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.

An excellent read and it’s gives another perspective during the war. It was a very different POV and story so I definitely think go into it remembering that. At times, the writing itself felt very choppy.

A Place to Hide by Ronald H. Balson is a captivating novel featuring intriguing characters and a well-crafted storyline.

A Place to Hide💼
3⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book. I really enjoy historical fiction, especially set during WWII. This story was told from an interesting perspective, it is mostly being told from the past as the story is read by the MMC. I thought that choice was cool and offered some insight as to how much Teddy remembered his past during the war.

This book is obviously set during the war and so there are lots of politics. I understand it’s important to describe what countries were doing what, what leaders supported what, etc, but I got lost in the sauce a little. It was overly descriptive and was easy to lose focus. I did like the story, but like anyways life story, there were many tangents. I don’t think all of them were important. This book was still entertaining as it was depressing. We see how the jews suffered under the hands of the Nazi’s. I liked the characters and the whole story with Katie and Sarah. I wish we got to see a little more of the children being rescued because the ending felt rushed. Other than that, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction!🤎

This whole story is a conversation about what happened and not a narrative..I would have preferred reading the story from the points of view of the characters involved and not one man’s grandiose conversation.

I found this story interesting from the beginning. I enjoyed the way the two timelines intermingled. There was a good amount of suspense interlaced, which helped push the reader forward through the story. There were also times where it felt like the story stagnated a bit, but overall, it was a smooth read. Teddy seemed to be a wonderful man and I appreciated seeing his journey from young to old man. I wanted more of an answer for Karyn, but I can accept that that is just the reality of life a lot of the time. Overall, I read this novel quite fast and enjoyed the timeline and characters.

A Place to Hide was my first book by Ronald Balson, a masterful historical fiction writer with a different tale of WWII. Teddy, the main character, has enough family money and influence to secure a job in the State Department before WWII. But when the world turns bad during Hitler’s march across Europe, his destiny to fill a vacant position in an Amsterdam consulate becomes a race against time, filled with frustration yet fueled by a desire to help those most in need. Teddy struggles with his job as Hitler's intentions become realized, holding onto the hope that the Netherlands will stay neutral in the war everyone knows is coming. Despite his efforts, Teddy finds his hands tied, as no country seems willing to accept the refugees pouring out of the occupied countries that Hitler has conquered. As the Nazis intensify their brutal world of alienation, millions of Jewish men, women, children, dissidents, artists, and those living on the fringes of society face marginalization, neglect, and being forgotten, particularly when quotas are full and asylum remains a distant hope. No country showed a willingness to accept the refugees pouring out of the occupied countries that Hitler conquered.

The author touches a nerve in every one of his readers as we watch the world of today mirror an era we all thought we left buried in the archives of Hitler’s madness. Insightful, provocative, and filled with little-known knowledge of Amsterdam during the early years of Hitler’s rise, A Place to Hide becomes a testament to the study of history to avoid the same errors made in the past.
As a 90-year-old man attempts to retell events from the era for the benefit of his family, Hitler conquers Amsterdam along with most of Europe, stranding millions in the path of his mania. The story opened my eyes to the human condition, leaving me with many concerns as I devoured one of the best books I have read in years.

I cried openly at the horrors and cruelty one man can inflict on other people. Reading about the path of Hitler’s horrors through the eyes of an old man was hard but enlightening. Although I had to put the book down a time or two, I kept reading, and I am grateful for the illumination and the eye-opening story of an old man who just wanted his story told for the benefit of his family and future generations. The book will not leave you with a happy feeling, a romantic ending, or the satisfaction of a good who-dun-it. But it will awaken you to the silent devils that lurk within each generation of humanity. Despite the book’s seriousness, a story unfolds that will keep you mesmerized and reading. I want to thank Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Ronald Balson for one of the best books I have read so far this year. I received a free ARC; this review is voluntary and mine alone. An absolute must-read.

A historical fiction that focused on Holland during WWII. This story is about a journalist who is interviewing a former US worker, who lived in Holland during WWII, in exchange for information about a long lost sister during that timeframe.

While there was somewhat of a storyline, I found myself caught up in all of the names and dates of events that were presented throughout the story. It left me feeling like I was reading a textbook instead of a fictional story.

I enjoyed the Authors Note and the acknowledgement of some of the characters were based on real people during the war.

Thank you Net Gallery and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I always enjoy different perspectives on World War II and learning what different countries went through throughout the war. This book was no exception.
Most of this book is set in the Netherlands during the years of World War II. It shows the horrors of life for the Jews even outside of Germany. I enjoyed seeing the hero’s of the time doing their best to save as many Jewish people including children from the concentration camps the most.
I had a hard time with how this book was set up. It’s told in mostly interview style. I had a hard time staying engaged with this writing style. Also, the main premise of the book. The reason the interview was happening to begin with did not get resolved.
Overall a pretty good historical fiction read.

A beautiful and well written story of selflessness, during horrific events. Your heart pours out to Teddy and Sara, and orphaned Katy. Another great historical fiction book, of an ordinary 'person' who bravely makes the decision to make a difference, rescue lives, and do right for those suppressed. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Where to start? A Place to Hide by Ronald H. Blason is a work of historical fiction set in the Netherlands during the Second World War. I will be the first to admit that, other than Anne Frank, I didn’t really know much of what took place in the Netherlands during the German occupation. This novel was a real eye opener as to the atrocities that took place with the deportation of the Jewish citizens. It also highlighted the human spirit and the bravery of many people who chose to go against what they were being told and doing what they knew was right. When I think of the resistance, I think of the French and all that they did to help turn the tides of the war. What I realize now is the magnitude of the Dutch peoples involvement in that same resistance and that same ethic of working towards a common goal. Overall loved the story and all it entailed!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

This is a story about the situation in Holland during WW II. Heavy on dates and events. I did enjoy it as I do all of his books. There are mysteries on top of mysteries. The story is narrated by an elderly gentleman in a nursing home who wants his memoir written before he dies so his children will know what his story was during the war. Lots of twists to the plot.

A Place to Hide is a gut wrenching historical fiction about the Jerusalem of the West, Amsterdam. My heart absolutely broke reading about the Jewish families who made the choice to put their children up for adoption to save their lives. Ronald H. Balson did a great job with including historical facts throughout the story and keeping everything as accurate as possible.

Thank you for the opportunity of an eARC and I am leaving this review willingly.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book on my kindle. The review that I am leaving is in no way tied to the giveaway.

This book has two timelines; 1930-1945 Netherlands and approximately present day in Washington DC. I've been to Amsterdam twice so I was able to have a better understanding of the places mentioned in the book by the author. The premise of the book is that if the Israeli woman writes Teddy's memoirs then Teddy (former spy and Consulate employee) in exchange will use his former contacts to try and find her long lost sister. when they were split up during the Holocaust.

I was spellbound by this book. I read quite a bit about the Holocaust but had no idea the arduous task for people wishing to leave Amsterdam had. They were required to submit much documentation and numerous copies of each prior to getting a VISA to leave the country. For some who were escaping from Germany this was an impossible task as they fled without documents.

This was a novel about the difficulties faced and heroic acts of brave men and women in the resistance. Well done!