“The family she never knew. A tragic secret that will change her life”

..

Occasionally, it is good to slow the pace right down, be prepared to suspend belief a little unless you are a great believer of coincidences or sixth sense, grab a handful of tissues, curl up with a hot chocolate and some comfort snacks, and just go with the flow!

So, here’s a short taster of what to expect from your journey…

..

Thea works as a school secretary in London, who believes herself to be in love with art teacher Adam, although when he mentions settling down with her and includes marriage and children in the equation, Thea inexplicably panics, tells him it’s all over, and takes flight for the summer.

She has no one she can confide in about her mixed feelings and muddled emotions, as there was only ever her and Maggie, her rather self-centred, bohemian mother, who now lives in New York with her latest partner.

Heading for the coast of somewhere – anywhere, she pitches up in Bear Cave, North Wales, where she spots ‘The Hideaway’ for rent. It is a small, remote and rather dilapidated cottage, complete with outside privy, no wi-fi or mobile phone signal, and its own jetty on the riverbank, but Thea is in love with it.

Out of the blue she gets a phone call from Maggie telling her that her grandfather Harry has died, and she wants Thea to return to London to represent her at the funeral. Given that she had always been led to believe that both her grandparents had been deceased for years, Thea is even more amazed to discover she also has a grandmother, Hedi, a nonagenarian who wants nothing more than to follow the love of her life into the next world.

Social Services threaten to take Hedi into care because of her strange behaviour, so on the spur of the moment Thea offers Hedi a place to stay for the summer at ‘The Hideaway’, which she accepts. Hedi and Thea immediately begin to forge a strong familial bond, although both are tested when Thea is caught in the act of prying into her grandmother’s personal belongings and Hedi’s acerbic tongue and nasty temper come to the fore.

An unusually contrite Hedi accepts Thea’s abject remorse and apology, deciding it is time to reveal the secrets her battered brown suitcase holds, which so shaped her life and are the root cause of her falling out with Maggie, resulting in Maggie leaving the family home, taking Thea with her when she was only a toddler.

In a series of all-night sessions, sat in deckchairs down on the jetty, with copious amounts of red wine being consumed, Hedi and Harry’s story slowly and painfully unfolds. Tears are shed as memories are laid bare, recriminations are aired, and a lifetime of guilt and shame is put to rest. Thea gets to understand that there is more to her own mother than she could ever have guessed and quickly realises that Maggie and Hedi are two of a kind, both stubborn and intransigent, which is why they never saw eye to eye on things.

Hedi has far more surprises up her sleeve, including a revelation about Harry and their early life together, which stuns Thea, who had only ended up at Bear Cave by accident – or so she imagines!

An unexpected visitor arrives unannounced, and more tears are shed, this time of joy.

Will there be happy endings? You’ll just have to wait and see… but keep those tissues handy is my advice!

..

This wonderful dual timeline story, narrated by three of the characters, was told in short, well signposted chapters, which kept things moving along at a steady pace and had me turning the pages ever faster, needing to know what happened next.

Rich in atmosphere, multi-layered, highly textured, poignant and evocative, there is a compelling and compassionate honesty and integrity in this immersive storyline. The way in which Norma presents some of the socially unacceptable consequences of war and the unseen trauma they can heap on the human psyche, is perceptive, sensitive and well considered, without ever becoming preachy or prescriptive.

The destructive power of keeping secrets and not having any dialogue, is also examined, with the long-term effects this has on three generations of strong-minded, stubborn and resilient women. The liberating freedom they experience when barriers are broken down and the truth is out there, is a completely game-changing experience and instantly draws them closer together as a family, albeit briefly… All that time wasted!

Whilst, so far as I can establish, Bear Cave village is a fictional location, it didn’t take too much detective work to establish roughly whereabouts I was, as soon as Hedi arrived and knew so much about other nearby popular areas, which having been to them several times myself, I also know quite well. The descriptive narrative drew me in and painted the scene beautifully, so my ‘armchair journey’ to North Wales was indeed most satisfactory.

