The Photographer’s Secret is the powerful new book from Ellie Midwood. A warning regarding sexual abuse is there at the beginning so people are aware and therefore the themes explored throughout the book are strong and for some will be triggering and therefore the warning is appreciated so readers can have time to prepare themselves. But really you can’t fully prepare for what you are about to read. The end note from the author had me stopping in my tracks and appreciating all the more the effort, dedication and sensitivity that went into the writing of this book. To be honest, I was anticipating the usual sort of book that I have come to expect from stories set during World War Two but this was totally different. A real eye opener and at times a very challenging and difficult read. This is not a story that you will race through. It is dark and heavy but the story did need to be told and the way in which it was, was fantastic and hard hitting. It really makes the reader sit up and think. I slowly made my way through this as I’ve stated it’s not something to be rushed through and then forgotten about. There are dark themes throughout as we follow the main character Maggie O’Sullivan through the last months of the war as she reports from the front for the American newspaper she works for.

Maggie is a journalist and photographer who is on a mission to expose the truth behind the evil inflicted by Hitler on so many innocent people. Back home in America there are many who do not believe what is being reported. They defy the existence of labour and extermination camps but Maggie with her camera alongside several other female journalists many of whom were based on real life people from that time, is determined to awaken the eyes of the American population. Maggie is an outstanding character and extremely well written. There are many sides to her. She has her sharp edges and the reasons for this and her mission become more evident and clear as the book progresses. She is not someone you can exactly warm to and I don’t think she was meant to be written as if she was. But you do feel empathy and solidarity as her story slowly starts to reveal itself.

The chapters throughout alternate between Maggie in the past when she was a young girl and the present day as she gets herself right into the heart of the unfolding situation of the last months of the war as she travels through Belgium and Germany. The chapters from her childhood without going into any detail because this would ruin the storyline are pivotal in explaining what motivates and drives her on in the present. In fact, it’s extremely difficult to say much without giving away crucial plot points and therefore running the reading experience for people. As I read the chapters based on her childhood things started to emerge that had me joining the dots and establishing connections and when I realised what exactly was going on and how this had such a devastating impact on her feelings of horror and disgust arose within me.

Maggie’s childhood and innocence were stolen from her and based on what we learn it’s very hard to come back from this and become a person who is not affected and can carry on their life as normal. Her sister Norma has her own situation which is equally as horrifying but and I know loved is the wrong word to use here but what else can I say but I did love how the connection between the sister and the main theme of the book came together. There was a particular chapter when Maggie explains why she is doing what she is during the war and although it was just explained within one paragraph. It was so powerful, raw and emotive and it helped me make sense of everything.

Maggie uses her photographs to document the good, the bad and the ugly sides of war and as she does so she edges ever closer to the real reason why she has come to Europe. She is on a personal mission and this has made her one very driven and determined young woman. Until she has the closure she so desperately seeks she will never rest. She places herself in dangerous situations and gets right to the heart of the fighting and its aftermath. There are awful descriptions of the brutality inflicted by the SS and the German soldiers but they need to be here as it helps the reader paint a bigger picture of Maggie and you understand her motivations much more and feel that yes she is doing the right thing. For herself and for her family. Maggie is stubborn, reckless , tough, passionate, fiery, careless and mad but I use all those adjectives in a good way. Without these characteristics she would have crumbled at the first hurdle. She writes the articles and photographs the scenes that others would have shied away from and yes in some ways she is hardened to what she is witnessing but she needs to be in order to keep motoring on until she reaches the source of her mission. Ultimately, so she can in some way attempt to right the wrongs of the past because until she does so there is a torment inside her that will always struggle to get out.

