Set in Austria during WWII and modern day Australia, it is the story of the horrors of the Holocaust and how some of those stories came to light.
The book centers around two women, Lena in Austria and Hannah in Australia, both of them struggling to deal with the realities of their lives. I thought that it was a well written story, especially the historical parts, but the fiction played out just as one would expect with everyone happy in the end. If only that was the way life worked!
I am thankful that I read a Kindle version of the book and was able to look up he many Aussie words and figure out what they mean.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

I always enjoy an historical novel that seesaws back and forth between the past and the present. It is entertaining and enlightening to see how the past can and does come into play in a more contemporary setting.

There is so much to unpack about the Holocaust, and this book added another piece of important evidence. A fictionalized version of a photograph album that does exist, done by an interned Spanish photographer, of the horrors of Mathausen, one of the Nazi concentration camps, is at the basis of this absorbing story. Told in the words of three characters: the current character is Hannah, a young woman from Australia, curious about a book her grandfather brought over but her mother would not let her see; Lena, a young woman whose family lives next door to the camp, and is approached to assist in hiding the photos; and Nico, intended in the camp for political reasons, risking all to preserve the photo album. Well written and informative, I recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

"The Hidden Book" is a story of generational trauma set against the backdrop of the horrors of the Nazis' Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Hannah's grandfather Nico visits her and her mother in Australia and brings them a photo album, but Hannah's mother, Roza, won't let her see it even when she is grown. All Hannah knows is that Nico, as a young man, was interned at Mauthausen, but she wants to know more. What is it about Nico that her mother doesn't want her to know? Nico told Hannah that, perhaps, someday she could tell the story but how can she if Roza won't let her see the photos. Moving back and forth between Nico's life at Mauthausen and Hannah's quest to uncover the secrets that have affected Roza all her life, Manning unveils how the trauma of one generation can affect generations to come in very powerful ways.

Ⓑⓞⓞⓚ Ⓡⓔⓥⓘⓔⓦ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬
𝗞𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴
WWII Historical Fiction
304 pages

Sʜᴏᴿᴛ Sʏɴᴏᴘsɪs
This story tells of a brave young woman and young men living in the camp who risked a great deal to hide away a pictorial look at the atrocities that went on in the Mauthausen concentration camp located in Austria.

The story is told as a future relative writes a college thesis paper about her grandfather and his stay at this camp.

Mʸ Tᴴᴼᵁᴳᴴᵀs
Again, I was surprised to learn of another area where a concentration camp was located and the backbreaking work the men there experienced carrying heavy granite up steep, unsteady stairs.

As with all stories from the Holocaust, it turns your stomach and brings tears to your eyes, as it should.
Though it is sickening, I feel it is essential to learn about and recognize those who were there. That is why I read so many books about this topic. There is always more to learn.

The characters grabbed my heartstrings from the start. They were so sad and scared yet brave. The story shows a look at both those in the camp and those living in fear outside of the camp while taking us to the present to see how future relatives deal with what has happened to loved family members.

💕Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing this ebook for me to read and review.

Have you ever seen a flip book? Most people have. If you haven’t, Wikipedia will catch you up. Reading Kirsty Manning’s speedy novel, The Hidden Book, felt like reading a flip book. The chapters—and the characters, plot, etc.—race by and create more of an impression than a fully-fledged story. This is particularly disappointing because Manning used someone’s story to create this novel. The photo album at the heart of this book was created by Spanish photographers, Antonio García Alonso and Francesc Boix Campo, who were imprisoned at Mauthausen, and brought to Australia by Bodgan Ivanovic, another political prisoner. I have a lot of questions about Manning’s decisions.

The Hidden Book is told in two parts. One part follows Hannah Campbell, the granddaughter of Nico Antonov, a Yugoslavian man who was incarcerated at Mauthausen. The other part shows us Lena Lang, a young Austrian woman who lives near Mauthausen. The novel shifts its perspectives back and forth from the 1990s and 2000s in Australia to 1944 and 1945 in Austria. Tonally, this book is all over the place. While Hannah jumps from relationship to relationship while trying to figure out how to get her grandfather’s photo album from her mother, Roza, Lena dodges the coercive advances of a camp commandant and helps Nico hide an album full of evidence of Nazi atrocities. It’s hard to care about Hannah’s long coming-of-age when, at any moment, Lena and Nico could be caught and executed.

My other issue with The Hidden Book is that it never slows down long enough for good character development for Nico, Lena, and the other characters in Austria. The only reason I don’t say the same about Hannah’s half of the narrative is because so many of the chapters show important moments in Hannah’s life; this has more of a quantitative effect rather than a qualitative one. I was really frustrated with both the pace of this novel and the choices of who got to be a protagonist. This book could have amazing if, say, the main character or narrator was Nico Antonov.

