The Hidden Village

Nazi-occupied Holland, 1943. A heartbreaking tale based on the true story of an entire town who put themselves in incredible danger to keep strangers safe in World War Two…

In the quiet Dutch countryside fifteen-year-old Sofie returns home from school to find two armed men in her home. One is holding the barrel of his rifle to her father’s temple, and the other is ransacking her mother’s purse. Even though the Nazis find no proof that the family are Jewish, Sofie knows that this means they will have to leave…

Although they find safety concealed in a neighbour’s attic, they cannot stay there forever. As the war intensifies, the sound of air raids grows louder and more soldiers begin knocking on the door. In the darkness, the family huddle together with no idea of what to do.

But a resistance has been growing, and the town has built a village deep in the woods where they’ve been hiding Jewish people. Although the Nazis have heard of its existence, they haven’t been able to find it. And when Sofie’s mother finds out that they have one space left, Sofie is told to go.

Sofie is given the secret location. To get there she just has to make sure she evades the soldiers patrolling the woods. And if she makes it, no matter how much she wants to help the rest of her family, she must stay hidden. But how long can she stay in the darkness when her loved ones are at risk?

Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice will never forget this unbelievable tale and the real-life heroes who inspired it.