“A Place to Hide" is historical fiction, set in the period time of WW2 when Hitler had eliminated most of the Dutch Jews in the Netherlands and those who protected them.

To all my fellow historical fiction lovers: READ THIS! A few years ago, I exclusively read WWII historical fiction, but the heaviness of those stories made me take a break. When I picked up this book, I was worried it wouldn't measure up to titles like *The Nightingale*, but it did not disappoint. The historical details were so descriptive and accurate that I felt completely immersed in the time period. This is a story of kindness, bravery, and learning from our history. This was my first book by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last.

“A Place to Hide” by Ronald H. Belson is exceptional! I cant remember ever reading a book that was more engrossing, educational, and unputdownable! The story is about a woman who agrees to write the life story of a non Jewish man who wants to make sure his grandchildren understand his life’s work in the Netherlands as a State Department diplomat during the Nazi occupation in WWII. In exchange for writing his story he agrees to help her find her long lost sister as they became separated as young children in Amsterdam at the beginning of the war. I know you may think you know this story about the “orphaned” children of the war but I promise you have never read a book like this one. The incredible amount of research and detail that is included in this story brought to life for me the horror of how hatred can easily take over when left unchecked. It also brought to life how incredibly courageous people were who were brave enough to help others and resist the evil work of Hitler and his emissaries. This book needs to be read by everyone and I recommend it highly. There aren’t enough existing stars to give this book!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Matin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set during World War II as most of Mr. Balson's book are. This book is mostly set in the Netherlands with a lot of it taking place in Amsterdam. I personal know very little about what was happening in Amsterdam during the war so I found this very interesting reading. I always feel like his books are well researched and we never seem to get bogged down with to many details. Mr. Balson manages to tell us the facts but in a story that draws us in and keeps us reading to find out how it turns out. While it isn't a particularly happy story, as most aren't set during World War II, it does have happy moments. I enjoyed learning about Teddy's life and the others that he meets and become parts of his life including Sara, Katy, Danny, Saul & Deborah, Dr. Dop and a host of others. Many good people worked together to save Jewish children and families during the difficult years of the war. Thank you Mr. Balson for another great book and please keep them coming!

Teddy is 92 and crotchety. He has a hidden past as he was stationed in Amsterdam at the embassy prior to and during WWII. He still has some of his contacts though and he uses them to help a Dutch woman attempt to locate her sister. The deal he makes with her is that he will try to find her sister and she will write his memoirs. The entire book is written as it is "told" to Karyn so everything is written in the past tense which kind of robs the novel of some of its tension. I also didn't get a feeling of heroism from Teddy, although he unquestionably is. I found him kind of naive and unlikeable although I can't really say why. The book does tell a good story about the beginnings of WWII in Holland from an unusual perspective. Thanks for NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

If I could rate this one more than five stars, I would.
The way the story was set up was amazing. In 2002, a Holocaust survivor meets with a former employee of the U.S. consulate of Amsterdam, hoping to find information about her long-lost sister. The elderly gentleman agrees to help Karyn in her search , on one condition; that she will take notes on his memories of WW2 and form them into a written memoir for his grandchildren. What follows is a thrilling, heart-rending, unputdownable account from a man who risked much to save people who were otherwise doomed to a horrible fate.
This is historical fiction at its best. I’ll certainly be looking for more books by this author!

*In 2024, the Amsterdam nursery school and Jewish theater which were major features in this story, have been converted into a Holocaust museum and memorial and opened to the public.*

**I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.**

You know when we were kids and told to 'show a story, not just tell'? That advice was not heeded in this book. 'A Place to Hide' begins with a chance meeting between two strangers that connect Karyn, a Jewish woman who was adopted during WWII and wishes she could find her sister to an elderly man named Teddy who was a US State Officer in the Amsterdam Consulate. Teddy proceeds to agree too help Karyn in her search for her sister if she would agree to write his life story. Karyn agrees and so the story begins. There is a LOT of historical information presented and most of the story is very 'told'. I think a better format would have been a switch between timelines so we could have been 'in' Holland with Teddy during the war. I thought the story was wells told but the ending a bit disappointing. This book is for anyone who loves to read about WWII and would enjoy reading about Holland.

