Publication Date: June 9, 2026
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.
Puzzled and hurt by the terms of her grandmother’s will, Matylda follows the clues in a series of letters to unlock secrets from the past regarding the beloved vineyard.
Author Gosia Nealon delivers a heartbreaking story of World War II in The Vineyard Secret. At the center is a story of a young Polish girl named Rozalia who is snatched by the Germans as forced labor.
The story centers around the fragile relationships—and even love—that can form under tragic circumstances. As Matylda reads the letters, she finds her heart opening toward Tobias, whose family originally owned the vineyard.
Betrayal and secrets come to light as Matylda discovers an ill-fated love that her grandmother could never speak of. Two generations later, it’s up to Matylda and Tobias to determine what happens next.
The Vineyard Secret highlights forbidden love under tragic circumstances.
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.
