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  • The Secrets of the Notebook

  • A Woman's Quest to Uncover Her Royal Family Secret
  • Written by: Eve Haas
  • Narrated by: Jane Carr
  • Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (67 ratings)

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The Secrets of the Notebook cover art

The Secrets of the Notebook

Written by: Eve Haas
Narrated by: Jane Carr
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Publisher's Summary

“The beautiful owner of this book is dearer to me than my life - August your protector.” This one sentence was the key to a mystery involving some of the greatest and most infamous figures in European history, from Frederick the Great to Napoleon and Hitler - and solved by the author of this book.

Eve Haas is the daughter of a German Jewish family that took refuge in London after Hitler came to power. Following a terrifying air raid in the blitz, her father revealed the family secret - that her great-great grandmother Emilie was married to a Prussian prince. He then showed her the treasured leather-bound notebook inscribed to Emilie by the prince.

Her parents were reluctant to learn more, but later in life, when Eve was married and inherited the diary, she became obsessed with proving this birthright. The Secrets of the Notebook tells how she follows the clues, from experts on European royalty in London to archives in West Germany and then, under threat of being arrested as a spy by the Communist regime, to an archive in East Germany that had never before opened its doors to the West. What she unearths is a love story set against the upheaval of the Napoleonic wars and the anti-Semitism of the Prussian court - and a ruse that both protected Emilie’s daughter and probably condemned her granddaughter - Eve’s beloved grandmother, Anna - to death in the Nazi camps.

When first published in the UK, The Secrets of the Notebook was an Irish Times best seller. A movie based on the book is in production.

©2013 Eve Haas (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Secrets of the Notebook

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting Story

Loved that it was a true story written with so much love and passion. Consider it if you like historical reads.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I found it really boring.

I had to force myself to finish this one. It dragged on and on. Not my cup of tea.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So much better than the initial impression!

This was actually an excellent book, after you get past the first quarter, which started off a bit slow. There were definitely very gripping moments (imagine voluntarily going into East Germany, through Checkpoint Charlie, during the Cold War in pursuit of archives!). Lots of very interesting history here, and remarkable what the author was able to uncover.
The cover art of this book does it a great service: it looks like the kind of cover one sees on historical fiction, often not very good. As it is biographical, a photo of the notebook, or the author, or empty lot where the grand mansion/castle once stood would have been much better. Definitely don’t judge this book by its cover!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Historically very interesting but repetitive

The historical value is amazing but the repetition of some facts makes it less enjoyable

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Mixed feelings

I am not quite sure how to review this book. The story was interesting but ...
The book was based on the true story going back through history for more than 2 centuries. I think the story has an excellent base to be exciting and interesting, but it was mostly told in a passive voice without much suspense and excitement. Maybe with the help of a professional biographer and a better editing the story could be made into an excellent book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A great story

Easy to listen to. The story is remarkable. It was a privilege to experience the author’s journey to discover her family’s history, full of mystery and intrigue.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Middle of the Road

This was an Audible Plus category so I can't really complain. It was interesting to learn about the characters. The author just did not create the need for me to continue listening.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn’t stop listening

Such a beautiful story, filled with love, mystery, war and secrets. Adored everyone minute of it!

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