This book, A Place to Hide by Ronald H. Balson was a beautiful story of survival, courage and endurance. The story begins by introducing readers to the main characters, Karyn and Teddy. Teddy, an elderly man living out the remainder of his life in an assisted living home and Karyn who was separated from her sister years earlier when they were children during WWII in Amsterdam. A chance encounter in a bakery ends up leading to Karyn meeting Teddy, an American sent to Amsterdam to work in the US consulate.
Over time Teddy tells Karyn the story of his life in Amsterdam, how he not only survived the occupation of the Nazis when they invaded Amsterdam, but also his role helping in the rescue of thousands of Jews who were forced to hide out.
This story is riveting and enthralling.
I loved this book and found the writing style of the author very easy to read and capturing. The content is historically accurate and captures the fullness of this time period. Very well done!

A Place to Hide by Ronald H Balson

304 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: September 17, 2024

Fiction (Adult), General Fiction (Adult), Historical Fiction (Adult), World War II, Amsterdam

Karyn Sachnoff is out with her grandchildren when they literally drops a doughnut on a man’s stack of papers. Burt Franklin hears Karyn’s her accent and asks if she is Dutch. He begins to ask about her childhood and her family. Karyn tells him that she was not raised by her parents. She also tells him about her missing sister, Annie. He tells her about his cousin, Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan, an American who worked for the State Department in Amsterdam during the second World War. He suggests that maybe she could talk with Teddy and maybe he would be able to help her locate Annie. Karyn meets Teddy, an old grouchy man. He makes a deal with her. He will look for her sister if she will listen to and publish, his memoir so he can pass it on to his grandchildren.

Teddy begins his story as an analyst working in a basement in Washington, D.C. engaged to his childhood sweetheart Betty. He is called to the State Department headquarters and told there is an opening in Amsterdam, and he is the perfect candidate. The catch is he must leave within two weeks. Betty is not interested in going. She tells him he is being selfish making the decision to go without consulting her. He really did not have a choice – go to lose his job in the State Department.

Once he arrives in Amsterdam, he is overwhelmed with the long lines of people trying to get visas to the United States. There are so many trying to flee Europe since Hilter’s rise. His coworker, Julie, suggests he goes out with her friend, Sara, for New Year’s Eve. There is an instant connection between them. Sara is Jewish and with the German’s proceeding across Europe, tensions begin to grow. Teddy is frustrated by the lack of aid he can provide. He begins work helping Jewish families escape before they are taken to camps.

The book has a steady pace, and the characters are very developed. The book is written as Teddy tells Karyn his story. This is a powerful story that will grab you from the first page and will not let you go until you reach the last. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy reading this.

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.

I highly recommend this to those of you who enjoy historical fiction and rate it 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

A Place to Hide
By Ronald Balson
I have loved all of Ronald Balson’s books. I had to think about this one before writing this review. This is the story of Teddy Hartigan, an American who is sent to work at the US embassy in The Netherlands in 1938, when others are fleeing Europe. The story is compelling and is one that should be told over and over again. There were many people who tried to help those who were the targets of Nazi terror and Teddy did his best. There were several times during the telling of the story though that I asked myself if anyone in that position at that time could have been as naive as Teddy seemed to be. I liked the book and am glad that I had the opportunity to read it but I liked several of Mr Balson’s books more than this one.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the advanced copy of this book in exchange for this review.

I loved A Place to Hide. I have read many of this Authors Novels and loved them. The Authors Fictional stories about true events in History are heart breaking, profound and endearing. His characters have depth and are full of emotion. This Novel about children during Wartime Holland was emotional. Looking forward to reading more of this Authors work.

I give A Place to Hide 5 stars for its emotional depth.
I would recommend this book to Historical Fiction fans.
#APlaceToHide #NetGalley

Teddy Hartigan is sent to Amsterdam to work in the U.S. Consulate to replace staff in 1938. He is to process visa applications.

Teddy and his girlfriend, Sara, meet Katy, an orphaned young girl, and the couple agree to adopt Katy.

Teddy decides that he needs to use his position to help save as many people.

This was very well written, reflecting the time period. I would have appreciated if the story was told a little more straightforward.

A good story about what can happen when people are not afraid to help others. Young Teddy, very well connected, gets a job in the State Department in the Netherlands just before WWII. In Amsterdam there are many Jews who are, rightly, fearful for their future. It is impossible for Teddy to help them all, but he does find a way to help a great many.

There were some difficulties with the novel for this reviewer. Since the story is written as a memoir by a person who is truly optimistic, we don’t get much of the emotional impact of those times. It all seems too easy. Nor do we get a really close feeling for the true ugliness that Jews had to endure in that time and the confusion in non-Jews’ views of what was happening. Even when parents being transported to certain death left their children behind, it was portrayed as solely an intellectual decision. What heartbreak there must have been!