The cast of characters was quite large; however, author Norma Curtis took plenty of time to describe and draw them authentically and in great detail. They were an evolving, complex jigsaw of human emotions, often unreliable, vulnerable and volatile; yet always raw, passionate, genuine and believable to the roles in which they had been cast, which made them totally addictive.

My first book by this new to me author, but will it be my last? I don’t think so, as a couple of her previous novels have already magically appeared on my ‘wish list’!

What typically makes reading such a wonderful experience for me, is that with each and every book, I am taken on a unique and individual journey, by some amazing authors who fire my imagination, stimulate my senses and stir my emotions.

Thanks for some lovely memories to treasure, Norma.

Norma Curtis' The Hideaway is the story of Thea and her grandmother Hedi. When Thea starts her summer break, she has no idea how much her life is going to change. I voluntarily read this complimentary copy of this lovely, heartbreaking and heartwarming, well-written book. If you love historical fiction, this one is for you!

Thea is shocked to discover that her grandmother Hedi is alive when her mother had always said she died years ago. Her grandfather Harry only died a few days earlier and Thea is sad at the lost opportunity. She is keen to develop a relationship with Hedi and is shocked by the secrets that Hedi and Harry have kept for decades.
The Hideaway is a dual timeline novel set in Wales and Germany in the present day and 1945.
Thea is at a crossroads in her relationship: he wants more commitment and she doesn't. She rents a property in Wales to collect her thoughts but invites Hedi to join her when she discovers her existence. Hedi reveals the love story that started in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp but which she has never been able to share with her estranged daughter.
The brutality of the camp and the shocking conditions and circumstances after liberation make for difficult and emotional reading. The women endure appalling conditions However, the cameraderie and hope as well as knowing that Hedi survives and lives a long happy life, lift the overall tone of the book.
In the present day, Thea and Hedi have a wonderful time getting to know each other and creating happy memories. Both of them have a stilted relationship with Maggie but Thea hopes she can reconcile her mum and grandmother before it is too late. There are two instances when Hedi lashes out with physical violence. She has bottled things up for so long and regrets her actions but I can understand why she wanted to protect her daughter from the truth.
The Hideaway is a beautifully written novel about love, grief and family.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one sitting as I sat and enjoyed a nice cool breeze on a summer day. So many books set in the World War II timeframe are about a wider range of time. This story belongs to one couple Hedi and Harry. I really enjoyed their story, and as it was told over a dual timeline story with Thea and Hedi in the present and Hedi and Harry in the past. Even though the story was fictional, it was still a nice story to read, showing that hope and love existed everywhere.

The Hideaway by Norma Curtis is fantastic historical fiction written with a dual timeline. Thea is on summer holiday from her job at the local school. She's having a bit of a personal crisis and decides to get away from it all. Thea finds herself stumbling into a tiny town and is inexplicably drawn to a nearly hidden, somewhat ramshackle house that is available to rent.
Heidi is a 90 year old woman dealing with her own personal crises after the death of her husband. She has no will to live.
Thea's mother Maggie has told Thea that her grandparents are dead. So when she gets a call from her mother asking her to attend the service for her grandfather, she's a bit of a shock. And when she shows up at the funeral and meets her grandmother, Heidi is also shocked.
Both are in for a bit of an adventure and a long walk down memory lane when Pandora's Box in the form of Heidi's suitcase is opened.
Mind each of these women, the potential grandmother granddaughter relationship coma be exactly what each of them need right now? And mind that relationship be just the bridge to bringing Maggie back to both women?
This touching story is beautifully written moving back-and-forth from World War II era to present time.
The moral of the story - it's never too late!

This is a beautiful story of three generations of women who have been estranged for years but find their way back to each other. Hedi Fischer is ninety and has just lost her husband, Harry. She is lost and decides she is ready to die. Social services steps in and calls Hedi’s granddaughter, Thea. She’s never even met Hedi but she can’t just leave the woman to fail. Thea has just left her boyfriend and moved into a small cottage to find out what she wants in life. She decides to bring Hedi to live with her. During their time together Hedi opens up about her past, how she met Harry when she was imprisoned in a concentration camp in World War II.
I really enjoyed this book! Hedi is a strong character with an unimaginable past. I loved how the relationship between Hedi and Thea evolved. Thea was able to connect with her past and family history through Hedi’s life stories. This book had substance and pulled at my heartstrings. A beautiful story!

