A story of a hidden village deep in the woods to protect people from the Nazis.

I enjoyed this story. You know there were hidden communities in the woods of Jewish people and those on the run from the Nazis. I liked the little details of how the village was created and hidden. It started to drag a bit and left a few things loose, but overall it was good. I didn’t like how the story stopped and then went to 20 years in the future but I liked getting a few things resolved with it. The narrator did a good job.

I’m always looking for wartime historical fiction as I’m fascinated by the time period, and this novel was a brilliant addition to my reading collection!
Emotional and engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

This was a little difficult getting into as an audiobook because I had trouble remembering the characters. Once I got the characters straight in my mind, I really enjoyed the book. I had not read about the war from the perspective of Holland. This is a good historical fiction read told in dual timelines.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews.

The very beginning of the book appeared to be a YA novel, but I’m glad that I stuck to it. In Holland during 1943 Holland, the village steps up to help the Jewish community to hide from Nazi’s by creating a village in the woods. Creating huts and hidden homes, the Jewish people have an opportunity to hide from the Nazi’s. Enter Sophie, a young woman whose parents send into the village to hide. How do you live when away from friends and family. She was always worried about the Nazi’s find her, but she is safe. However, is she? The Nazi’s are hearing more and more about this hidden village and are determined to discover it. Sofie is faced with a decision that could hurt the village and possibly save herself. What will she do?

I am glad that I stayed with the book. It’s a very good WWII book. If you enjoy this genre, be sure to pick it up. It is free at Kindle Unlimited and 3.99 to purchase.

The narration really suited this story and it was so well researched but did not feel like a non-fiction. It really flowed and although I knew what happened in the end, it was good how the author played with it.

I liked the dual timelines.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

"The Hidden Village" by Imogen Matthews is based on actual events that took place during WWII in Holland. While the concept of this village is in fact a real location hidden by a group of Dutch resistance fighters to protect their Jewish neighbors, the characters and their experiences have been fictionalized.
The pacing in this book can seem a bit unbalanced however the last third of the book picks up and then comes to an abrupt end. I walked away feeling that there was missed opportunity to build on a greater story with Sofie. Even though I have my own misgivings about The Hidden Village, I intend on recommending this book to anyone who has an interest in the time period.

This book was originally published in 2017, I was given the opportunity of reading this book for the first time as an audiobook. Antonia Whillans carries the entire story beautifully.
Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an engaging and compelling story of what life was like in a small village in Holland during World War II. It is a fictional story but is based on real events.

There is a palpable sense of tension throughout; you really get a sense of the fear amongst a village population trying to keep their fellow human beings, who just happen to be Jewish and the odd downed airman, safe from the clutches of the Nazis whilst putting their own lives and the lives of their families at significant risk.

The story is told through the eyes of various villages of different ages and of Dutch and Jewish perspectives. This really helps to provide a full picture of what life was like for each of the individuals at this horrendous time; the bravery of them all astounds me. Amongst all this, is a look into "normal" life and the trials and tribulations of trying to survive in occupied and war-torn Holland.

The story moves on at a fairly good pace. I listened to the audio version of this book and realised that I was on tenterhooks all the time knowing that something could happen at any moment but not knowing what. I must applaud the narrator; there are quite a few characters, male and female, young and old, but she did a great job.

If I have one gripe it's that I felt it ended rather suddenly and, I feel, left some things unfinished - maybe there is a Book 2 to come? If so, I would be interested in reading/listening to find out more.

My thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Keep Them safe

Holland is overrun by the Nazi soldiers. The Jewish population fear for their lives and the lives of their children. One village decides to help them at the risk of their own lives and those of their own children. First they hide the Jewish in attics and cellars and sheds, then they decide to build a village of huts far back in the woods where they can be hidden from the Nazi's. They call this village Berkenhout.

Many of the Jewish are at first fearful of staying in the village, but soon adapt to life there, even Sofie who misses her friends and her home. Her family sends her away after they are visited by the Nazi's. Oscar and Jan are two brother's that help other villagers keep the secret of the village and help supply them with company and food.

Hank Hauer is in charge of looking after the needs of the village as he has a van and the means to travel in his job. However, the villagers grow wary of him when they hear of his dealings with the Germans. Can he be trusted?

Jan is a young man that dreams of finding a downed pilot. He finds Donald McDonald in the woods. This find leads to catastrophe. It only takes one small mistake to bring the German's to the village and the Jewish people hiding there.

In a time of great peril to all, who can be trusted? Who will survive the end of the war and who will not. Will the German's find the village?

I loved the story and the courage of these young people and all the people of this village in Holland that helped build a safe place for the Jewish people and found supplies to keep them fed and warm in their huts. The co-operation between the village people to build and run this village was enormous. As more and more people came they struggled to make room for everyone.

As more people arrived and the word got out in the Jewish community, the Nazi's heard rumors and they were determined to find this hidden village no matter what.

It was a good book, I loved all the characters and enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book. The audio books was very well narrated and a joy to listen to.

Thanks to Imogene Matthews for writing a great story, to Antonia Whillans for a great job narrating it, to Bookouture audio for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available to me to enjoy.

This book was excellently narrated. The storyline was intriguing and gets you very involved in wanting to find out what happens to the characters. A big 5 stars from me.

I never cease to be amazed at the true stories of courage and heroism displayed by ordinary people during the Holocaust; these stories continue to come to light and I can only imagine how many more have yet to be told. One small Dutch town took the extraordinary step of creating an entire village for their Jewish neighbors, deep in the forest. Matthews takes this incredible true story and makes it the basis for her novel about a Jewish family who know they are about to be found by Nazis. With space for only one more “resident”, Sofie’s parents make the agonizing decision to send their daughter there, praying she escapes the horrors that await the rest of them. Incredibly moving and a reminder of how lucky we truly are