Nevertheless, the story is really well researched with characters both historical and fictional and details lesser-known events of WWII.

Ronald Balson has done it again! Every book of his is thoughtfully written, engaging and A Place to Hide is no exception. Teddy Hartigan is sent to Amsterdam during World War II to work in the US Consulate. Throughout the book, Teddy is confronted with the complicated intricacies of immigration during war time, exploring moral questions and themes that are relevant to this day. The book is great historical fiction with the twist of a perspective that is not commonly written about. The book was engaging and filled with suspense from the first page to the last. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

I had no idea the depth of Nazi terror felt by the Jewish population in The Netherlands when Hitler invaded Holland during WW2.

Theodore Hartigan represents the true heroes of Holland whose US Department of State job led him to work in Amsterdam. Other characters were real people; Henriette Pimentel, Walter Suskind, Jonah van Hulst, Alice Cohn. Their stories are moving and the trauma and drama were well told. The number of Jews deported is real (104,000), as are the number of those hidden and young children/babies rescued and placed as family in non-Jewish homes. The sheer determination of the citizens of Holland to outlive the reign of terror was inspiring in their ingenuity.

Every chapter exposed more of the reality of war. I am thankful to have been able to read about it.

I have loved every book this author has written since I discovered him a few years ago. The writing and characters are impeccable as are the storylines. In this book, Freddy is such a great character! You can’t help thinking of the bravery of all of them during wartime. And how many children had a chance now.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and the Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (WWII historical fiction) is one of my all time favorite reads. Consequently, going into this novel, my expectations were notably high. I am thrilled (and relieved) to say, this title did not disappoint.

This captivating story offers a novel approach to WWII historical fiction - both in the manner in which it is narrated and the perspective it presents. Written in the third person, this novel relives the protagonist’s life as he recalls it to a journalist preparing his memoir. The journalist, a holocaust survivor herself, has a growing personal stake in the sharing of his story. Through this recalled narration, Ronald Balson adds a unique dimension to the story as the characters discover how their lives intertwined during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. In regard to the book’s perspective, this is the first WWII historical fiction that I have read from the perspective of an American protagonist. As an American citizen, I appreciated how this perspective highlighted the politics which were at play across the Atlantic during this time. With that said, the lived European experience of WWII was not lost due to the protagonist’s abroad, Amsterdam setting.

Although this novel is a work of fiction, it is incredibly well researched and inclusive of both real people and real events (as disclosed in the author’s note). Without a doubt, I am more informed on the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands now than I was prior to reading this book. I am appreciative of the fictional components which made this education so enjoyable and entrancing. Often times, I found myself on the edge of my seat, stressing about how events would unfold when I turned the page. Even after finishing the book, I still feel invested in the characters and their experiences. Despite all the horrific events which unfold, this is truly a heartwarming story. A story about acts of extraordinary kindness and unprecedented bravery in the face of evil. A story about the profound difference just one person can make on even the darkest of days. A story which delicately demonstrates the importance of learning from our history considering the fragility of the current world in which we live.

I would rate this read 4.5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to access an ARC of this title.

Ronald H. Balson is one of my very favorite writers. He has written so many historical fiction stories about World War 2 that on their face seem very similar but always end up being unique. The characters are exquisitely well-developed, and by locating each story in a different European country, I have learned so much about the war.

A Place to Hide was no exception. I was familiar with the Dutch occupation, mainly because of Anne Frank, but this story was very different than hers. The frame story was also captivating. Balson manages time and again to write the most endearing curmudgeons who inevitably have excellent reason for their surliness and withdrawal from the world.

As with all stories about the Holocaust, I grew increasingly anxious as time passed, but particularly as the book progressed (and I knew I was nearing the end), I waited for the other shoe to drop.

A Place to Hide is a story about Teddy, a young man working in the US State Department in 1938 who gets sent to work in Amsterdam for the US Consulate. Teddy is telling his story to Karyn, a journalist who is helping him write his memoir while also looking for answers on the whereabouts of her long lost sister. Teddy's story unfolds as Hitler declares war on Eastern Europe. He does his best to help those trying to flee from the oppression of Hitler. Visas are hard to come by, so it’s not an easy task.

I think I would have liked this story if it was told in a more straightforward way. The addition of the Journalist meeting with Teddys grandson and traveling to the US to record his memoir was distracting. I really never felt a connection to the journalist or the grandson, so their scenes were boring for me to read.

I did however enjoy the history of Amsterdam at the start of WWII and how the Jews were struggling to find ways to escape persecution.

