The Hidden Book is a story about the World War II concentration camps beginning with the Mauthausen in Austria. A Spanish soldier Mateo Baca is forced to process photographs of the camp's prisoners and make five albums to present to top Nazi officials, but Mateo makes a sixth album to be smuggled out of the camp. A young boy, Nico Antonov, is chosen to sneak the book out and manages to hide it in the home of a very brave young women. Lena Lang who understood the danger of assisting prisoners did it anyway.
In 1987, Nico travels with his family to Australia and brings the book of photos from Mauthausen with him. His granddaughter Hannah only caught a glimpse of the photos when she was 13. Later on, she becomes invested in learning more about her grandfather's connection to the concentration camp. Even though, her mother was against her delving into her digging into her grandfather's past

I want to thank NetGalley & William Morrow for the opportunity to read this book!

This is a great dual timeline historical fiction book about the Holocaust. It was an engaging read with well written characters. The minimal inclusion of LGBTQ characters seemed more like a nod to current culture than essential to the story. The basis of the story in real events always makes a story more interesting. There are definitely some loose ends that leave the reader with many questions. It was hard to deal with the reality of the town going about daily like with the concentration camp in their back yard, but that is the sad reality of what happened. Would recommend to any historical fiction fans!

This hit middle of the road for me. Definitely not the best historical fiction I’ve ever read but also definitely not the worst. This was a dual timeline, multiple viewpoints story told all in third person. I am typically not a fan of third person for these types of stories because I feel it strips away that level of intimacy that is needed to make that strong emotional character connection for an emotional story. I always love learning new things about WWII and unraveling secrets from one of the most horrific time periods in history. I was not aware of the photo books chronicling the inhumane treatment of war prisoners in the Mauthausen concentration camp and I was not aware of the role that it played in convicting many Nazi’s during the Nuremberg trials.

Overall, I felt the book was well-written and it seemed to be well researched, though I am not familiar with this particular concentration camp so I can’t really say for sure. It does cover a vast number of years in relatively few pages so at times, I felt the story was rushed. Both the plot and the characters needed more depth. Although all the characters were perfectly “okay”, I wasn't particularly drawn or connected to any of them. I also struggled a bit with Hannah’s character and her story. I felt like her sexual exploration really didn’t contribute to the underlying story in a positive way. I struggled with including the sexual orientation and homosexual encounters of some of the characters into the narrative. It just didn’t fit with the overall storyline other than for the author to push a particular agenda. I just didn’t get the point of adding that to this story and was frankly, a turn off for me.

The Hidden Book is a great read if you love historical fiction! The storyline jumps from the present to the past, comparing the lives of Hannah and Nico. Hannah is a teenager in the present, and we compare her life to Nico’s at Mauthausen. As the story unfolds, there are some heartbreaking moments, and parts of the novel will stay with you!

Wow. This was such an engaging book!

I absolutely loved the time and character jumps, as we move between Hannah and Nico.

I was so touched by Hannah's journey and her desire to learn more about Mauthausen and what happened there. It was such an interesting mix of fact and fiction, I couldn't put it down!

I also was truly moved by the evolution of the story, and how sometimes the things you do not want as a kid are exactly what you need as an adult.

All in all, this was a really good read.

This was a very interesting work of historical fiction. I was not familiar with Mauthausen or with the efforts of concentration camp prisoners to smuggle out evidence of Nazi atrocities. Their courage and tenacity were admirable. I liked the way the author chose to explore the story, having the granddaughter (Hannah) of one of the survivors (Nico) investigate what happened to her grandfather and others as an act of both curiosity and rebellion because her mother Roza refused to talk about the past, Nico had not talked to Hannah about it because she was too young (and Nico passed away before Hannah was old enough to learn the truth), and Roza refused to show Hannah the photo album that Nico had left in their care and said Hannah should see when the time was right. Roza wanted to forget the past, both what happened to her father, and her life in communist Yugoslavia. However, Hannah was caught up in the past, as her father died when she was relatively young (and after his death, Roza refused to talk about him), and her grandfather had his own secrets. Interspersed with the chapters about Hannah and her life, including the obstacles that interfere with her research, are chapters set at Mauthausen focusing on the lives of prisoners and the townspeople, and explaining how the creation of the photo album came about, including a friendship of sorts developing between Nico and Lena (a resident of the village), and the ways some residents tried to cope with and resist the Nazi occupation.

