100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

Her Mother's Secret

4.22 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 2,186 ratings, 203 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Her Mother's Secret by Natasha Lester is a captivating tale set against the backdrop of the glamorous 1920s and post-war 1940s. It follows the journey of a young woman named Leonora who dreams of creating her own cosmetics line. As she navigates through personal and societal challenges, the story weaves together themes of ambition, love, and the pursuit of dreams amidst secrets that could change everything.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy compelling historical fiction infused with romance and family secrets. You might be captivated by the intertwining lives of courageous women set against the backdrop of 20th-century societal shifts. If you appreciate stories rich with emotion and resilient characters pursuing their dreams, this might be just the book for you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

1918, England. Armistice Day should bring peace into Leonora's life. Rather than secretly making cosmetics in her father's chemist shop to sell to army nurses such as Joan, her adventurous Australian friend, Leo hopes to now display her wares openly. Instead, Spanish flu arrives in the village, claiming her father's life. Determined to start over, she boards a ship to New York City. On the way she meets debonair department store heir Everett Forsyth. In Manhattan, Leo works hard to make her cosmetics dream come true, but she's a woman alone with a small salary and a society that deems make-up scandalous.

1939, New York City. Everett's daughter, Alice, a promising ballerina, receives a mysterious letter inviting her to star in a series of advertisements for a cosmetics line. If she accepts, she will be immortalized like dancers such as Zelda Fitzgerald, Josephine Baker, and Ginger Rogers. Why, then, are her parents so quick to forbid it?

Her Mother's Secret is the story of a brave young woman chasing a dream in the face of society's disapproval.

'If you enjoy historical fiction (and even if you don't) you will love this book' SALLY HEPWORTH

'Had me at page one. This book should come with a 'Do Not Disturb' sign' VANESSA CARNEVALE

'Lester's storytelling is truly captivating; her voice an essential addition to Australian fiction' AUSROM TODAY

'The vivid detail of the narrative has the ring of authenticity and is utterly compelling' Good Reading

'A delightful and multi-faceted romp through the jazz era ... Her Mother's Secret is a sweeping historical saga about an inspiring woman tackling society's expectations head on, war paint and all' NATALIE SALVO

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Her Mother's Secret by Natasha Lester is praised for its strong-willed and determined heroine, with an inspiring journey that resonates with readers. Reviewers commend Lester's engaging writing style and her talent for creating relatable characters, likening her to Louisa May Alcott. Set in the roaring twenties New York, the narrative is lauded for its rich layers and depiction of a woman's ambitions in a male-dominated world.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780733643736

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 January 2020

Country: Australia

Imprint: Hachette Australia

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 29.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 400

About the Author

Natasha Lester is the international bestselling author of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald, Her Mother's Secret, The Paris Seamstress, The French Photographer, The Paris Secret, The Riviera House, The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre and The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, and a former marketing executive for L'Oreal. Her novels have been translated into 21 languages and are published all around the world. Her eighth novel, The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard, was longlisted for the 2024 ARA Historical Novel Prize.

When she's not writing, she loves collecting vintage fashion, practising the art of fashion illustration and reading about history. Natasha is a sought-after public speaker and lives with her husband and three children in Perth, Western Australia.

For all the latest news from Natasha, visit natashalester.substack.com, subscribe to her newsletter Bijoux, follow her on Instagram (natashalesterauthor), or join the readers who have become Natasha's friend on Facebook.

