Secrets and Lies by H.M. Holten

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


HM Holten once again proves to be a masterful storyteller in the third book of her trilogy. She shows us how it’s all too easy for people--especially a young person--to get misled.

Britta, a young Danish girl during WWII, is eager both for approval from her father and her school. Early in the war, many Danes evidently held pro-Nazi beliefs. When that changes, Britta is still a holdout, and is mystified as to why anyone could turn against Germany. Her earliest friendship is with Rachel, a Jewish girl. Britta can’t process her complicated feeling and is relieved when Rachel disappears from both their school—and Britta’s life. Britta eagerly joins the Hitler youth group—the BDM (Band of German maidens). Being part of this group bolsters her confidence. While she is athletic, she often feels inferior to her brothers. By age thirteen, she takes on her father’s view that women are “silly, demanding creatures always ruled by their feelings.” She strives to be different.

Holten knows exactly how to get us to see through the eyes of her characters. While we may disagree with their takes on the world, we see how they have come to perceive the world. The author artfully portrays how identities are formed. It stuck me how vastly different Britta is from Hedda in the first book of the trilogy, 'Snares & Delusions'. We often expect characters to undergo positive transformations, like we saw in Hedda. Life teaches lessons which enable people to become kinder, more empathetic. When this doesn’t happen in literature—it’s shocking, even mind-bending. This novel is food-for-thought like few others! Soul-searching and ruminative, though fast-paced. A literary triumph!!



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