Chateau of Secrets by Melanie Dobson is a fascinating historical fiction novel with two connected stories, occurring seventy years apart, being told a chapter at a time. One story takes place in France in the 1940s, during WWII; the other takes place in 2014 in Richmond, VA and eventually in France as well.

Chloe’s life isn’t going exactly as she had imagined – her fiance isn’t the person she thought he was, and her family’s history is filled with mysteries that her grandmother continues to reference vaguely in her dementia. Chloe has an opportunity to go to France to help with a documentary being made which includes stories from her family’s chateau near Normandy, and while she is there she begins to unlock the secrets of her grandmother’s involvement in WWII.

I really enjoyed this book! It kept my attention throughout; and, because each story was told in alternating chapters, the suspense continued to build as the stories became increasingly intertwined. It’s a beautiful story of redemption, of grace, of standing up for what is right no matter the consequences. It also gives a glimpse into what life was like in Nazi-occupied France during WWII – a perspective that is not frequently discussed. We must never forget what happened to the Jewish people during this terrible war, and fiction like this helps to remind us.

I received this book from Howard Books in exchange for my honest review.