The only reason I didn’t give this book a single star instead of two is because I was fascinated by the kernel of real history in the fiction. I knew prisoners hid evidence of their existence and of Nazi crimes against Jews, Russians, political prisoners, LGBTQ+ people, religious dissenters, Roma/Sinti people, and many more. This evidence—including the Mauthausen photo album—was used at the Nuremberg and other tribunals to convict Nazis of their appalling crimes against humanity. Manning’s book gives me a window into these heroic acts of preservation.

I was immediately drawn in to this WWII story. I loved Nico, “Deda’s”, character.

The different time lines and multiple POVs was intriguing and kept my attention.

I preferred Santiago and Lena’s stories much more than Hannah’s. I was on the edge of my seat every time Greta was involved. Sweet Santiago, so tragic.

The romances were out of place and seemed forced.

I truly enjoyed this book about the importance of knowing your own history and some of the unforgotten history we are not taught. The love between the characters is well written, as well as the hurt and sadness. I did feel like Hannah's timeline moved too quickly at times but it made sense to the story and timing.

The Hidden Book by Kristy Manning is taken from a true story .This is a dual timeline story.The present day timeline is about thirteen year old Hannah Campbell whose grandfather comes to Australia to visit the family and has a mysterious gift.The past timeline takes place in an Austrian concentration camp called Maulthausen where Mateo is told to work on photos of inmates in the camp for a book for the Nazis.He is helped by Nico and Santiago.You will not be able to put down this fascinating historical novel !Thank you Allen and Unwin and NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Based on a true story, this dual timeline story set in Austria during WWII and Australia from 1990-present is a solid entry into the WWII historical fiction canon. I could see 5 stars for just the WWII storyline. I loved reading Nico and Lena’s story. Nico is a prisoner in Mauthausen. Lena a village girl who is terrified of the Nazi officer who has shown an interest in her. She must protect her brain damaged sister from being noticed, and she is sympathetic to the prisoners who march by her home every day. Hannah is Nico’s granddaughter living in Australia with her widowed mother. Nico brings”the hidden book” to Hannah’s mother (his daughter) with the intention that Hannah receives it when she is ready.

I loved reading Nico and Lena’s story. I would have loved knowing more about their lives post war. Hannah’s story was less engaging. Perhaps more depth in her mother’s character to understand her motivations would have elevated the story.

I received a free e-arc through Netgalley, but the review is completely my own opinion.
I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. I was drawn to this book since it mentioned Yugoslavia since my father came over from Yugoslavia, but it's a pretty tiny part of the book. I liked Hannah, Lena, and the other characters, but it does feel a bit "jump through time" in parts as they rush forward. I felt like more could've been added to make it seem less rushed in some places or maybe if they thought it was too long originally, it could've been split into two books with Nico's story and then the daughter and then the granddaughter. I wanted to know more about Roza's life.

Everyone handle grief, sadness and tragedy differently. Not everyone can bear to re-visit those moments and some must in order to feel peace and belonging.

The Hidden Book, based on a true story, shows us exactly that. It also shows how love and bravery can be intertwined in different ways as folks do the best they can in the worst of conditions.

From Austria to Yugoslavia to Australia, we watch the power of family, history and love light the way for the characters even when things are tough.

Advance reader copy provided by William Morrow and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This is an important book with a message that needs to be told so perhaps we can learn from our past. No matter how many times the stories of the Nazis and the concentration camps are told they need to be examined over and over again. The author uses two timelines to tell the story. The first timeline is the 1940's which details the atrocities of the Austrian concentration camp where actually photos were proudly taken by the German officers. The second one is in the 1980's where Hannah, the granddaughter of Nico, is exposed to the photo album which her mother quickly hides.
Hannah is determined to find out the truth behind the album and the details of Nico's life. Through her graduate studies she becomes completely enmeshed in the history. This book is about the horrors of war and the personal endurance of human beings. Love and determination are shown throughout the story and the book plays a huge part in the Nuremberg trials. Well researched! Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an advanced e-book for an honest review. #TheHiddenBook #KirstyManning #NetGalley

This is a historical fiction primarily set at Mauthausen Concentration Camp during WWII, told in several different POV and two different timelines. I thought the premise of the book was unique, and I enjoyed the POV of Nico and Lena. I felt the POV of Hannah was rushed, and more development could have been done with her character. I often found myself rushing through Hannah’s POV to get to the different timeline, and the chapters devoted to Nico and Lena. Overall, I felt it was a solid historical fiction, with a unique premise.

