A Place to Hide by Ronald Balson

A thought provoking novel about love and common human decency, A Place to Hide astutely teaches us about what it takes to be human in a time of turmoil. As it teaches it makes you feel the love of every day citizens and the lengths they will go through to protect their own community. Ronald Balson has really driven home how the Dutch people dealt with not only the Nazi's but also their Jewish neighbors. It is important to and worth reading and will leave you wondering if the Jewish people will ever be able to live in peace. With the rise of Anti Semitism in today's world this piece of literature will be instrumental in teaching the modern world a little about humanity. How we need it during these times of trouble and how to show it and not fear persecution. How to protect the people persecuted and how to understand that somebody different does not have to be an enemy. This book will become a classic, unputdownable, must read for sure and Mr. Balson has out done himself with this wonderful piece of art.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️From St. Martins Press: Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan is the scion of a wealthy Washington, D.C. family who place him into a comfortable job at the State Department and a placid diplomat’s career. In 1938, as Hitler’s inexorable rise continues, Teddy is re-assigned to the US Consulate in Amsterdam to replace fleeing staff.
Teddy’s job is to process visa applications, and by 1939, refugees from Nazi-conquered Poland, Austria, and other countries are desperate to secure safe passage to America. As Hitler sweeps through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Holland, the screws tighten and law after virulent law is passed to lol threaten the lives, indeed the very existence of the Jewish people. When Teddy and his girlfriend Sara are introduced to an orphaned young girl named Katy, who has been abandoned on the grounds of a nursery school, they agree to adopt her. Teddy comes to realize that he holds the key to saving lives, whether five, fifty, or five hundred—and makes the dangerous and selfless decision to join with underground groups and use his position at the Consulate to rescue those with no other avenue of escape.
*********************
My review: The best part of historical fiction is learning. As Teddy looks back and tells his life story to Karyn in the early 2000's we learn so much about Europe in the 1930's and 40's. While I of course know how WWII progressed and happened, seeing it evolve from Teddy's vantage point in the Netherlands was suspenseful. The reader knows Teddy does brave things and saves lives, but seeing his path and the others who help him was interesting. It did take quite a long time (until the last quarter of the book) to see what truly Teddy was doing to help those outside his family. I expected a bit more and earlier. But he was a hero.
Karyn's story about her lost family and search for her sister was intriguing. I hoped so badly for her to find answers and a live person.
There are so many WWII books, especially Holocaust stories. But this novel took a different path and I highly recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance digital copy in exchange for my review.

A Place to Hide was a moving story about an American government worker, Teddy, who finds himself in Amsterdam at the eve of WWII. Teddy finds himself in a heartbreaking position as more and more Jewish families are applying for visas to get out as Hitler closes in. The story is told almost like a memoir, with the main character, Teddy, telling his story to an Israeli journalist (who is originally from Amsterdam) as an old man. I liked this way of approaching the storytelling, as it added a little extra interest. The first two thirds of the book were a little repetitive, and there was a lot of historical information included to the build up of the Nazi take over of Holland. I would have liked for the book to focus more on what happened after, and Teddy's efforts to save Jewish children and their families. This was the most compelling part of the story, but only made up a small fraction of the book. You can tell the author has vast knowledge of the subject and time period, because there were a lot of technical and specific details about laws, but it almost became too much and took away from story a bit. In the end, it's a powerful story and a great reminder of how small acts can be lifesaving.

2.5 stars
A Place To Hide opens in a coffee shop in Israel where a chance encounter leads to a woman named Karyn telling an American stranger that she was separated from her sister and adopted as a young child in the war in the Netherlands. He advises that he might be able to help her reunite with her sister as his cousin, Teddy Hartigan, worked at the American Consulate in Amsterdam during the war. After returning to the US, he calls to let Karyn know that Teddy will do what he can to help her if she agrees to travel to Washington, DC, interview him and write his memoir.

Karyn, a former journalist, travels to Washington and meets daily with the elderly Teddy who shares the story of his experience in Amsterdam. Teddy had been working at the State Department in DC when he received an unexpected reassignment to the American Consulate in 1938 to process visa applications. Teddy fell in love with a Dutch woman so remained in the country following the outbreak of war and witnessed first hand as the Nazis took over, removed freedoms from Jewish citizens and began deporting them to death camps.