The pace of the book is slow and steady throughout and it needs to be. For to rush through the storyline would be an injustice to the themes and message being explored. Maggie needs all her courage and strength to venture down the dark path she knows is heading in her direction but if she can find the source and confront it then she will perhaps emerge stronger on the other side. She is shaped and moulded by her experiences, trauma and heartache but she will not let it always define and overtake her as it is threatening to do. By telling the stories of the men, women and children who have suffered during the war she is ever edging closer to her own truth and the confrontation that has needed to happen for many years. Whether she emerges victorious from it or not you will have to read to discover for yourself. There is a small element of romance in the book. It’s very much downplayed and there is a sense of ambiguity about it that had me thinking am I imagining it? Is it even there at all? I’m glad that this wasn’t the a major focus of the book and that it was left for the reader to decide the relevance of it or not.If it had been a domineering force it would have detracted from the overall themes and that would have been an injustice to Maggie and so many others.

The Photographer’s Secret, although not an easy read, is a must read. It can’t have been easy for Ellie Midwood to have written it but she should be proud of her accomplishment in giving the reader a stunning story full of anger, retribution, compassion and sacrifice. It’s packed full of emotion and is a compelling read that is hard hitting and will stay with you long after you have read the final word.

My first 2025 Bookouture Books on Tour Book Review. As always, I am so grateful.

Thank you so much, @bookouture & @netgalley, for gifting me a copy oF this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is such a powerful read. It will take some time to recover from reading this. These stories need to be told & are very confronting & need to be read with caution.

It's:
Historical Fiction,
Written with such sensitivity,
Horrors of war,
How anyone can find the strength to stand up for whats right,
Revenge,
Hope,
Resilence,
Love,
Kodak Camera,
Courage,
Family,
Secrets,
Heartbreaking
Sacrifice,
Pursuit for the truth,
Trauma,
Strength,
Emotional.

Maggie's hands tremble as she lowers her camera, unable to bear the little girls haunted eyes pleading at her from behind the gates. The camp is hell on earth. This roll of film is enough for the Nazis to kill her. She wont rest until the world knows the truth.

Germany, 1944: Nazi banners blowing in the wind, Maggie Sullivan takes her first steps into enemy territory. Armed only with a camera, a US press pass, she wont back down from danger. Close to her heart is a secret. She was born in Germany. Maggie & her mother were forced to flee Berlin, leaving her siblings behind. The US Army are her only protectors. She wakes each night in a cold sweat, wondering what will they do if they discover her past?

Maggie works tirelessly to prove the horrifying truth about what Nazi's are doing in the camps. An inscription on an officer's report grips her with fear. Her family's name. She's desperate to know more. It would risk her entire mission. She must save the innocent, even if it means letting the others know her secrets..

As she snaps her first shot of the camp, Maggie feels rough hands snatch the camera from her grip. Someone knows about her secret & if she's captured, her photos will never leave Germany. As Maggie fights to prove her innocence, will her story be lost forever?
Can she survive long enough to help free the prisoners in the camp & heal the trauma of her past?

?Whats your CR today

Instagram : @coffeeandpages2021

The Photographer's Secret by Ellie Midwood is one of those books that will stay with you forever. Maggie Sullivan is a photographer working for a paper in New York. City. Maggie is now on the front lines armed with her camera in 1944. She is there to document what is really happening by showing her story through her camera. Women are not supposed to be on the front lines and Maggie goes through a lot to be there. Maggie has a good reason for being there. Maggie was born in Germany and lived with her mother, her father, and infant twin boys. When Maggie was young her father started abusing her and by the time she was 4 years old it was almost daily! Maggie's mother became pregnant with another girl and decided she had to leave. One night after her husband had gone to work, Maggie and her mom left the house in Germany and never looked back. They couldn't manage to take the twin boys, but her mom knew they'd be okay.

Maggie and her mom arrived at Ellis Island and found a place in New York. A wonderful man saw they needed help and provided a doctor to help deliver the baby, rent so that they didn't have to worry about living on the streets, and food. This man became Maggie's true father and her Mom's new husband. Maggie grew up in a wonderful environment, but she never forgot the horrors of what she suffered through in Germany. That's why she goes back with her camera, but no one can ever find out that she's really German. She's traveling with the US Army and she is American in every way except where she was born. She wants to help the U.S. to bring down the Nazi regime even if she's only armed with a camera. Maggie also wants to try to find her father and her twin brothers while she's there. She wants to face her father and make him admit to what he did to her.