For fans of historical fiction, especially World War II, this is a must read. Told in multiple timelines and with multiple POVs, this story takes you inside the lives of a German civilian family living in close proximity to a concentration camp, the lives of a few men in the camp and into the lives of future generations impacted by what happened there. One of the unique perspectives is of a camp prisoner forced into the role of photographer for the SS in the camp and how he used this to not only ensure others wouldn’t forget, but ultimately provided the documentation that helped convict many of those SS in war crime trials after the end of the war. This is ultimately a story of survival, bravery, love, and the impact of secrets and tragedies on future generations. I learned much from the unique POVS in this story and the writing and storytelling kept me wanting to turn the pages. A five start read for me!

This book really hit home. I love a WWII novel that borders the line of fictional and reality. This book toed that line really well. I love the multiple POVs and how they interconnected at the end. I think the characters were dynamic with their individual struggles. The chronological timeline made it easy to follow when switching between POVs. I look forward to reading other novels by this author.

I really enjoy WWII historical fiction. I liked this book, but felt like it jumped around a bit. I had a hard time connecting with Hannah’s story, but very much enjoyed Nico & Lena’s.

2.5 stars
This was an interesting book.
The details about the photographs taken at the concentration camp were heart-breaking. No matter how many WW2 novels I read, Nazi atrocities always amaze, and sicken me.
It wasn’t one of the best WW2 novels that I’ve read. Possibly the digital format, which makes it difficult to flip back and forth, made keeping the characters and timelines straight a struggle. Plus, some of the story seemed to be rushed; a woman went from engagement, to marriage and two kids in only a few pages!
*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow Paperbacks, and author Kirsty Manning for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

With so much historical fiction centered around World War II, it would seem that it’s hard to find a unique story. However, in The Hidden Book, not only is the story unique but it is based on actual events. A book of photographs of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria was supposed to be used as Nazi propaganda. Instead, it ended up helping convict Nazi generals of war crimes at Nuremberg. It now sits in the Sydney Jewish Museum. How the book ended up in Australia is a bit of a mystery, and Manning has crafted an excellent fictional tale to tell the story.

In Austria in 1942, Lena is a young woman lives with her family in Mauthausen. Under Nazi occupation, they are getting by with her work at a tool factory and her father’s job as an Engineer for the City. Prisoners from the Nazi concentration camp at Mauthausen march past her home every day on the way to work. When there’s an accident, she becomes acquainted with several of the prisoners. She then helps them smuggle negatives of photographs taken at the camp out of the prison and held so that the Nazis can’t destroy them.

In Australia in the 1980s, Hannah Campbell lives on a rural farm with her mother, Roza, who is widowed. Roza’s father, Nico, visits them from time to time. On one visit, he brings a boo of photographs and Roza hides them away. Curious, Hannah finds the book and sees terrible photos of men in striped clothes. One of the men is her beloved grandfather, who is much younger in the photo.

The Hidden Book follows these two stories, as Hannah wants to learn more about her past, but her mother wishes it would just go away. There is friction between them as Hannah grows into an adult who studies history, but eventually, the two women grow in their relationship.

I loved The Hidden Book on many different levels. I hadn’t heard about the Mauthausen concentration camp. I knew of Auschwitz and a few others, but Mauthausen was on a different level. Manning describes the hard work the prisoners were put through, and if it didn’t look like they could work anymore, the prison guards sent the prisoners to the gas chamber. Manning really drills home how backbreaking this work was and how awful the conditions were. I loved the dynamic between Nico and Lena. Lena is in survival mode, afraid of her sister being sent to the camp after suffering brain damage following an accident. Her main goal is to protect her, yet she feels she must help Nico and the other prisoners as much as possible. She is not a denier of what’s going on but is just trying to protect her family by going along for the most part.

Hannah is a typical teenager in many ways. Although I was upset that Roza kept denying her the book, in the end, it made sense. Hannah has to grow and see the evidence as much more than the subject of a university thesis and understand the pain that it represents. She has to live her life before she can fully appreciate the gravity of the contents of the book. This isn’t the reason Roza hides the book from her, but it works out in the long run. Their relationship is complex, and I like that they were also quite deep, with Hannah having her share of relationships and growing as a person throughout the book.

I do recommend The Hidden Book to those who enjoy historical fiction. It’s a bit different than other World War II historical fiction that I’ve read. The characters have depth and grow and change. It will break your heart in places, but in the end, I felt I had a greater understanding of this aspect of the war.

This is a very moving story and a good read for those who like historical fiction. The dual timeline is a good way to tell the story, and a common theme throughout is the risks that people took to bring to light atrocities and to ensure that history never forgets what happened to so many innocent people. At times this was hard to read, but was an important reminder of history and a way to honor those who lost their lives.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.