The subject matter of this novel is quite interesting as it relates to what happened in the Netherlands in the period just before and during World War II. The novel is well-researched and educational particularly with respect to Nazi actions in the Netherlands, the laws that were passed to hurt the Dutch Jews and how difficult it was for Jews to emigrate as there were very limited visas available. The main character is entirely fictional, however, several real life people who have been credited with saving the lives of hundreds of Jewish children in Amsterdam are featured as secondary characters in the novel including Dutch educator Johan van Hulst, Henriëtte Pimentel who owned a daycare/creche and Walter Süskind who worked at the Jewish Theatre that was converted into the city's deportation centre.

The Author's Note was quite interesting and led me to do more reading about the nursery school/creche and teaching college in Amsterdam's Jewish Quarter that were converted into a National Holocaust Museum which opened in 2024 and the Jewish Theatre across the street which is now a memorial. While three quarters of the Dutch Jewish population was killed by Nazis during World War II, these brave resistance workers were able to smuggle hundreds of children to safety.

While the subject matter of this novel was interesting, the writing style just didn't work for me at all. It is written as an interview between 92 year-old Teddy in 2002 and a woman who was adopted as a child in Amsterdam. As a result, the novel consists almost entirely of dialogue between the two which didn't feel natural or believable as well as being a bit simplistic and not particularly engaging. I also think I would have appreciated this book more if it had been told as a story of the Dutch Resistance without filtering it through the lens of a fictional American.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I would like to thank ST Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. Th is is a historical fiction novel set in Amsterdam at the out set of World War 2. The framing of the story is that woman journalist, Karyn, meets a man named Burt and hey strike up a friendship. She is Jewish and she was adopted by a family when Holland was invaded by the Nazi's. She was safe, but she had a sister who she never saw again. Burt has a friend who may be able to help. Teddy is in his 90's and lives in a nursing home in Silver Spring MD. He had worked for the US Consulate in Amsterdam prior to and at the beginning of WW2. He tells Karyn he has some contacts and will gtry to help her if she will write his memories of that time. He wants his family to know what happened and what he did, and in return he will try to help Karyn. The book is then told in flashback of Teddy's memories , with some present time chapters of Karyn's life. It was hard to follow, but interesting. It was slow going for the first half, and it spent a lot of time setting the stage for the final chapters. It was interesting, but , because of the odd framing device, just ok for mabruptly ande. It also ended abruptly and felt like there were a lot of loose ends.

I have read so many of Mr. Balson’s books and you can always expect a 5 star review, this one is no exception. He knows how to tell a story and in this case, about 65% in, he upped the notch. Sometimes a book drags and loses momentum somewhere in the middle, not this one. The storyline kept me engaged and I learned so much.
Of all the WWII books I’ve read, this was my first in-depth story of how the war progressed in Holland. The only con to this story is I doubted Teddy at 92 years old could have remembered so many details, but it didn’t matter, his story was remarkable and he and Sara are heroes. Thank you Mr. Balson, from one of your fans.
I thank St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review.

Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan, a privileged diplomat from a wealthy Washington, D.C. family, is reassigned to the US Consulate in Amsterdam in 1938 amid Hitler’s rise. Tasked with processing visa applications, Teddy faces a flood of refugees from Nazi-occupied countries desperately seeking escape. As Nazi oppression intensifies across Europe, Teddy and his girlfriend Sara adopt an orphaned girl named Katy, awakening Teddy to his pivotal role in saving lives. He decides to risk everything by collaborating with underground groups, using his position to help those who have no other way out.

While the synopsis of this book presents an intriguing historical backdrop and a noble protagonist, the book was slow moving compared to other Ronald Balson books.

**Thank you NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Ronald H. Balson for an eARC of A Place to Hide.

A must read, a tragedy, and deep hatred for people of the Jewish faith. It is almost unbelievable that so many people died, and this book gives us a glimpse of the insanity that was going on.
We put faces to the people in this mist of the invasion, and occupation, but before the invasion, and people not being granted visas to get out of Europe.
This story also focuses on survivors, and keep reading, we do find out what happens to some, not all.
This is a fictional read, and be sure to read the author's notes, there are some real people here, and some that a fictional character was based on. I loved knowing what happened to one of the very evil ones!
While this historical book is not easy to read, I think we need to not forget!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin's Press, and was not required to give a positive reviw.

Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan is the scion of a wealthy Washington, D.C. family who place him into a comfortable job at the State Department and a placid diplomat’s career. In 1938, as Hitler’s inexorable rise continues, Teddy is re-assigned to the US Consulate in Amsterdam to replace fleeing staff.
Teddy’s job is to process visa applications, and by 1939, refugees from Nazi-conquered Poland, Austria, and other countries are desperate to secure safe passage to America. As Hitler sweeps through France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Holland, the visa quotas tighten and law after law is passed to threaten the lives of the Jewish people. When Teddy and his girlfriend Sara are introduced to an orphaned young girl named Katy, who has been abandoned on the grounds of a nursery school, they agree to adopt her. Teddy begins to realize that he holds the key to saving lives, and makes the decision to join with underground groups and use his position at the Consulate to rescue those with no other avenue of escape.

This is a powerful retelling of the plight of the Jewish people during WWII and of an ordinary man who resolves to make a difference. Historical fiction set during WWII is one of my favorite genres to read. I have never read this author before, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. His vivid descriptions of the times and the people are spot on. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for introducing me to an excellent author who I hope to read more of his books. I highly recommend!

One of the things I love most about historical fiction is getting to learn about history in a way that holds my attention and makes it come alive to me. I have read a lot of WWII novels, but this one had a unique perspective on the lead up to the war that I haven’t yet encountered. I feel like I learned a lot reading it. I also loved that so many of the characters were based off of real people who really saved so many others during the war, I’m glad I know their names. The novel itself was written almost entirely in dialogue and in the past tense, which made the story feel a little distant in a way, so I didn’t feel myself getting as caught up in the story as I have with other writing styles, but I still really enjoyed it and am so grateful I read it. It’s important to remember these historical moments and the heartbreaking loss of life that occurred during the holocaust, especially given current political and world events. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ninety-two-year old Teddy realized no one knew about his time in the occupied Netherlands during the war and wanted to make it known.

Karyn, a former journalist, is hired to write his story in return for trying to find her sister who was saved from the Nazis by being sent to live with a family different from the one Karyn went with.

A PLACE TO HIDE does not read as a memoir even though Teddy is telling his story of the sacrifices he made for himself and how he saved many Jewish families.

There is a story in between as he’s telling about his life.

Fans of Mr. Balson will be captivated by his amazing research as he has Teddy recalling everything that happened even though it does get a bit heavy with all that was going on.

World War II enthusiasts will have all the information they could ever want about how things progressed.

The book is very detailed as well as frightening as we find out what went on, but also wonderful to hear what the citizens of the Netherlands did to ease some of the horror. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

A Place to Hide
by Ronald H. Balson
Pub Date: September 17, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Powerful and dramatic, National Jewish Book Award winner Ronald H. Balson’s A Place to Hide explores the deeply moving actions of an ordinary man who resolves, under perilous circumstances, to make a difference.
This author does things to me soul! I have read all of his books, and this one is one of the best,

I love historical fiction, and this book did not disappoint. I had not read much about the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands before this, so I’m very appreciative of a new and different view than that of which I’ve read many times.

Rather than focusing on the atrocities during Hitler’s reign, this book focuses on how people dealt with the inevitable and trying to stop it. It is written beautifully and, though it’s fiction, it does include real people and real events.
HIghly recommend for historical fiction lovers.

This book is about a US embassy worker that stays in Holland after the closing of the embassy during WW2 to work as a spy. He becomes involved in finding homes for Jewish children that are about to be deported to concentration camps. The book is told through his memories to a current writer documenting the information for a book, herself one of those children saved. It is poignant and at time harrowing as you wonder what will happen. A fascinating read about a little known area of WW2.
#aplacetohide #stmartins #robertbalsam #netgalley

I received a complimentary copy of this book "A Place to Hide" and all opinions expressed are my own. I like to read historical fiction every now and then. This book was set in the Netherlands and I found it interesting. Not sure I liked the interview style in the book but overall, good book.