Heidi (Hedi) Fischer is a WWII camp survivor, mother of one daughter, grandmother of one granddaughter and she just said goodbye to the love of her life, her husband Harry. She hasn’t seen her daughter in many years due to a fallout they had and therefore, hasn’t seen her granddaughter since she was a toddler. At 90 years old, her plan now is just to die.

Thea is her granddaughter who has never really settled into any one job, one place, one relationship and is on the move again when she comes apon a small home by a small lake needing some love and attention. She decides to rent it out for the summer. Then she gets a call from her mother saying her grandfather has just died and would she attend the funeral. Maggie, her mother, lives far away and due to her broken relationship with her parents doesn’t want to attend. Thea agrees.

Thea meets up with Hedi at the funeral and they share lunch afterwards. The plan is for Thea to return to her life while Hedi goes home to die. Hedi’s spiteful neighbor has been watching Hedi get rid of everything in her home. Her husband’s books, furniture, clothing, everything is gone and, after a confrontation with Hedi, she calls social services on her. Social services calls Thea to come and look after her grandmother after which Thea decides to bring Hedi to the summer home she’s renting.

Hedi decides to confide in her granddaughter all that she never told her mother about her life at the camps, how she met her husband and the promises they made to each other never to talk about what they both went through. A bond forms between the two women and by the end of the story, Thea realizes what a treasure Hedi is and nothing like her mother described.

I really liked this story. Hedi is a fiery woman full of flaws, regrets and imperfections. She’s also full of a lot of love. As her story unravels, I really loved how we get to see the contradiction between her and Harry; Hedi is strong and fierce and very much an in-your-face type of person while Harry is quiet, gentle and very forgiving. Same with Thea and Maggie. While Maggie very much a supporting character, she’s very quick-tempered, bold and outspoken, like her mom. Thea is gentle, kind and forbearing.

Here’s what really worked for me:
Character development - There is a nice character development in this story. I would imagine it would be hard to do this with a 90 year old character since most people are set in their ways however, Norma Curtis handles this with ease in the character of Hedi.
The setting was lovely - Set in England just outside of London, the house feels like every summer home I’ve ever wanted to visit, up to and including the outhouse. (Although, if I’m being honest, I’m an indoor plumbing girl all the way.)
3. The relationships – The relationship between Thea and Hedi is so moving. It made me wish to talk to my grandmother again.

Here’s what didn’t work for me –
1. Maggie – I’m not really sure what she was so upset about. Either I missed it or it wasn’t written well enough. But I really didn’t like her at all. She was too cold. Too much without heart. Her anger, or whatever it was, felt forced.
2. 3. The ending – It was beautiful but again, the character of Maggie was really hard to believe. First she hated her mother so much that she thought her dead and, in one short conversation, she’s all over it!
The relationship between Maggie and Thea – First, I was curious as to why first names were used and not titles. For example, Thea called Maggie “Maggie” and not “Mom”. But I really couldn’t understand why their relationship was strained.

Overall, this is a lovely story. I loved Hedi over and over and wished for her to be my grandmother so many times. Then I wished for my own grandmother and wished I could introduce her to my girls.

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. I have not read a book by this author before but I am sure that this will not be the last time :)

Hedi is a very old lady who has been married to Harry for a very long time. When she loses him, she loses herself.

Thea is Hedi's granddaughter but the two of them have never met. Thanks to Thea's unconventional upbringing, she is very wary of relationships and doesn't believe in true love.

Hedi and Thea end up sharing a cottage in the Welsh countryside and so they start getting to know each other. Lots of secrets are revealed and as the two form a bond, it changes them both.

