July 30, 2025: Histria Books is pleased to announce the release of The Secret Ranch by Hillary Tiefer. This historical novel is published by Histria Fiction an imprint of Histria Books dedicated to outstanding original works of fiction.
Set in both the 1940s and 2006, The Secret Ranch follows 85-year-old Jean Warner as she reflects on her time in the Women’s Army Corps, where she worked as a code interceptor at the top-secret Two Rock Ranch Station near Petaluma, California. When a journalist becomes interested in her story, Jean revisits her wartime experiences, deciphering enemy Morse Code, navigating a difficult friendship with a fellow WAC, and managing a fraught romance with a soldier, all while worrying about her brothers on the front lines.
As Jean reconnects with her past, she begins to see her life in a new light, gaining a deeper understanding of herself and finding common ground with her adult daughter, who has long believed her mother led a faultless life.
Readers’ Favorite calls it “A unique historical novel that introduces fresh perspectives to the genre. While I was immersed in the setting, it was the grit and courage of the women serving during the war that captivated me. This novel is impeccably written.”
Hillary Tiefer has a PhD in English and has taught at Southern Oregon University and other colleges in the Pacific Northwest. Her latest short story is in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. (Sept./Oct. 2025 edition). Her novel, Lily’s Home Front, was published in 2018. Her essays on the author Thomas Hardy have been published in scholarly journals. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and has three sons. She volunteers for animal and environmental causes.
The Secret Ranch, by Hillary Tiefer, 243 pp., ISBN 978-1-59211-559-4, is available at HistriaBooks.com and from all major book retailers. The book is also available in eBook. Titles published under the various imprints of Histria Books are distributed worldwide by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG). For information on publishing with Histria Books, please visit HistriaBooks.com or contact us at info@histriabooks.com.