A Place to Hide tells a piece of the story of Dutch resistance to Hitler and his plan to annihilate the Jews of the Netherlands. This story is one which many people know a little bit about but not a lot about. This story did a nice job of adding some of the details. The story revolves around a former embassy employee, Teddy, telling of his experience of working in the embassy as an employee and then a a spy passing information on German activity to the Allies. The story was full of action and fast-paced, but the characters never came to life for me. Their conversation didn’t seem realistic or appropriate, and I questioned some of the language the writer used; it wasn’t inappropriate, but it didn’t fit the characters. Overall, I liked the story because I’m fascinated by World War II, but this story doesn’t shine.

I’m grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader ebook in exchange for an honest review.

An inspiring story of love and resilience that I won’t soon forget. Well done.

It’s so easy to forget all the little steps that were taken—all the dozens of edicts aimed at discriminating against the Jews—by the Nazis towards their goal of the Final Solution. So often we recount the death count and the atrocities committed without taking a look at the smaller events that led to them and the common heartbreaks along the way: the families torn apart and the parents that had to make awful decisions in an effort to save their children. I appreciated that this story—told from the eyes of an old man (one of the fictional characters) recounting his life as a diplomat working at the US consulate in The Netherlands in the late 1930s and throughout WWII—focused on that slow march, those difficult days and weeks that turned into months and years. I especially appreciate that this story is anchored around events that really happened, inserting fictions in the characters (although some characters were actual people in history!) and smaller elements rather than attempting to rewrite history. I felt like I was reading an easy to digest history lesson!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher and a big thank you to the author for sharing your story—it’s an important one to tell and I am honored to have read an advanced copy of this book. I hope that—just like Teddy intended—some of those adopted children will read it and feel seen.

"Go and make a difference. You're there for a reason."

"
Condemning those children is the most evil, dastardly act imaginable. That condemnation has been ordered by the Germans."

"Try to imagine eighty, ninety, perhaps seventy to one hundred children standing y, you have to decide which children to take with you. That was the most difficult day of my life. You realize that you cannot possibly take all the children with you. You know for a fact that the children you leave behind are going to die. I took twelve with me. Later on I asked myself : 'Why not thirteen?'"...... Johan Van Ghost
This quote left a huge lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face.
This is the first book by Ronald H. Balson that I have read. Every time I read a book about the Holocaust I learn something new. I taught Holocaust for many years, yet the facts in this story are not in any text books.
This book is different as it was focused on people risking their lives to save Jews, children during Nazi occupied Holland. I can't imagine the horror that Jews endured, and the people who were willing to risk their own lives to save countless Jews.
An engaging read and if I could give it more than five stars I would.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

A Place to Hide does a good job of laying out how the circumstances changed for Jewish people in Holland with the rise of Hitler, and how many people naively thought that because the country was neutral during World War I that they would be safe during World War II. I don't feel like it does anything else exceptionally well. The book is essentially Teddy Hartigan's experience working at the US Consulate leading up to the war, the Jewish woman he meets that he falls in love with, and then the impossible circumstances of fighting against the treatment of the Jewish people and getting his family to safety. The story is told as a recounting to a fellow survivor of the war, who he promises to help try and find the sister she was separated from as a child. When the book starts, the reader thinks this will be a major storyline, but it's repeatedly dismissed by Teddy as Karyn comes to write down his story. While his story being told is important, this seems really selfish that he doesn't want to talk to her about her own experience, and it almost completely disappears with the exception of passing references. It also makes the format of the storytelling not as easy to follow, and quite frankly, the writing is overly simplistic, with sentences that are choppy or run-ons and characters that don't seem to have a lot of emotional depth in circumstances that are incredibly traumatic. It's a different perspective, but I feel like there are a lot of World War II books out there that are written way better than this and that allow the reader to really have the opportunity to live the trauma of the people that lived it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This novel shows a perspective you don't typically see when it comes to World War 2. This focuses on the horrors that Jewish people faced outside of Germany, rather than in it. The novel was written in an interview style which made it hard for my to get engaged with the novel and truly enjoy it. It is still a great book, however I didn't feel immersed in the novel due to the writing style.

Thank you St. Martin's Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping historical fiction and rich in detail. I didn’t want to put it down.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.