I found this story, told over a dual timeline, very moving indeed. I loved the pragmatic approach that Hedi had to everything, and considering what she had been through, fair enough (plus, she was German, enough said!). As I have Dutch parents (and grandparents), I could hear Hedi's pronunciation very clearly and I thought the little examples of phonetic spelling that the author put in the book, very clever. I have to admit to hearing my mother's voice here, she pronounced her words just like that! My friends used to tell me that they had trouble understand what she said and I always told them that I had no problems with understanding my parents at all, because they always spoke in Dutch to me! lol.

The descriptions of life in the camp were so beautifully done. I don't think I have ever read what it was like for the internees to transition from prisoners to free people before - and the shopping at 'Harrods' put a lump in my throat. Hilary was gorgeous :)

Beautiful, beautiful book.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

Historical fiction books are one of my favorite genres to read, especially because the stories of people who survived and how they survived is just amazing to me.. loved that this story was present day and past. What a love story for Hedi and Harry, she just couldn’t go on without him but then meets her granddaughter and everything changes.

Thea finds a little hideaway to rent, the descriptions of the house and beach were so vivid. Then she gets a call about her grandmother, she had no idea that she was going to get such a heart wrenching story about Hedi’s life. Everything finally comes full circle with a few surprises at the end.

Thank you to Bookouture Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC. This was one amazing story!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Hideaway' by Norma Curtis

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Norma Curtis, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 10th June 2022.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching unique cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, Lily Graham and Rachel Hore.' I am a huge fan of Lily Graham so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 41 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Belsen and Bear Cave.

This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Hedi Lewis, Harry Lewis and Thea Lewis . The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. The fact there are multiple protagonists is even better as it increases the readers knowledge of what more characters are doing and feeling.

'The Hideaway' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Norma discusses/includes death and cruelty.

Well, what can I say but wow!!! This story is definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon. Firstly I must congratulate Norma for an absolutely extraordinary novel that seriously needs to be made into a movie which I assure would be best selling!!!

This book is extremely powerful and extremely well written. It is devastatingly heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. It is absolutely rammed with emotions that will make you smile, cry and laugh on the roller-coaster ride to hell that is Belsen.

This book did not disappoint. Some people believe that these stories should not be written but I am a strong believer that these victims earned the right for their stories to be told and to not be forgotten and this book does just that. I loved discovering not just Hedi and Harry's stories but also Thea's. I absolutely LOVED how this book was composed of two stories perfectly intertwined together to make one of the most emotional reads I have ever read!!! The fact that Norma has written a story filled with loss, death, hate and love being told during a time of sadness, family and romance just takes the reader on an absolute rollercoaster rider of emotions. It is great when you come along an absolute gem like this as normally you would expect a book about a war story to be dark and horrific throughout but Norma manages to show the horrors while lightening up the reading tone during every other chapter. This book was very hard to read during Hedi's story but there were certain parts that will stay with me for a very long time and that were soul destroying which is why Thea's story mixed in is so important. It helps give the reader light hearted breaks between. What the Nazi's did to these innocent people makes me absolutely sick to my soul. The poor victims watching each other suffering especially. My heart screamed out to Hedi for what she went through along with Magda, Ursula and Renate. I absolutely loved how this book ended although it was also heartbreaking too. Hedi and Theo are such amazingly strong women who I absolutely loved and Harry was an absolutely amazing gentleman that are such a rare breed. I was completely invested in all their stories and lives. I am sad to say goodbye to them and they will live in my mind for a very long time!!!

It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture. I loved the modern day chapters as well as the historical ones and felt like I was being told the story over a cup of tea.

Clear your schedules and grab your tissues as you will not be able to put this book down or stop the tears from streaming!!!

Again congratulations Norma on an absolutely stunning emotional rollercoaster ride of a book!! I would say this book is on par with the likes of 'The' diary of Anne Frank' which left me with the same feelings your novel has of not even more emotional. I cannot wait to read the best of your books and I would like to welcome you to my favourite 5 historical author list!!!

Overall a heart wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story filled with love, loss, hope and so, so much more!!!

Genres covered in this book include Romance Historical Fiction, Women's Literary Fiction, Women's Historical Fiction and Women's Romance Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Fiona Valpy, Lily Graham, Rachel Hore and anyone looking for a gorgeous historical romance.

