Reviews

Eighty-five-year-old Jean Warner is confronted with the ghosts of her past when a journalist requests to write about her time as a World War II code interceptor. As Jean reflects on her journey to become an expert in Japanese Morse Code, she recalls the intense pressures of war and the personal challenges she faced. Through the years, Jean has harbored the pain of lost love and the devastating guilt over her brother's death, a burden she has kept hidden. However, when her daughter Carolyn, who is facing a difficult divorce, seeks solace in her mother’s seemingly perfect past, Jean decides to reveal the truth about her own mistakes and heartaches. As she confronts the ghosts of her past, Jean struggles to understand herself and the importance of her bond with Carolyn in this poignant story of loss, revelation, and resolution. -Maryka Biaggio, award-winning author of The Model Spy

​

The Secret Ranch by Hillary Tiefer is a well-researched novel that draws us into the tumultuous lives of Jean Warner and her daughter Carolyn. This story is more than merely an engrossing family drama, or an exploration of the complex mother-daughter relationships, strong friendships, and ill-fated romances of these two headstrong women; although it is, indeed, all of those things. It’s also a much-needed narrative of the smart members of the Women's Army Corps, who affected the world behind-the-scenes during World War Two, that our history books forgot to mention. Similar to The Only Woman in the Room, Hidden Figures, and The Nightingale, this novel layers era-specific details and ethics into its characters’ tales, making the friendships and family challenges come to life. Hillary Tiefer’s historical fiction introduces us to characters we both root for and learn from. - Debby Dodds, author of Amish Guys Don’t Call and Beyond Where Our Monsters Lie

​

This novel, set on the West Coast of the United States during World War II, follows Jean Warner, a young woman helping to intercept enemy secrets in the Women's Army Corps. As we follow Jean's story, we understand more deeply the power of secrets, both from a national standpoint and within interpersonal relationships. The novel's prose is a delight, illuminating at turns the evanescent beauty of nature and the vulnerability in human interactions. In particular, we learn about mother-daughter relationships and how shame is transmuted to intimacy when we risk divulging our secrets to those we love. -Karla Bennett Brunner, Professor of English (retired)

​​

The Secret Ranch by Hillary Tiefer is a dual-timeline historical novel about a young woman who joins the Women’s Army Corps during World War Two. Jean is driven to help the war effort and support her brothers who both serve in the Pacific Theater. She becomes a talented code breaker and makes important contributions to the defeat of Japan by intercepting and translating enemy transmissions. This novel is a tribute to American women in World War II—those who fought to make a difference on the world stage despite the constraints of society and family pressure. It is an important tale of courage and self-discovery. –Suzanne Parry, author of Lost Souls of Leningrad

​

The Secret Ranch by Hillary Tiefer is a rollicking adventure that will delight readers with its little-known history, vibrant setting, and vivid characters. Life doesn't stop when a war begins, and The Secret Ranch weaves messy family relationships, matters of the heart, and wartime tragedy and sensibility with riveting precision. -Jennifer M. Lane, Author of Downriver and Of Metal and Earth

 

Hillary Tiefer tells the absorbing and heart-wrenching story of Jean Kimball, a Women’s Army Corps soldier who intercepted enemy codes during World War II. Jean, who struggles to please her mother, looks for love while working to end the war so her two brothers can return home safely. After six decades of being silent, Jean grapples emotionally about revealing her secret work at Two Rock Ranch and her relationship with a handsome soldier during the war to a journalist. The author does a compelling job capturing the life experience of a fiercely dedicated woman soldier. -Denise Yaffe PhD, Editor of Wordsmiths and Author of Earth Kids: Environmental Superheroes

 

The Secret Ranch sweeps readers into the little-known world of WW II’s heroines. Follow Tiefer’s deeply woven protagonist through her personal trials in the WAC. I enjoyed learning more about the Pacific Theater. A joy to read. - Sandra Haynie, Attorney/Writer