While this had a good storyline and I appreciated the topic, it just lacked depth. Some of the lack of attention to the minor details I found frustrating. Not a great book, just ok.

Readers who like historical fiction are sure to find this one of value.

In 1940, Europe is torn apart by war, and Spanish photographer Mateo Baca finds himself imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp. His grim task? Creating photo books for Nazi officials. But in secret, he makes a sixth book, one that he hides with the help of a brave local woman, Lena Lang.

Moving forward from the past to the present, in the beautiful country Australia, where 13yr old Hannah Campbell’s grandfather, Nico Antonov, arrives from Yugoslavia with a mysterious parcel. Unable to resist her curiosity, Hannah sneaks a peek and is shaken by what she finds…. a photo book filled with haunting images of people suffering in a concentration camp. As Hannah grows up, she faces her own struggles and begins to truly understand the weight of what these photos represent.

The way the story weaves together Australia, Yugoslavia, and Spain brings a unique twist to WWII fiction. Kristy Manning’s writing is deep and heartfelt, making you genuinely care about the characters. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys WWII stories and family sagas. It’s so important to keep these memories alive, ensuring future generations never forget.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the chance to read this moving novel!

The Hidden Book is a heartfelt book set in Mauthausen during WWII. The book is a dual timeline story that flips back and forth between Nico’s time as a prisoner in a concentration camp and Hannah his granddaughter in 1980s-2000s.

In 1940, Yugoslavian Nico Antonov is just one of the people imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp. He is forced into hard labor in a quarry and comes into contact with Lena Lang who lives across from the camp.

In present day Australia (1980s to 2000s)when Hannah Campbell’s grandfather Nico comes to visit he leaves a mysterious photo album that is stashed away by Hannah’s mother Roza. After Hannah discovers the images in the album, she is plagued with finding the truth behind the shocking photos.

The book covers heavy topics including the atrocities done by the hands of the Nazi soldiers in the concentration camp. There are also triggering scenes regarding suggestive sexual content. In all, the book is a hard truth and a very dark glimpse into the past, but despite the heaviness there was love. It is a moving story about a girl who is in search for her beloved grandfather’s untold story.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction set in WWII and was emotional. The characters were good but the storyline is what really stood out. Great read!

This wasn’t one of my favorites. I enjoyed parts of the story and I always enjoy learning more about this time in our history so I will always pick up a historical fiction book. Hannah wasn’t my favorite character in this book. I enjoyed the timeline going back to 1940’s and the history told there. Thanks for the advanced copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I am sorry to give such a harsh review, but I really found this book to drag. The "hidden book" was such a minor part of the whole story. We are introduced to Hannah in 1987 and follow her life up to 2018. Then there is the timeline in the 1940s with Lena and Nico.. However, none of the characters were fully fleshed out. The story of the actual book of photographs taken at Mauthausen Concentration Camp and hidden was not given due justice in this book.

I love learning about the Holocaust and this book taught me something new! At Mauthausen concentration camp there was a photographer who was ordered to take photos of daily life at the camp. He ended up hiding negatives and photos all over the camp which then led to prosecution of the Nazis. There is also a fun love story to help balance out the story and also family during current time. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend!

The Hidden Book is a WW2 historical fiction novel based on photos taken throughout the history of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Prisoners hid thousands of photographs that were eventually used during the Nuremberg Trials to show the brutality of the Nazis. It is a dual-timeline book. It tells the story of the photographer (Mateo) and his accomplices who helped hide the book (Santiago, and Nico), and a local German girl (Lena) who lived next to Mauthausen. It also jumps into the future where we meet Hannah, Nico's granddaughter, who is yearning to learn about her family history after discovering that her mother was given the photo album from her grandfather, but refused to talk about it.

