I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to receive this story. So thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this. First things first, I love historical fiction and this was right up my alley. I love that the book felt well researched and it was written nicely by tying in historical facts with fiction. I appreciated the dual timeline but I think at a certain point, I wasn’t so sure that they lined up or added to the overall story. I think I was wanting more depth from Hannah and felt that her story fell flat. A solid 3.5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
"The Hidden Book" by Kirsty Manning is a poignant and gripping novel that seamlessly weaves together the past and present, revealing a hidden history of courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Set against the backdrop of World War II, Manning's narrative transports readers to the harrowing realities of Mauthausen concentration camp, where Yugoslavian prisoner Nico Antonov forms an unlikely alliance with Lena Lang, a young woman living in fear under Nazi occupation. Their clandestine efforts to document Nazi atrocities and preserve evidence of their suffering are both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Fast forward to Australia in the 1980s and beyond, where Nico's granddaughter, Hannah Campbell, discovers a mysterious photo album that unveils the horrors of her grandfather's past. As she delves deeper into her family's history, Hannah is confronted with the weight of inherited trauma and the importance of bearing witness to the past.

Manning's storytelling is masterful, seamlessly blending historical fact with fictional narrative to create a compelling and immersive reading experience. The characters are richly drawn, their struggles and triumphs resonating across generations. Through Hannah's journey of discovery, readers are reminded of the enduring power of memory and the importance of preserving the truth.

"The Hidden Book" is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the indomitable will to survive in the face of tyranny. Manning's evocative prose and nuanced exploration of history make this novel a must-read for anyone interested in World War II fiction and stories of courage in the darkest of times.

The Hidden Book is the latest offering from a new-to-me author Kirsty Manning. This book is a dual-timeline--well, I guess you could say it follows two different timelines. It can be a bit confusing as there are four different characters who have narrative in this book.

During the Austria, 1940s timeline we get Santiago, Lena, and Nico.
In the Australia, 1980s to present day we follow Hannah's timeline.

Hannah first comes in contact with a secret book when her grandfather Nico brings it with him to Australia during a visit. He desires Hannah to have it, but her mother refuses. He insists that someday it will be the right time. Over the course of Hannah's storyline--she constantly is waiting for the "right time" and it cause multiple blowups with her mom. WE see her go from childhood to adult in her timeline. All the different events shaped by her connection with her mother, grandfather, and this book. She has so many questions.

The 1940s timeline gives the answers to these questions slowly through the narrative of three characters: Santiago a boy in the concentration camp with Nico a young Slav in the concentration camp, and Lena a German living near the concentration camp who hates the Germans yet does whatever is needed to protect secrets of her own.

The book works to weave it all together. It's a type of comin of age story for Hannah woven with startling truths of the Holocaust that we should never forget.

Topics in the book include: LGBQT, Racism, abuse, Holocaust related violence, premarital sex
There is also swearing for those who would want to be prepared. The LGBQ is also very present from early on in the book with girl/girl makeout session.

Due to the topics that aren't my type (so I skimmed past), I wasn't able to appreciate this book as much as I wanted to. I'm going to only be able to give it a 3 because I really didn't feel like these issues contributed ANYTHING to the story besides checking off boxes. They weren't integral at ALL to the plot of the story.

**I was given this complimentary ARC by the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review and everything is 100% my own.

I enjoyed The Hidden Book. I loved the concept of turning researching family secrets into a career. Kristy Manning made me think about how an occupied town functioned and resisted, and protected their own from the Nazi's. Well done.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written. I love how the author stayed true to the historical facts, while also creating interesting characters and a beautiful story line. If you are a fan of historical fiction, specifically WWII fiction, this is a good one to pick up!

The Hidden Book alternates between the horrors surrounding the Mauthausen Concentration Camp, including the bravery of young folk inside and outside the camp and modern day Australia where Lena, a 13 yr old learns of her grandfather’s emprisonnement.

Lena struggles with unanswered questions of a hidden book of photographs from the camp that her mother will not let her keep, see, or even talk about and creates friction between them. As Lena tries to discover who she is because of her grandfather’s past, she finally comes to a place of peace several decades later.

I greatly enjoyed this story and couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend it and give it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy.

This was a great book. The writing was beautiful and it was a very emotional read. I would highly recommend this book.