Will Maggie find her father? Will he admit to her what he did? Will he show remorse? Will she finally get to see her adult brothers? Will they be open to meeting her? The Photographer's Secret is an incredible book that will have you feeling the gamut of emotions as you root for Maggie to find some closure for everything she's been through. I rate The Photographer's Secret 4 stars with a high recommendation. Maggie's story is a story for all strong women who have lead the way for others. It's an inspirational yet heartbreaking story of one woman's journey to get answers. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of The Photographer's Secret in exchange for a fair review. #ThePhotographersSecret

This book was an emotional struggle. The multiple timelines, one of Maggie as a child, made me so upset and angry. Finding out Maggie’s reasons for becoming a war correspondent and wanting the be close to the front lines made so much sense.

Women war correspondents were so rare. I loved reading about the camaraderie they had with each other, the war sisters. They wanted to report everything they could even though the assignments they were given were for insignificant stories. And they were competing with each other. They all wanted to see each other succeed in such a male dominated world.

I couldn’t put this book down. As upset as it made me, I needed to see how it ended. Make sure you check the trigger warnings on this one, they play a major part in the story.

I'm reviewing this as part of a tour with Bookouture.

I was interested in this book, as I've read a few books by this author before, and I enjoyed them.

This WWII novel has a dual narrative, following a little girl named Grete, and an American journalist named Maggie. I was drawn in at the beginning, as I felt the writing had a beautiful, haunting quality about it that made me feel very connected to the characters and their emotions. I've found the same thing with the other books that I've read by this author as well.

Maggie was a strong lead character, and I was very interested in her. It seemed there was something from her past that she wanted to escape from. I felt compelled to keep reading, as I wanted to understand the connection between Maggie and Grete.

This was a compelling read that tugged at my heartstrings, and if you like historical novels, particularly set during WWII, you may enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

This historical fiction novel is so moving and explores challenging themes. But they are themes that should be explored over and over again until they are no longer happening. The author cleverly uses the backdrop of WW2 to explore toxic masculinity, inequality, child abuse, domestic abuse, sacrifice, justice and the horrors of the war. Some parts of the story are really impactful and are written with brutal clarity yet remain sensitive to the victims.

The story follows Maggie, a frontline photographer and journalist who wants the world to see the true horrors of war. But that is not the only motivation for her leaving the safety of the USA, she has a secret. One which will lead her to seek vengeance for horrors no one should suffer.

The story unfolds across two timelines, each one slowly revealing the reasons for Maggie's quest. I thought this was done really well. The child's voice was captured beautifully. Maggie is such a formidable woman, taking on whatever challenges stand in her way. She uses her strength of character to advocate for women and children unable to speak out.

It is hard to read this book without feeling emotional. It made me feel anger at how women and children were treated historically and how we still have a long way to go.

The Photographer's Secret by Ellie Midwood was a powerful and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time.
The authors research is clearly excellent as is the transfer of the facts to a wonderful fictional tale that held me in thrall from start to finish.
What a wonderful story of courage, bravery and love. This amazing story was heartbreaking and inspiring.

4⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of The Photographer’s Secret.

Maggie is a journalist in 1944 who travels to Germany to report on what is happening there. She puts herself in harms way to get the truth even when she is told women have no place there. She is on a mission to expose what is going on and she has another reason for being there that no one knows and could get her in trouble. She eill make him pay for what he did.

This book was a very difficult but important read. I would make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading. The main character was amazing and how her story unfolded was heartbreaking.

Maggie Sullivan is bold and fearless and never runs away from danger, she runs to it. She is determined to capture as many pictures as possible of what is really going on in the Nazi camps.

Maggie’s mission is to make sure the truth gets out as to what the Nazis are doing to so many innocent people. But she holds a secret that could change the course of her life, she was born in Germany. Now she is in the arms of safety of the U.S. Army but wonders what they will do if they discover her secret past.