Overall, I thought the book was ok. Initially, I was annoyed by the detail of Hannah's life as a young person. Then I realized that she was around the same age as Nico, so the frivolity of her life was a stark contrast to what Nico was going through at Mauthausen, and I accepted it as a literary tool. But as the book progressed, I became more put off by Hannah's timeline, and I realized I just didn't care for her character as much.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Historical fiction has become one of my absolute favorite genres to read and I have read many different perspectives regarding WWII. This was fascinating and heartbreaking all at the same time. There is a jump in timeline throughout the book but it was interesting to read about both storylines.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a beautiful WWII story. I love alternating time lines and I loved the development of Hannah and how she learned about what WWIi. A beautiful historical novel.

This was just okay. It wasn’t a new story told at all about the war and I found it quite repetitive with other historical fiction novels. I was hoping for something unique but I didn’t find that here. The writing was fine and it was a quick read but isn’t one I’d recommend to anyone looking for a new war story.

I very much enjoyed the details that were woven into the story and the use of time and place that are not always typical with the current influx of WWII fiction. Making the main character Australian and then connecting the dots to Yugoslavia and Spain. Kristy Manning also writes with depth and intention that makes the reader care. I recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys WWII fiction and family drama. So much these days is simply forgotten because that generation has nearly all died out and it is something that should never be forgotten and luckily if writers like Kristy Manning continue to do so then we the next generations will hopefully never forget.

Hannah's mother is a Hungarian refugee to Australia. Hannah's grandfather was in the Mauthausen concentration camp and was part of the scheme to smuggle photos of the camps to the outside world. Hannah's mom won't talk about the book of photos her father gave her. Hannah wants to know more. We also get the stories of Hannah's grandfather while he was in the camp and his German-born Mauthausen town wife. Yay, except that Hannah is a whiny twerp who even as an adult doesn't know anything about empathy or compassion or PTSD or is capable of thinking about anyone but herself. It's hard to like a book when the protagonist is someone you'd pay actual money to the author to remove from the story. If you want a good book about Mauthausen, let me recommend The Photographer of Mauthausen written by Salva Rubio; drawn by Pedro J. Colombo; colored by Aintzane Landa, to which I gave 5/5 in 2020.

The Hidden Book is a World War II centered novel told from three primary points of view over two timelines. The two time lines are 1944-45 World War II Austria and 1987 through 2018 Australia.. The points of view belong to Lena Lang, a young Austrian woman who lives with her parents and a younger sister, Greta, in a village adjoining the Mauthausen concentration camp, Santiago, a thirteen year old prisoner in the Mauthausen camp who assists Mateo, a fellow Spaniard conscripted by the Nazis as the camp’s photographer, and Hannah, who initially lives with her overbearing, widowed mother, Roza, in the rural village of Liverpool Plains, New South Wales, Australia.

As the story begins, Hannah is visited by her beloved grandfather Nico, who lives half a world away in Mostar, Yugoslavia. Nico brings gifts and a mysterious rectangular package, which Hannah discovers is a photo album containing black and white photos which the reader will immediately recognize as wing of Nazis and a concentration camp. Roza whisks the photos away and forbids Hannah to see it. Hannah becomes consumed with finding and viewing the album for much of the book.

We learn that Nico was a prisoner in the Mauthausen camp, with his story being told through eyes of Lena and Santiago. The history and significance of the photo album are gradually revealed throughout he book and the varying story lines are brought together nicely, if not a bit conveniently by the end of the story.

The story was interesting overall and held my interest. My primary criticism is that the importance of the photo book to Hannah’s quest to find herself and her family’s history lacked the gravitas that I believed was needed. I appreciated Hannah’s need to discover her family’s history but what exactly in her experience created this near obsession was understated, at best. At times, the writing felt as though the story was being assembled, rather than crafted, which lessened the overall impact for me.

I would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.