"A Place to Hide" is historical fiction, set in the period of time when Hitler had eliminated most of the Dutch Jews in the Netherlands and those who sided with them. It is both disturbing and beautiful, in that people found the gumption to continue to resist and try to shield and protect others. Highly recommended if you enjoy historical fiction or books set in this time period. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. It will be released September 17, 2024.

What a splendid read. I was so engrossed I read this book in just two sittings. The characters jumped right off the pages. Teddy and Julia working at the consulate, Julia introducing Teddy to Sara was the greatest thing to me. Teddy’s life began to be more livable at this point.

The facts of this story were so well researched. I am an avid reader of the atrocities of the holocaust and this book brought the story alive and made it so readable.

I will be watching for more books by this author! Great read for sure.

I really enjoyed this book, while it is fiction it is based on real events. I love that while Teddy is relaying his story, Karyn is able to connect with her past. Karyn is searching for her sister that she was separated from as a Jewish child in Holland during world war 2. Teddy hopes to help bring them together while having Karyn write his story down for his family. Will Teddy finish his story and will Karyn find her sister, find out as you connect with the characters in the story.

Ron Balson writes A Place to Hide in a dual timeline that is unlike typical historical fiction. A chance encounter in a Tel Aviv bakery brings Karyn a connection to finding her sister who she was separated from during World War II in the Netherlands. In exchange for help, Karyn agrees to write the story of Teddy, who worked in the US Consulate in Amsterdam at the dawn of the war. Teddy wants his story written for his family to know what he experienced during the volatile time. From his broken relationship when he left Washington DC to finding new love and creating an instant family with a Jew and abandoned little girl, Balson gives the reader an inside look at how the Dutch Resistance grew out of desperation to save the Jewish community and take back the Netherlands from Nazi Germany. Not romanticized but giving a firm dose of the reality of what was occurring, A Place to Hide holds you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens when an American tries to save a religion with the help of those who need to find a place to hide to save their life and maintain their faith. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on September 17, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #APlacetoHide #RonBalson #StMartinsPress

A Place to Hide" traverses well-trodden ground, exploring the perennial theme of escaping the looming shadow of the Nazis. Despite the familiarity of the subject matter, this novel offers a refreshing and captivating take on well-known historical events.

One of the best features of the book is its richly drawn characters, who are imbued with depth and complexity. Balson brings these characters to life, making it easy to envision them and become emotionally invested in their journey.

Despite having a sense of the eventual outcome, I found the story compelling. Balson adeptly maintains tension throughout, ensuring that the book remains a good read from start to finish.

A Place to Hide is a story about Teddy, who in 1938, gets sent to work in Amsterdam for the US Consulate. Teddy tells his story to a journalist who is helping him write his memoir while also searching for information regarding a long lost sister. Teddy's story is told in his words, which this reader came to appreciate. Teddy shares about life in Amsterdam during WW2, shares his love story and the role he played in saving others.
Karyn, the journalist doesn't get the specific answers she is looking for but is satisfied to know what may have been.

I will read more books by this author.

Ronald Balson is the master when it comes to sharing unique points of view during WWII. In A Place To Hide, he introduces us to Teddy, a well to do young man who’s familial connections land him a job in the State Department. Climbing the ladder has always been his destiny but the world turns upside down when Hitler comes to power and the next thing Teddy knows, he’s on his way to Amsterdam to fill a vacant position in the consulate. Flooded with refugees seeking asylum in the United States, Teddy’s hands are tied as officially, the refugee quota had been filled. He is also adamant that the Netherlands will remain neutral as they had during the Great War but slowly things begin to change and Teddy realizes that he has the ability to do more, especially when the Nazi’s start to crack down on the Jewish population.

This story is an excellent insight into the history of Amsterdam during the war. It left me with a greater knowledge than before and for that I’m always grateful. The story left me with lots of questions about Teddy that had they been answered would have tied up some loose ends that I saw at the end of the book. While not necessary for the story to wrap up beautifully, I would have enjoyed that little extra bit.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the amazing Ronald Balson for early access to the incredible story!

