Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review "A Place to Hide".

Karyn is in search of information about her long-lost sister, who she was separated from during World War II. She is connected to Teddy Hartigan, an elderly gentleman, who might be able to use his resources to track down the information she is hoping for. In return, Karyn helps Teddy to write the biographical account of his time working in the US consulate office in Amsterdam during WWII. As Teddy recounts his past, he reveals memories of the lead up to the war and the struggle to make difficult decisions that will mean life or death for those impacted by them.

Ronald Balson did a great job of creating a story steeped in accurate historical facts. He captured the slow build up and unraveling that occurred in Amsterdam as the Germans gained control. While historical fiction based during WWII can be dark and difficult to read, this was focused on the positive efforts of people helping others.

As a home educator, I enjoy using literature to bring context and connection to historical events and places. From that prospective, I feel like this book allowed me to gain a greater understanding and perspective of WWII than I had before.