I’m a little torn on my feelings for this book. I’m between a 3 and 4 stars. I’m a big historical fiction fan and particularly anything WWII related. I appreciated the different viewpoints and seeing how the war and Nazi occupation affected even Germans. I also hadn’t thought much about the fear of hiding a loved one that had disabilities and what that would look like. I love learning of ways that people resisted and ways they resisted that are unconventional. To learn that prisoners actually hid photos away as evidence is really interesting. And requires such bravery and foresight.

I’d say my biggest complaint is that I didn’t feel the depth of the characters. I liked them but didn’t love them. Hannah didn’t seem to grow much and made decisions I couldn’t quite understand and that didn’t seem to fit. I also felt like there was lots of mention of generational trauma, yet not a lot of detail of what that means or how that really affects people. With Hannah’s character being so studious I would have appreciated more detail and depth around that and around the point being made there. I also felt Nico’s story was rushed. We didn’t learn much about him. And then he and Lena were rushed. The ending in general felt a little rushed.

Overall though this was a super fast read. It held my interest and I was intrigued. I wanted to see how it all fit together and how the characters wrapped up.

Thank you to the author and publisher and Net Galley for this free advanced copy. These opinions are all my own.

If you like emotional historical fiction stories that will break your heart and put it back together, you must read this one!!

The Hidden Book by Kirsty Manning discusses the long-lasting trauma that the Holocaust has had not only on the characters of Hannah and Roza with their tumultuous mother-daughter relationship but around the world. as well. This is not just a story of these two women's relationship but a story that intertwines both fiction and reality to show a realistic depiction of the effects such a worldwide trauma can cause the world even though the events that occur are in semi-fictionalized world. While Manning does an excellent job at depicting human emotions and real-life events the love scenes that are included in the story seem to be largely unneeded. Most do not contribute anything of particular importance to the story. Overall, Manning has created an interesting and exciting work that deals with a harrowing topic in an impressive manner.

I have mixed feelings about Kirsty Manning's The Hidden Book. In some ways, this was a powerful book about the Holocaust, trauma, generational trauma, and the tough choices humans make to survive. Nico and Lena were powerful characters, and their stories demonstrated heart, courage, and growth. I was not as familiar with Mauthausen Concentration Camp as I am with other concentration camps, and parts of this story were absolutely heartbreaking.

However, I had issues with Hannah's story in the present day. To me, she seemed childish and lacking in many ways. She did not seem to grow as a person, and was negative, selfish, and temperamental. It was not that she was unlikable - I just felt like she wasn't as developed as she could be (but maybe this was the generational trauma??). I also wondered what role her romantic relationship drama was supposed to play in the story. There were aspects of this story that were so good but parts of Hannah's perspective made the book not as good as it could have been, in my opinion. One fun aspect of Hannah's story was reading about Australian life - I kept putting my Kindle down so I could google one Australian term or another. I love learning about another culture like that!

This book was still very readable and engaging, and I'm glad I took the time to read it. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

“The Hidden Book” by Kirsty Manning is a poignant and gripping novel that delves into the harrowing realities of World War II and its lasting impact on generations. Based on a true story of courage and resilience, Manning’s narrative weaves together the lives of individuals affected by the war, spanning from Austria in the 1940s to present-day Australia.

In the heart of wartime Austria, Yugoslavian prisoner Nico Antonov finds himself confined in the brutal Mauthausen concentration camp. Despite the unimaginable horrors surrounding him, Nico forms a bond with Lena Lang, a young woman living under Nazi occupation. Together with Spanish POW and photographer Mateo Baca, they embark on a perilous mission to document the atrocities of the camp and preserve evidence of Nazi crimes.

Decades later in Australia, Nico’s granddaughter Hannah Campbell stumbles upon a hidden photo album belonging to her grandfather. As she delves into its contents, she is confronted with the stark realities of war and the profound suffering endured by those who came before her. Driven by a relentless pursuit of truth, Hannah’s journey intertwines with her own experiences of love, loss, and motherhood, leading her to uncover the untold stories behind her family’s legacy.

“The Hidden Book” is a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Manning masterfully explores themes of courage, sacrifice, and the enduring impact of trauma, offering readers a poignant reminder of the importance of bearing witness to history’s darkest moments. With its richly drawn characters and gripping narrative, this novel is a captivating and unforgettable read.

I really enjoyed this work of historical fiction. Although it tackled a tough topic from history the character and plot development led to a wonderful, rich story that was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.