6/10

First, let me tell you why I liked this book.

1. I love historical fiction. It brings history to life and is much more impactful for me than straight up non-fiction

2. I haven’t read much about the Netherlands during WWII so that was all interesting

3. I haven’t read many historical fiction that follows the slow and deliberate ways the Nazis were able to destroy the Jews. They acted just like a child predator in many ways, in how they build trust and slowly peel it away. Before you know it, it’s too late to escape.

Unfortunately, I think the writing of this book is not good. The premise is a bit weak (an author is interviewing a man to write his life story in exchange for him trying to locate her sister).

Because of the premise, the entire story was told with dialogue. That is both limiting and draining.

If you’re interested in the topic and not as much stickler as me for good writing, this is worth the read. After all, I read it quickly.

But honestly, I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend who likes great literature.

#netgalley #aplacetohide

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

What a wonderfully done historical fiction. I have read and enjoyed several of Ronald H. Balson’s books. He is a gifted author who does his research.

This book takes place in the Netherlands (specifically, Amsterdam) during WW2. Many decades after the war, Karyn Sachnoff, a journalist, agrees to write the life story of Teddy if Teddy helps her locate her biological sister. They were separated during the war.

Teddy is an American and gets a job the U.S. consulate in Amsterdam as the war was starting. While there he meets Sara and they quickly fall in love. Sara is a Jew. Sara and Teddy rescue an abandoned child and together with a group of their family and friends help many Jewish families and children hide from the Nazis.

Having been to Amsterdam before, it was a joy to be transported back there and be reminded of the fight the Dutch gave the Nazis.

Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan is assigned to the consulate in the Netherlands to process visa applications. A job that shouldn’t be too hard, until more and more people start feeling Nazi occupied countries. The days are long, the stress levels are high, and things are only getting worse.

As tensions heighten and the threat levels increase more and more regulations are put into place, many of which are completely unbelievable and unheard of. Teddy is left trying to navigate his duties to his country that is thousands of miles away and his obligation to the Dutch people and the immigrants who have come to the Netherlands.

This book was a heavy and long read, but it was still incredibly interesting and well done. While Karyn’s character was a nice addition, I didn’t feel she was really needed.

This story is unlike most books about the Holocaust, this one details a unique period in time - there were no battles, there were no Concentration Camps - this was the in between. This was about the strategic planning and implementation of underground organizations that worked together to save lives.

This story made me question US policies during the late 30s and early 40s. The story was beautifully written and thought provoking.

With so many historical fiction books written about the events surrounding WW2, Ronald Balson has focused on telling the story of what took place in the Netherlands, which had started out as a neutral country but like most of Europe, was taken over by Hitler.

Teddy Hartigan is a ninety-two year old man living in Washington, DC and who served in several roles for the US Consulate in Amsterdam. Journalist Karyn Sachnoff, is a Jewish woman living in Israel who was separated from her family as a very young girl and adopted by a Dutch family. In her quest to find her sister from whom she was separated, Karyn meets Teddy who is determined to help her if she writes his memoir in exchange for his help.

Though these two characters are fictionalized, Mr. Balson did immaculate and detailed research and was able to stay true to many names and events that are part of Teddy’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the opportunity to receive this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Currently at 25% … but when I’m enjoying a book I like to provide partial reviews and updates. I’ve already skipped ahead to read the authors note. I’m so drawn in by A Place to Hide … I had to find out if any parts were based on actual events. Pretty sure this is going to be a 5 star read for me.

Finished A Place to Hide today. Very, very highly recommended! Teddy wants his memoir recorded (at 90+ years old), Karyn is a journalist and looking to find her sister. They barter.

Many thanks to NetGalley, especially for (yet once again, introducing me to a “new to me” author). Ma y thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for approving my request to read the advance review copy of A Place to Hide in exchange for an honest review. Ronald H. Balson … great read! Nicely done!

I have really loved reading Ronald Balson's books as they are both informative as historical fiction and grpping as narrative. This latest offering is NO EXCEPTION. Absolutely a great read!