The Photographer’s Secret, written by author Ellie Midwood, is both a wonderful and heartbreaking story of family, courage and risk. I loved the story of Maggie and her desire to do what ever it took to make the truth known.

Maggie showed such bravery when she was going into Berlin to find the man that abused her mother. She wanted revenge and would stop at nothing to get it.

This heartbreaking story is one that will require tissues, as you fly through the pages, and encourage Maggie to complete her mission no matter the cost. I highly recommend this fabulous and unputdownable story.

Sometimes you will see the word heartbreaking on a book cover and wonder if that word just gets overused. In reading this book, it truly was an apt description for how my heart felt as I read through this story,

The prologue of the book is set in Germany in the early thirties as the Nazi's are rising to power A mother takes her daughter and runs away from her home, leaving her husband an young sons behind as she heads for America. The author does give a trigger warning at the front of the book that difficult topics will be discussed and though details were not given graphically in the prologue, one could gather that there had to be serious reason for her to leave n such a way.

Maggie is the heroine of the story. She's independent and more than willing to stand up for herself and do a job that very few women were able or willing to do at the time. She is a photographer with an American Press pass who does her best to finagle her way to the front line of battle (despite orders from her bosses). Some people see her as a user, because she will attach herself to anyone who can help her achieve her goal, even if it puts others in danger. She is not the only female doing this, but each one works pretty much on their own but they stand by each other when help is needed.

Maggie has a secret. She was born in Germany. She speaks fluent German though she keeps very quiet about that. Maggie has two goals - to get to the front line and do her job the best she can and to track down the rest of her family who never left Germany and find out what they are up to. No one knows she has family to find, and if they did, they would put a stop to her search.

Her travels take her to Buchenwald Concentration camp, where she is one of the first to photograph the atrocities that are there for all to see. It was very emotional to read about the horrors and follow Maggie as she made her way through the camp. I don't want to give al the details of what happened to Maggie there, but it is edge of your seat captivating and gives the reader a whole different understanding of who Maggie is, and what drives her. As the war draws to a close, her job is not yet done and all will be revealed. This was an all nighter read for me.

Kudo's to the author for a great story and to the artist who designed the book cover. It grabbed me!

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for providing an ARC for me to read and review.

This book is not what I thought it would be about.
Midwood is a master at stripping away the veneer of civility and cutting straight to the core.
The topics are issues people ignored or shoved under the carpet 80 years ago.
I waffled back and forth about how I felt about Maggie. I didn’t like her for most of the book especially the way she handled certain things even as I understood the reasons for her actions.
Healing is a major theme of the book although the layers have to be Stripped back to get the full picture.

Plenty of tissues needed. It’s a very hard sensitive read due to what it’s about. However I feel we should be reading more about what went on there so it never happens again!

A really amazing book, although hard to read due to subject matter. The author did very well with the subject matter. Loved the dual timelines and Maggie. Very moving and emotional!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This is a dual-timeline story about Grete, a 4-year-old in Germany, and Maggie, an American reporter who has come to Germany to report on the war as a photographer and journalist. Maggie has a secret reason for being there which she keeps close to her heart.


The connection between Grete and Maggie is unclear at first. The author does a wonderful job revealing Maggie’s life and closely guarded secret. I loved Orso and her sister Norma and their support throughout her journey. The author does a wonderful job creating a complicated character battling her demons and trying to find closure with them as she also deals with the chaos of being near the front and documenting WWII.


Thanks to @bookouture, @netgalley, and the author for this arc.

trigger warning sexual assault is discussed which the author mentions at the beginning of the book

I have recently found that I love historical fiction especially based around WWII so I was super excited about reading this one. And it definitely didn't disappoint as I loved this one as well. I really liked Maggie and I did find it a little hard reading about what she went through as a small child but it did help to understand why she was the way she was as an adult. I liked the dual timeline but thought there could have been a little more story given for the current timeline as I would have loved to hear more about grownup Maggie.. The last few chapters did have me tearing up with all of the emotion she was able to give to characters. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set against the terrifying backdrop of Nazi Germany in 1944, this novel gave a powerful story of bravery, sacrifice, and the pursuit of truth.

