I don't read a lot of historical fictions but when I do, I want to invest time in a really good one and Our Narrow Hiding Places by Kristopher Jansma didn't disappoint! This one was the Dutch take on the Nazi occupation. This was about survival and family and secrets.

This is told in the present and the past and the story revolves around Mieke Geborn. At the start of the story she is an 80 year old woman who is widowed and lives a routine life. She was walking home from a friend's one night with a book that was written during the "Hunger Winter" but from the perspective of Eels. Yes, you heard that correctly...Eels. The author is unnamed and she has the feeling she knows the stories these "eels" are telling. But before she gets far in the book she falls and has to be rescued by a neighbor, Giancarlo, who befriends her.

Then she gets a visit from her Grandson and his wife. The Grandson is going through his own issues but needed an escape. He starts asking questions about his past. So his Grandmother, Mieke, starts telling him stories from her time when she was a young girl and how she survived the Nazi occupation. They are horrifying stories of how she lived on a tiny piece of bread and a half a beet for a day, sometimes more. And all the things she had to do to survive. Mieke would often have to use her imagination and stories just so she could survive her situation. So she passed these stories down to her grandson, Will.

The story goes back and forth in time to Meike and her grandson, Will, and what they both experienced and how it affects them today. This one compares to All The Light We Cannot See and has a The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah feel to it. I've read quite a few Nazi occupation stories but not as original as this. I loved the story telling eels part of the book. This is a slow burn type of book. It took me a minute to get into this one but then I had to know what was going to happen. The author did a great job of making me care about the characters, even a few minor ones.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Kristopher Jansma, and Ecco Publishing for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. This book releases 8/13/24.

Kristopher Jansma is a careful writer, demonstrating his facility with language and his dexterity which probably makes his students enjoy his classes. He also has a talent for incorporating elements of his own life, and in this case, experiences of his grandmother's when she was coming of age during the hunger year in Holland during the second world war. Personal remembrances are important while still available via oral history to shout down holocaust deniers, and this presents a fresh angle on that subject just when you thought there couldn't be any more. Told in two time lines, Our Narrow Hiding Places weaves immersive reading with a Greek chorus of eels, of all things, giving this an original style.

Meike Geborn is an 80 year old widow living in New Jersey having a wonderful life. All that comes to a standstill when her grandson Will starts asking some questions about her past and the secrets she has kept buried. The question is does she want to live through that nightmare again or is she willing to go through in order for her grandson to understand and help his own life be complete.

Growing up in the Netherlands during WW2 was not a easy life for Meike as it was occupied by Germany. There were so many horrible events going on during that time including withholding food and heat to the people, concentration camps, and so much more. Not everyone has a chance at surviving and sometimes would do whatever it takes, including using folklore and their imagination.

A lot of books have been coming out about World War 2 in the past few years and not many of them have been about some of the other countries involved. Kristopher Jansma takes us to the Netherlands which was occupied by Germany for the war and touches on some amazing history that has been forgotten about. His use of folklore intertwined with history allows us to see things in a new way. It was excellent.

This is a book not everyone will understand because it does take place in another country during a time when the world was at war. Sometimes in these countries there can be traditions, ideas, folklore, etc… that is different to what you are used to. So make sure you read it with an open mind and keep going even when it doesn’t seem to make sense. .

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Great book start to finish! I loved all the details about the war I wouldn’t have known.’overall 4 star read!

“What does it mean, to be forbidden?” In Our Narrow Hiding Places, we meet Mieke. Mieke is presented as both a child and an elderly person throughout this book, both experiencing WWII and reflecting on it as an adult. It speaks to the more unknown stories of WWII-I will admit that I didn’t even know about the Hunger Winter before reading this book. Mieke is an endearing character that you can’t help but cheer for as she endures the horrors of Nazi rule. I also really appreciated how Jansma highlighted the complexities these characters face: what do you do when you’re military but don’t agree with your country’s actions? What do you do when lying is your only option? What do you do when you’re forbidden?
While this book is slow-moving, it is also magical storytelling, I could feel Mieke leaping off the page and spending time with me. This book is definitely for WWII buffs who enjoy historical fiction like I do. Learning history through story is a powerful thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

I am always intrigued by WWII stories - real or not, they provide insight to a time I can’t quite wrap my head around.