Also by Natasha Lester

View all
  • The Mademoiselle Alliance
    How did a young Parisienne mother, celebrated for her beauty and glamour, come to lead the largest spy network in France? A powerful, heartbreaking historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author. Morocco, 1928. Eighteen-year-old Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine is not the kind of woman who goes through life sitting down, something her new husband can attest. Her unconventionalitiesβ€”rally car driving,...
    Paperback
    $2900
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • What is Left Over, After (New Edition)
    From the author of The Paris Secret comes a modern tale of love and second chances. Gaelle has a dream job working for a fashion magazine and a husband who loves her. Life should be perfect, but life does not always go according to plan. Feeling lost and alone, Gaelle flees to a tiny seaside town on the other side...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3700
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • If I Should Lose You
    From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre and What Is Left Over After comes a modern story of motherhood, resilience and compassion. Camille works as an organ transplant nurse, counselling families through heart-rending decisions. But at home, her own daughter Addie is critically ill. When an invitation to curate an exhibit arrives from...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The French Photographer
    Inspired by the incredible true story of Lee Miller, Vogue model turned one of the first female war photojournalists, the new novel by the bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress. Paris, 1942: When Jessica May's successful modelling career in Manhattan is abruptly cut short, she is assigned to the war in Europe as a photojournalist for Vogue. But when she...
    Paperback
    $2799
    (1)
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Paris Seamstress
    How much will a young Parisian seamstress sacrifice to make her mark in the male-dominated world of 1940s New York fashion? From the author of A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald and Her Mother's Secret. 1940. Parisian seamstress Estella Bissette is forced to flee France as the Germans advance. She is bound for Manhattan with a few francs, one suitcase, her...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Paris Secret
    A wardrobe of Dior gowns, a secret kept for sixty-five years, and the three women bound forever by war... from the New York Times bestselling author of THE FRENCH PHOTOGRAPHER. England, 1939: Talented pilot Skye Penrose joins the British war effort where she encounters her estranged sister, Liberty, and childhood soulmate Nicholas Crawford, now engaged to enigmatic Frenchwoman Margaux Jourdan....
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Riviera House
    Paris, 1939 When Nazis occupy the city, Eliane Dufort is heartbrokenβ€”her lover flees for England and her family to the country. She finds herself working at the Louvre on a dangerous secret mission for the French Resistance: to record the priceless national treasures the Germans are stealing. Present Day Desperate to escape her grief, Remy Lang leaves her life in...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Three Lives of Alix St Pierre
    'Page-turning . . . Rich with intrigue and laced with secrets' The Australian Women's Weekly 'Luxuriant and opulent, just like Dior's glorious gowns. A sweeping story of love, betrayal and one woman's struggle to find her place in the world. An engrossing and beautiful read' TANIA BLANCHARD 'A thrilling read' RUTH DRUART 'Sparkling and complex, like vintage Champagne . ....
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • A Kiss from Mr Fitzgerald
    If you loved The Paris Wife and Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, you will devour this deliciously evocative love story of a small-town girl with big ambitions in 1920s New York. Selected by Dymocks as one of the BEST BOOKS OF 2016. It's the roaring twenties in the Manhattan of gin, jazz and prosperity. Women wear makeup and hitched...
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • On Sale
    13% off
    The Chateau on Sunset
    Epic Love. Tragic Loss. Beautiful Friendship. The entrancing story of an orphan who grows up surrounded by the beautiful and the broken in the world's most infamous hotel. After her parents' deaths, Aria Jones is sent to live with her reclusive starlet aunt at the Chateau Marmont, the hotel on Hollywood Boulevard with a notorious reputation. Left alone to wander...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Disappearance of Astrid Bricard
    Vogue meets Daisy Jones & The Six with incisive observations about women's roles as muse and inspiration - and what price they pay when they dare to create for themselves β€” KATE QUINN History said she was just a man's muse. History was wrong. In 1970s New York, a young designer will do whatever it takes to make her mark...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Mademoiselle Alliance: Inspired by a true story
    'An incredible story of courage, devotion and daring, filled with vivid prose and rich detail. A must-read' CHANEL CLEETON 'Natasha Lester uncovers stories of women from history and drapes them in velvet' The Australian Women's Weekly From Australian bestseller Natasha Lester, an epic, sweeping novel of one young woman who risks everything to lead the largest spy network in occupied...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

More from General Fiction

View all
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people β€” but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (5)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    On Mystic Lake
    One of the greatest storytellers of our time - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school in England. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Left alone in the beautiful California house which was once a home, Annie...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Land
    Inspired by the mapping of Ireland in the mid nineteenth century, Land, theΒ new novel from the author of Hamnet, is at once intimate and epic: a portrait of a family navigating a legacy of upheaval and loss with love and hope. On a windswept peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, TomΓ‘s and his reluctant son,Β Liam, are working for the great...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Signed Bookplate
    New Release
    Light Wielder
    THE EPIC CONCLUSION TO METAL SLINGER, AKA THE BOOK WITH THE PLOT TWIST THAT BROKE THE INTERNET Sail the seas. Master the blade. Protect your heart. What would you do to have it all? READERS ARE GOING WILD FOR *METAL SLINGER* β€˜The BEST plot twist to ever grace my Kindle’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ β€˜The author is a mastermind. Romantasy is back!!!!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set
    The Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set by Brandon Sanderson is a landmark fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. Renowned for its innovative magic system, intricate world-building, and compelling characters, this trilogy is a must-have for any fantasy enthusiast. Immerse yourself in a world shrouded in ash, where a once-hopeful land is ruled by the tyrannical Dark Lord, known as the...
    Set
    $6499
    Elsewhere:
    $7500
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Project Hail Mary
    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL A BARACK OBAMA READING PICK A lone astronaut. An impossible mission. An ally he never imagined. 'The most enjoyable hard SF I have read in years' GUARDIAN 'Weir's finest work to date... This is the one book I read last year that I am certain I can recommend to anyone, no matter who, and know...
    Paperback
    $2099
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Deal
    Welcome to Briar U! Get ready for your newest obsession . . . Discover the addictive world of the Off-Campus series from The Queen of Hockey Romance, Elle Kennedy! Read The Deal now for the perfect fake-dating romance! She's about to make a deal with the college bad boy . . . Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    The Bookshop Detectives 3: Murder and Mojitos
    Art Deco glamour, a Cuban crime queen and a grammar-obsessed killer collide in the #1 best-selling Bookshop Detectives’ high-stakes final instalment. The Bookshop Detectives are on the case! Booksellers Garth and Eloise Sherlock (and their cowardly dog, Stevie) have been roped into hosting Murder and Mojitos, a glamorous Art Deco festival event starring Cuba’s queen of crime fiction. Between flapper...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    The Wrath of the Fallen
    SAMKIEL AND DIANNA WILL RETURN in the next sizzling, dark romantasy series from Amber V. Nicole. EPIC. SPICY. ADDICTIVE. Embrace the darkness . . . 'If you like romantasy, read this!' RAVEN KENNEDY 'A wicked ride from beginning to heart-shattering end. Leaving me literally screaming for more' HANNAH NICOLE MAERHER 'This is perfection. Amber Nicole's Dianna is the FMC of...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE β€” Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE β€” Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE β€” Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS β€” Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale β€” Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.