Maggie Sullivan was an American photojournalist with a haunting past—one that tied her to the country she was documenting.

As Maggie bravely goes across enemy lines armed with her camera and press pass, the story unravelled tensely, keeping me eagerly reading.

Maggie’s dedication to exposing the horrors of Nazi camps was gut-wrenching.

The pacing was continuous, with twists that were shocking and inevitable. When Maggie’s camera was confiscated, the stakes soared, leading to a climax that left me upset and hopeful for Maggie.

This book was so emotional for me. The way Maggie was adamant and powered through her trauma was inspiring. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time

This was an emotional one. I had a caught throat and a few unscheduled tear duck leakages with this one.
The author has a amazing sense of what she was writing. And there was so much sensitively written pieces to this book. I'm in awe of how authors can write any of the stories they tell. But when it's something so harrowing and often disgusting as what happened in the war, I often don't know how they get it right. To add just the right touch of raw and grief. To add enough spirit and lightness. To get the characters sheer strength at a time they are all petrified. Well, our author has this perfected.
I can't give too much away really. Not without at every turn talking of spoilers.
Maggie had worked hard to flee her past and fight for her current. Bit she was always afraid it would catch up with her. So when her war work takes her to undergo great risk taking assignments she has more than the burden of the job at hand to contend with. She has her life.
But bravery in the war is never ending with our fellow people of that time. And Maggie is sure one of those who goes above and beyond for the greater good. Her pictures could save the lives of many. But if caught the end of her own.

This is a great historical fiction book for 2025. Maggie , a reporter in 1944 , she works as a war correspondent and photographer. On her own journey for herself and her sister . This is an emotional read and a heart wrenching read.

This dual timeline novel shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. Author Ellie Midwood has such a sharply beautiful way with words, each with its own reason to be there. Descriptions are vivid and unsettling and caused me to feel the gamut of emotions from disgust to heartbreak. Sexual abuse and the Holocaust in one book are tough to take and raw emotions and details are not glossed over. I had chills. I appreciate the sensitive and thoughtful way the author wrote about such difficult subjects.

Maggie was an intrepid freelance journalist and photographer who volunteered on the frontline during WWII. When crossing into enemy territory, what she and the US Army saw turned their stomachs. But she was compelled to get up close and personal to capture horror after horror, though at great personal risk. She saw the aftermath of a slaughter ambush and piles of skeletons at a killing camp. General Patton demanded that local civilians be forced to witness what the Nazis did to innocents at these camps. While snapping photographs, Maggie was caught. She realized that her darkest family secret was known by someone and she therefore had to confront trauma all over again. This was more than the war; this was her life.

Maggie's friend Orso and sister Norma were my favourite characters, both supportive and understanding. I appreciated the thought-provoking questions Maggie asked herself, woman or journalist? Personal or impartial?

Do know there is sexual assault which the author notes at the beginning so proceed with caution.

It was Germany in 1944, and Maggie Sullivan was a reporter on the front line, with a US press pass, and she was determined it would get her where she wanted to go. Maggie held a secret deep inside, an alternative reason for entering enemy territory as Germany surrendered. But it wasn't a secret she would tell anyone any time soon. With the US Army at her back, along with the other women correspondents who would all meet up when they could, Maggie used her Kodak to photograph the horrors of war. When the army along with the reporters and investigators arrived at the Burkenwald concentration camp, the devastation and horrors were mind boggling. And Maggie continued to take photos; proof of the atrocities of war. Would Maggie find what she was searching for? Would she get out of Germany and the war with her sanity intact?

The Photographer's Secret is another exceptional historical novel by Ellie Midwood which I found hard to read in places, and in others I raced through, eager to discover what was ahead. The author issues a warning at the beginning which I took note of. But it just doesn't prepare you sometimes. I've enjoyed a few of the author's books prior to this one, and will continue to look for her work. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read and review.