My Review:

This is a definite 5 star  read. A Page turner from start to finish. Gosia has such a way with words and her research is detailed, it makes you believe this is real history instead of historical fiction.  In this dual timeline you have to wonder who to trust?

The story is split between the 2^nd World War and present day. Set in Wartime Gruenberg, Germany and Present Day Zielona Gora.

Told from Babcia Rozalia’s perspective and that of her granddaughter Matylda.

Both ladies shared a very close bond, so when her grandmother passes at the fine age of 103 and leaves a collection of letters to be read by Matylda in a way of revealing her closely guarded secrets and explaining why she left 51% of her property to a german stranger named Tobias, with a number of conditions.

Her uncle Robert is in charge of  the distribution of the letters.

Rozalia was taken from her home town and sold in Germany as a slave worker.

How did she survive at the hands of the von Hagel’s and their vineyard.

Love, loss, betrayal and some ‘omg’ moments. A recommended read.

While Gosia Nealon is a proud New Yorker, she was born and raised in Poland. Her journey to the Big Apple revealed a wealth of cultural differences, but also the values that connect us all. Like the fierce desire to protect family, find love, and ultimately, discover who we are and why we’re here.
Gosia’s award-winning short stories have always delved into life’s biggest questions, but it was the drama, sacrifice, and tragedy of WWII that led her to pen her debut novel, which won a gold medal in the 2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY).
Growing up in Poland, Gosia heard many firsthand accounts of the war, told from a perspective rarely captured in mainstream literature. She was compelled to breathe life into two young people falling in love in the midst of the most terrifying conflict of our time.
When Gosia isn’t tapping away at her laptop, she’s often walking the streets of New York. With her husband and two young sons in tow, they search for the most succulent pierogi, transporting them back to the cobbled streets of her childhood.

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The Vineyard Secret

Gosia Nealon

• • Amazon: https://geni.us/B0GT14VM59social

Germany, 1945. I tiptoe across rows of symmetrical vines, my thin linen dress no protection against the whipping breeze. A cry echoes through the night, but when I reach the stream, my heart plummets. He isn’t here. And by the time I see the soldier, it’s already too late…

Present day. Devastated by the loss of the grandmother she adored, newly single Matylda escapes to the vineyard Rozalia called home to mend her twice-broken heart. Curled up beside the crackling fire, Matylda breathes in the scent of her childhood—woody vanilla mixed with lavender—and is filled with hope. But that shatters when she learns that the other half of her grandmother’s land has been left to a stranger…

“Welcome to our home”, Matylda says coolly to Tobias von Hagel, his blue eyes fixed on her as they hear the terms of Rozalia’s will: they must share the house for thirty days or forfeit their half. Who is this sullen man? And why would her grandmother insist on them living together like this?

Matylda throws herself into life on the vineyard, picking and crushing grapes from sunrise to sunset. But no matter how much she tries to avoid him, Tobias is always there. And as his fingers brush hers as they silently work the land together, Matylda feels herself warming to him. Until she uncovers a devastating truth: the von Hagels were the Nazi family who kidnapped her grandmother, forcing her to labor in these very fields.

Dumbfounded, Matylda can’t imagine how Rozalia could return to this place after the war. And why would she reward the grandson of her tormentor with her beloved house? As deep-rooted secrets from Rozalia’s life surface, Matylda must ask herself: how well did she really know her grandmother—and can she survive the truth hidden amongst the twisting vines?

A totally heartbreaking read about family secrets and forbidden love, by Polish American writer Gosia Nealon. Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lorna Cook and The Letter.

What readers are saying about The Vineyard Secret:

“Easily one of my favourite books of 2026 so far—an absolute 5-star read… gripping… filled with buried family trauma, painful truths, and secrets… completely impossible to put down… had me tearing up… heartbreaking… This was emotional, immersive, and unforgettable. Gosia Nealon has officially become an auto-buy author for me.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“One word for this book… Stunning! It’s my favourite book of 2026 so far. I could not put this book down I was so invested… utterly gripping… full of heartbreak, love, loss, tragedy and buried secrets… totally deserves 5 stars… Just wow, it was incredible!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I was completely invested… I kept thinking I had things figured out and then another reveal would smack me in the face… WOW… had me fully locked in the entire time.” heidireadsitall, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Heartbreaking… I loved every bit of it… This was my first book by Gosia Nealon and it definitely won’t be my last!” fiction.fellowship, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Completely broke my heart…I couldn’t put it down… heartbreaking… will undoubtedly stay with me for a long time… phenomenal.” carolines_pageturners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I have read every book by Nealon, and this is my new favorite… tugs at your heart… gripping… my heart was so invested.” stamperlady50, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Loved this!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I absolutely devoured this… clear your afternoon to read this one straight through.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Will break your heart… You will want to read this one twice.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• ISBN: 9781805506379Publication Date: 09 June 2026