span from 1934 (when Elsa and Hattie meet)-1945 (the end of the war at that point in Germany). The story alternates POVs with Hattie and Elsa from 1934-1943. In 1943, it is mostly Elsa’s POV.
The main characters of the story are:
🎤 Elsa (an opera singer,
even a favorite of Hitler)
🖌️ Hattie (a typist from
London with aspirations of being an artist)
📕 Vera (Hattie’s sister
and romance novelist)
🎼 Wilhelm (conductor,
fond of Elsa, and a Nazi supporter)
🖼️ Oliver (owns galleries
all over Europe and in the U.S, but he’s also got a secret)
🎤 Frieda (another opera singer, fierce rival of Elsa)
Right off, Ryan, puts the reader in the center of the peril in 1943 with Elsa’s arrest. This was definitely a heart-stopper moment right there, even before the story began. And, honestly, I wanted to read the end (before I got too far into the book) to see how she was going to get out of this. (Even when I do – it doesn’t ruin the story).
The beginning of the book will soon come back full circle at the end of another chapter towards the end of the book to align the story.
In the second chapter, Ryan begins the back story of a civil servant, a typist, by the name of Henrietta or “Hattie”. Hattie aspires to be an artist. While her friends seem to think her artwork is beautiful, her professor seems to think she needs to “suffer”, though he doesn’t seem to know her background.
She meets Malvina, who turns out to be Elsa’s great-aunt. The woman is a scholar and highly respected.
Elsa is a rising opera singer and the immediate rival of Frieda, and Frieda makes her feelings well known. Wilhelm Hoffman is the conductor and sets his sights on Elsa. But, Elsa sees the new laws that will soon affect the Jewish people like Malvina. Wilhelm assures her that her blood is “sufficiently” diluted so she won’t have to worry. But, Elsa isn’t worried about herself – it is others she worries about.
After hearing Elsa, Hattie’s work is transformed. And, Elsa is enamored of Hattie’s work which soon brings the two together as friends.
From 1935-1943 – Ryan takes readers through the progression of Elsa and Hattie’s friendship, Elsa’s marriage to Wilhelm, the rise of Hitler’s power, as well as the nonchalant view of Austria’s annexation to Germany.
Hattie rises as an artist thanks to Oliver Roundel, who is more than what he appears to be. The two work with Elsa to rescue as many German-Jewish people as possible, despite the restrictions England places on immigrants.
England sees the abdication of Edward VIII due to his wanting to marry Wallis Simpson. (As of note, it is rumored that Edward VIII was a Nazi sympathizer, and did actually meet Hitler in October 1937 after abdicating. Hitler even counted Edward VIII friendly towards Germany).
Elsa sees Wilhelm’s “acceptance” of the evil around him and is disgusted by his desire to make “proper alliances” which don’t include Hattie or Aunt Malvina. Elsa moves to relocate the woman who is more than a “great-aunt” to her, which then spurns her to help others.
It is in 1939 that England moves from appeasement to war with Germany which endangers the work Hattie and Elsa do. Frieda lets Elsa know that she is on to them. Slight spoiler – that didn’t work out too well for her, and is one of the most visible examples of “what you sow, you reap”.
The 1943 timeline is the POV of Elsa’s arrest, kangaroo court trial, and imprisonment. Though, I wasn’t too surprised at who turned her in. And, readers won’t be surprised what happened to Wilhelm (what a coward).
Elsa also notes there were warning signs, but she also demonstrates one of God’s own graces – forgiveness, in this powerful read.
This was definitely a “can’t hardly put it down” kind of read. I ended up reading it off and on inside of an 8-hour time period, and the short chapters really moved the story along. I stayed up a little bit past my bedtime to finish it.
Ryan definitely had my heart-pounding with the realistic descriptions and writing that made me feel like I was in the middle of the action. As someone who is Jewish-Christian – it definitely gave me a heart-stopping moment, or two.
This is deeply emotional, powerful, intense, suspenseful, and frighteningly realistic – almost like time-traveling back and being there, powerless to stop anyone.
I absolutely loved that the author derived some of the events from the Cook sisters (two ladies I NEVER heard about). One sister happened to have written 112 stories through Mills & Boon (connected to Harlequin) that were later reissued by Harlequin books.
There is a reference in a note about Georg and Maria as code names. Those who’ve seen The Sound of Music will recognize the names automatically as Georg and Maria von Trapp.
The only issue – other than the references to the Third Reich (which let’s face it – is the worst part of any story) – was a somewhat open ending with a character and I would like to see a final conclusion with the person – perhaps in a connected book down the road?
As it is, this seems like a standalone read.
Another slight “problem” – the jumping back and forth with the timeline. This might be an issue with some readers.
As this is from Love Inspired Trade – the inspirational and Christian themed division of Harlequin – there will be references to Christian faith. The stories won’t be as “in-depth” or hard core of those of a non-Christian WWII genre book. It is toned down to meet the sensitivities of readers while still being true to the events.
Since I enjoyed this, I am going to HAVE to save up money to get The Widows of Champagne. I am eagerly awaiting her next book. Those who enjoy WWII fiction will definitely want to add this book to their TBR stack.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ /5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
– Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)
About the Author
Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight January 3, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on January 10, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
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