Thank you net galley for giving me this opportunity to read 'A Place to Hide'.
I loved this book. Ronald has a gift for writing historical fiction. I have read all of his books and I would have to say this is his best one.
Karyn is in an ice cream shop with her two young granddaughters in Tel Aviv.
A man overhears her speaking and recognizes her accent.
The two get to talking and Karyn explains how she is looking for her long lost sister. The man Danny tells her about his aging uncle in Washington D.C. and how he might be able to help.
Dannt's uncle Teddy agrees tonmeet with Karyn, but only in Washington as he is elderly. Karyn agrees to go to Washington to meet Teddy.
Karyn meets with Teddy and he has a proposition for her. If she will write his memoir he will talk to his contacts about Karyn's sister. Teddy tells Karyn his memoir is for his grandchildren.
As they meet on a daily basis what Teddy is telling Karyn resonates lost memories for her.
This is my own opion.
Thank you again net galley.

This is historical fiction at its finest.

Most didn’t believe Hitler would take the Netherlands next during WWII. He already had control of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungry, Poland, Denmark, Norway and France. It was a neutral country and many figured it would never happen to them.

We look back on how this occurred many years ago and how incredibly sad it was. And we think: how could this happen? Yet, we never seem to grasp that history could repeat itself with a war that could again cost millions of lives. Read this book! While it’s in the past, it could happen with an evil dictator in charge. The book is expertly written with a handful of characters during this horrific time.

It starts when Karyn Sachnoff agreed to write Teddy Hartigan’s story in exchange for help in finding her sister, Annie. She lost track of her when they were separated as young children during WWII in Amsterdam. Teddy still had contacts that she hoped would be useful. He was in his 90s and his health wasn’t great. But his memory was right on with details that weren’t yet told to his adult children. Now he was ready to give them the full story of his life.

This isn’t filled with descriptions of blood on the streets. It’s a beautiful love story about a time when people had courage to resist and help others. It’s well researched and makes the reader think about how quickly this dictator gained power and was able to take over. Hitler and his German leaders wiped out most of the Dutch Jews in the Netherlands along with citizens willing to fight back. It’s disturbing and thought provoking.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of September 17, 2024.

A testament to the power of how one person can make a difference when they decide to take a stand. Teddy, who works for the state department in the Netherlands in the 30s, works to help Jews escape Hitler's regime as they invade the Netherlands. I appreciated that this had a different focus than most stories centered on WWII and allowed me to add to my knowledge of this time period in history. Kudos to Mr. Balson for writing another powerful book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I have read the author's previous books, and they're all worth reading. This book gives a historical account of Hitler's takeover of western Europe, focusing on The Netherlands in particular. I am happy that Balson didn't focus on the Nazi atrocities, but he instead created the atmosphere of dread of what was to come and showed the positive side of people trying to prevent it. Some of the characters were real people, both heroes and villains. It certainly left me feeling very positively about the Dutch people. Although I've read more than I want to about the Holocaust, I appreciated reading this book and learning about life in The Netherlands during this time period and the people who stepped up to help during such a terrible time. I highly recommend this book and think it would make a great choice for book discussion groups.

We’ve read the biggest book written on the holocaust and war based in the Netherlands. This is the second one that should be on your list as well. It is so well written, and gives you insight into what was going on in the Netherlands, and how people were working to help and save, their fellow country men, women, and children.

I tend to read a lot of books in this time. And this one is one of the best I’ve read in quite a while I look forward to reading more from this author in the future as this is the first time I’ve read his work. It is well written, and has left a mark on my heart.

Teddy is assigned to the US consulate in Amsterdam in 1938. His job it to process visa applications. As he watches Hitler take over and kill Jews, Teddy thinks working in the underground would help the Jewish people. This was a very touching story to me.

First of all I want to thank NetGalley and StMartin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read Roandl Balson’s A Place to Hide I have read all of his books and each one is just as good as the others.
Another type of story about Germany, the Nazis, Hitler in the Netherlands. Teddy, is on his career path to being a diplomat in 1938 He is sent to the Netherlands to replace staff who are fleeing from the Nazis and their onward take over of the Netherlands, Poland, Austria among others. When the atmosphere gets worse, even he and his Jewish wife, and the child they adopted cannot get visas since the US quota is full. In trying to help others he and his father in law try to save some Jewish people and their families who are being taken by the Germans and sent to work camps by taking the children and hiding them or finding adoptive homes. The parents wanted their children to live and so they gave them up to other families. A very sad situation. This is one of a kind story. I had so many emotions reading this story. When you find how many were saved it was a more than happy feeling. You must read to his to understand the whole situation- what everyone went through and how it all ended. You won’t be sorry you read this book It is worth every moment of reading.