302 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle (or free on kindle unlimited, at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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CW: Concentration camps, violence, abuse, death

Firstly, this novel is very well written and engaging from the start. Author Norma Curtis is extremely gifted with her writing skills. We read about two different time periods from various points of view. Thea, eager to find out why her mother is estranged from her grandparents, takes on the difficult role taking in Hedi during her holiday. As secrets come out of Hedi's life, Thea must navigate her own familial history and love life through a new perspective. Hedi's telling of her past after all these years helps not only herself, but her remaining family, too. Bonding and healing are major themes towards the end of this book, which warm your heart and help you examine the relationships in your life. I would have liked more insight into the estrangement between Maggie and her parents as it seemed a bit disjointed. Overall, this is a sweet quick read that I enjoyed. It would make a great tear-jerking movie for sure!

1945: Hedi Fisher is pushed through the Nazi concentration camp. She feels very alone not recognizing anyone familiar to her. Everyone is wide-eyed and in the same awful situation as Hedi is. Present Day: Thea never knew her grandmother Hedi and is surprised when she receives a call from her. Thea has just quit her job in the city and has rented a tiny cottage miles outside of the city. But when Thea notices an old tattered suitcase belonging to Hedi sitting on the kitchen table, she decides she wants to know everything about her grandmother.

This story was amazing and beautifully written. I was completely engrossed with the story from the very first page. I was emotionally connected with the story at the turn of each page. The lives and the stories of Hedi and Thea were both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The relationship of Hedi and Thea develops so nicely and perfect. The relationship of grandmother and granddaughter was very heartfelt and uplifting. This book was so well-written that I found myself flying through the pages. I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end. The description of the cottage and its location makes me want to live there. I love the dual timeline of this book, it reads like a movie in my minds eye. This one will definitely be a re-read for sure. This story is so uplifting and inspiring, and it hits all the emotions so make sure you have plenty of Kleenex. I absolutely loved it. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Norma Curtis for such a wonderful time slip novel. I thoroughly enjoy a book that covers multiple timelines. Fantastic read. I loved it.

The Hideaway is a dual timeline novel that begins with Thea who is on summer holiday from her job in a local school and her love life. She escapes London to the country in a small cottage aptly named the hideaway as there is no cell service and little disruption from peace and quiet. This out of date home is exactly what she needs to try to figure out her relationships with both her mother who has moved to New York and her boyfriend who is pushing her to the next step of marriage and a family. When she gets a call from social services while in town, she is surprised to find her grandmother is still alive and in need.

Hedi is ninety years old and has recently lost her beloved husband Harry. Though no one seems to believe her, she is sharp as a tack and has decided she is ready to meet her maker. She has no world without Harry. Social services believes otherwise, and calls Thea the closest next of kin to help devise a plan for Hedi’s future. When she joins Thea at The Hideaway, the story really begins and Thea learns all about her grandmother’s mystery suitcase and her estrangement from her daughter. Thea discovers her grandmother spent time in Belsen concentration camp and that short, but torturous period has affected her choices both in motherhood and in life in general.

The Hideaway is a touching story about love and heartbreak and the choices we must face to survive both physically and emotionally. I enjoyed this story, especially Hedi’s historical timeline, but I did not ever quite connect to Thea as a character. I did enjoy the sweet connection between Thea and Hedi. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Norma Curtis for the advanced copy. The Hideaway is available now. All opinions are my own.

The Hideaway is the second book that I have read by Norma Curtis and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. It’s a quick read but certainly an emotional and heartfelt one which is centred on a fractured relationship in a family because one woman has been holding a secret close to her chest for a very long time. This book has the most gorgeous of covers which draws you in and makes you want to visit the Hideaway. The cottage becomes a focal point for the story and it’s characters. It becomes a place where the characters can heal as they reveal their story and try to reconcile the past with the present. This is a story about home which is a place heard to define but you know once you have gotten there. The main character Hedi has kept a part of themselves secret ever since the conclusion of World War Two and therefore those that try to love her feel they can’t love the whole of her because they don’t really know her. Hedi’s experiences have meant a certain section of her life has been a closed book but the time has arrived to open the pages and share her story.