This novel was a bit different than stories I have previously read, but not in a bad way. For example, there was a tale involving eels that was tied in to the overall premise, which took me by surprise and a little while to understand. However, as I continued reading, it all made sense. I actually appreciated this tale that was woven in and it was expertly placed to separate some of the most heart pounding parts of the book.

There were many complimentary storylines entwined with the overall premise and while I felt the book started off a little bit slow, it surely picked up and I couldn’t put it down!

I appreciated all of the character plots and how the author tied it all together in the end. There were also some lines in the book that were highlight worthy!…Such great perspectives!

I recommend this novel to any historical fiction fans or anyone who loves a story about survival, love, bravery and strength.

Thank you to NetGalley, Author Kristopher Jansma, and Ecco Publishing for providing me with this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Our Narrow Hiding Places follows Mieke, an eighty year old widow, as she reflects on her family’s survival during the Nazi occupation. Even after reading several WWII era books, there were still many things I learned about life in Holland during this difficult time.

Although I was very interested in Mieke’s childhood days, the modern-day story did not capture my attention nearly as much. It felt disjointed and ending without much resolution.

Kristopher Jansma does a wonderful job of describing how intergenerational trauma can impact the lives of those whose ancestors experienced the unthinkable. The author also emphasizes mental health issues and how they impact people throughout their lives. There are also portions of this story that is told by eels (yes, you read that correctly); this, along with the Dutch folklore spoken of throughout the story, adds an almost magical element while not entering the realm of fantasy.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciated reading a historical fiction novel set in WWII (which I tend to enjoy) that is from a perspective that I have not seen before, being set in coastal Holland. Jansma’s style of writing was pleasant to read and made the different time perspectives easy to follow. If you liked All The Light We Cannot See and similar books, this is a book for you!!

A version of this review is also posted on my Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/C2lA64vS51_/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== , on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8tBBKAj/ , and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6208216418

This is a beautiful, haunting, multi-generational story about a family in the Netherlands and their experiences during WW2 and the German occupation. It is told in different perspectives and timelines with a folk talk told by eels included as well. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. It's sad and inspirational at the same time. Most of the WW2 novels I have read focused on England, France and Italy. This one is different and in a good way.

Meike grows up with her family in the Netherlands and experiences what happens when her family has to get by and do what they can to survive while her town is occupied by Nazis. Later we learn about her life after the war and her child and grandchild. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Profound. If you love historical fiction, this book is for you.
Beautifully written historical fiction set in Netherlands towards the end of WWII. I enjoyed learning more about Dutch history and the individual experiences of Meike's family during German Occupation including details of "Dolle Dinsdag or Mad Tuesday" and "The Hunger Winter" near the end of the war.
The story is told in dual timeline from childhood Meike during the war, and then from a reflective 80 yr old Meike modern day. Meike's story is powerful, heartbreaking at times, and shows the remarkable resiliency of the Dutch people. The author writes from the introspective narrative voices of both Meike and her grandson Will. Will is experiencing his own life crisis and go-forward decisions. The author touches on the topic of genetics and generational trauma.
As a refreshing bonus, a book about an eel that Meike is asked to translate is seamlessly integrated into the story.
I wept and cheered when I finished this book and quickly went to Google to learn more. Hands down, my favorite type of book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperCollins. All opinions expressed are my own. My opinion is to read this book!

Our Narrow Hiding Places is about a woman named Mieke Geborn and her memories of World War II. She was around the age of 8 when the war started. She is telling her grandson these memories of what she and her family went through. I didn't care for this book. 3 different timelines were going on and it was hard to keep them straight even though it switched every chapter. I did enjoy the timeline when Mieke was remembering back to World War II. Those parts I feel were very descriptive and enjoyable. The modern-day timeline was good, though I do think the author could have done a lot more with it. The timeline with the eels talking was just weird. They were the least enjoyable parts of the book, especially when they were the first chapter. When I started to read the book, I wasn't sure who, or what was talking, when it was happening or anything. It was very confusing. And once I figured out they were eels, it still made no sense what they had to do with the story. If this hadn't been for Netgalley, and I had to review it, I would have probably DNF'ed it within the first 10 pages or so.