In the present day, Hedi is 93 and has spent a long time with her husband Harry. He is slowly slipping away and asks for the phone to speak to his daughter Maggie. This is very unusual as there has been a deep rift between Maggie and her parents. They argued one day and she left with her daughter Thea and never came back. There has been no communication but Hedi still has her number. She has lived with regret all her life and when Harry places the phone call Maggie is surprised as she as presumed her parents have been long dead. Maggie is not very receptive, even more so when soon after Hedi must contact Maggie again to tell her that Harry has passed away. The hurt and pain oozes from the pages and Hedi places a lot of the blame on herself. Her refusal to talk about the past has had such a detrimental effect on those living in the present. Everything has been hidden for so long she fears she can no longer reveal the truth.

The barrier that exists between Maggie and her parents grows ever stronger when she refuses to come to Harry’s funeral. Instead, she sends her daughter Thea, who is even more surprised to learn that she has grandparents still living. What follows is the beautiful development of a relationship between Hedi and Thea. One which will be transformative and restorative. Hedi has more or less given up following the death of her beloved who saved her when things were at their worst for her. She prepares to leave this world to, doing very strange things and disposing of everything in the flat that herself and Harry shared. Even though Thea does not know her grandmother she feels she can’t let her go like this. She needs to prove to her that life is still worth living and by hopefully sharing her story she can come to terms with the past and allow those in the present to gain an understanding and acceptance for Hedi’s harsh reaction which caused the family rift in the first place.

Thea is a school secretary and just as the holidays approached the art teacher Adam, proposed to her. Thea’s reaction was to turn and run as she has a major problem with commitment. As she leaves London for the summer, she is in search of something but doesn’t know what. By pure chance, she comes across a cottage, surrounded by woods and a flower meadow with a jetty, at the end of the garden. Everything looks beautiful and peaceful although the cottage is full of dust and has an air of neglect but it speaks to her and it speaks to the reader too. It was so vividly described and it felt like a place to escape to and to seek refuge. It took on an almost magical quality and when Thea goes to her grandfather’s funeral a connection is established with Hedi and she brings her back to the Hideaway. Hedi is flattened and crushed by Harry’s loss and she just wants to die in peace but Thea won’t let that happen. I thought despite not having met in so long and Thea was but a mere young child when they did, that the bond they forged over the course of the time spent at the cottage was just so beautiful, raw and real. There is an open heartedness and willingness to listen and share with each other. It was like Thea almost forgot her own personal life situation, which to be honest wasn’t the crux of the book, nor should it have been and the focus was able to be 100% on Hedi’s story and what a story it was.

When Hedi and Thea are at the cottage the plot slips back and forth seamlessly between the present day and the last months of the war where Hedi had been incarcerated in the Bergen Belsen camp. Hedi’s story is harrowing and no details are spared but it goes an awful long way in explain why she reacted the way she did with Maggie. I have read lots and lots of historical fiction but this was something different because it focused on the prisoners experiences in the last weeks of the war when the British were allowed into the camp to help the Germans as typhus raged and they couldn’t do anything to stop it. The Germans knew defeat was in sight and without Harry and his fellow soldiers and the Red Cross Hedi may never have left the hell hole that was Bergen Belsen.

The scenes set in the camp are horrific and traumatising and the anger, frustration and despair is evident from the prisoners. All the women are crowded into barracks in the most inhumane of conditions. Disease, death and starvation are rife, and they are reduced to walking skeletons. Hedi had been imprisoned due to her father’s political beliefs and she longs for the day when she can break free. Everything has been taken away from her - freedom, family, possessions, looks, pride, self-respect, free will and her health. That is everything except her identity which she holds close to her heart. Hedi is strong and does her best for those that surround her in the barracks. She knows that with the arrival of the British that there is an air of hope in the air but with typhus running riot, death could be calling at any moment. The relationship she develops with one or two fellow women was heart-breaking to read. The aspect of the book following Hedi in the camp most definitely highlighted that the human spirit has the capacity to shine through the deepest darkness, that it can remain steadfast, bright, hopeful, untarnished and full of love.

There were numerous descriptions of the women’s existence in the camp and what they were reduced to doing and they will leave you open mouthed in shock. There was also one particular account of how the Germans needed to dispose of bodies quicker which had my stomach churning. As mentioned, I do feel all these descriptions needed to be there and Hedi had to tell everything to Thea as they existed in their bubble at the cottage. If Hedi had not done so I don’t think Thea would have fully appreciated what caused the chasm that existed in her family and she wouldn’t have worked so hard to bridge it. The connection that developed between Harry and Hedi at the camp I felt was slightly underplayed. I know given the circumstances they couldn’t be with each other 24/7 but I just thought it needed a bit more fleshing out.They needed to meet and talk more often although when push comes to shove and Hedi realises the worst he was there for her.

The Hideaway was a really engaging and absorbing read that hits you deep in the heart. It’s a story of courage, survival and finding your home and ‘of trudging through the darkness until the sun rose again’. I much preferred this story to the previous book I had read by Norma Curtis as I felt there wasn’t any long drawn out parts that didn’t add anything to the story. Instead, the pace was perfect and the plot gave the reader an insight into a time of the war which is usually merely glanced over as an author hurtles towards the end of a book. This is a book I would definitely recommend as Hedi and her story will deeply affect you.

A #heartwrenching #historicalfiction work that’s so beautifully written, you won’t regret immersing yourself in it this weekend!
Thank you, NormaCurtis, bookouture & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own. Thank you, #TeamBookouture for including me on the tour!

Heartbreakingly emotional read told in dual timeline. The past told by Hedi who has secrets of a harrowing time in her life that she would rather keep secret. She tells her story via her granddaughter Thea as they while away the sunny evenings by the lake while Thea takes time out from her relationship with Adam.

It is a beautifully told story that just flows from past to present effortlessly. Loved it.

I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I think I’ll begin with saying what an absolutely stunning cover this is! It instantly makes you want to pick it up and see what’s inside, I’ve been reading a lot of WW2 historical fiction lately so I couldn’t wait to begin this one.

I was utterly captivated by this book after only a few pages the story just hooked me straight away, It was Hedi & Harry that drew me in first and then Thea did the same.

I enjoyed the dual timeline of the preset day with Thea & Heidi then the past with Heidi & Harry.

Families are so complex and you can easily see how families fall out and don’t speak for a very long time but I’m so happy that Heidi finally got to explain why she loved the way she did and acted in certain ways, it explains so much.

Hideaway House seems like the perfect place to be for Thea and as the story unfolds you find out exactly the reason why , I won’t give too much aways as it don’t want to spoil this truly incredible story.

A heartbreaking and emotional read that had me hooked from page one. It often left me with a tear in my eye as I was drawn into the story. Captivating and outstanding it will stay with me for a while.

The first few chapters will break your heart. The pacing of this story is somewhat slow but not so slow that you are left feeling bored. A well crafted novel with characters who are not perfect and made so believable.

Well, there was a tear in my eye within the first couple of chapters, and it was more about how The Hideaway by Norma Curtis was written, rather than what she was writing about at that moment. Right from the beginning, I wanted to be the one to move into The Hideaway for the summer, nestled somewhere in Wales, and somewhere you could go and dangle your feet in the water!

A dual timeline story, set both in the present day and towards the end of the Second World War in Belsen Concentration Camp. Hedi was a German Prisoner of War and we learn all about the traumatic ordeal she and her friends underwent, and we discover how she met her husband Harry whilst there. Thea is their granddaughter and Hedi tells her story to Thea each night, sitting on the jetty with a glass (or bottle) of wine in hand.

Historical fiction, romance and a little bit of mystery all mixed into one, Norma Curtis just picks you up and drops you down, right in the heart of both Belsen, with Hedi, and The Hideaway, with Thea and Hedi. I loved it; I loved the writing, the story, and the vivid descriptions throughout and I loved how close Hedi and Thea became as they got to know each other properly.

I am lucky enough to be a part of Books on Tour for this book, so thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Hideaway by Norma Curtis.