★★★★ 4.5 stars

I am excited to be taking part in the #BooksOnTour #BlogTour for Imogen Matthews' inspiring tale of THE HIDDEN VILLAGE.

Upon reading the premise for THE HIDDEN VILLAGE I immediately became intrigued as it offered something a little different than your usual Holocaust stories. The author was inspired by her own Dutch family's tales of their personal experiences during wartime Holland and though based on actual events, it is otherwise entirely fictional.

A compelling tale, THE HIDDEN VILLAGE comes across as an easy read for young adults to understand which is what I particularly liked as it wasn't bogged down with historical facts that tend to lose me in the quagmire. It was written in an easy to understand way featuring all young children and adults as the main perspectives.

It is not clear which year what year it is when the story begins, as with most books of this genre, so it is therefore left to the reader's imagination. It starts of with the innocence of childhood as Sofie, a young Jewish Dutch girl, grumbles about the teacher overlooking her abilities despite her topping her class in a maths test. She is too busy harbouring a resentment for Oscar with whom she shares a teenage affection and flits between being annoyed with him and being in love with him. Her best friend Liesbeth nudges her playfully which only makes Sofie frown more.

Oscar is the same age as Sofie and though he is not Jewish, he and his family do not welcome the Nazi occupation. His father Max is strict but reasonably fair as he works for the underground movement in helping to keep those in danger from the Germans safe. His mother Sara is English and while she is not involved in the underground she silently supports it. No one wants or welcomes a Nazi regime in Holland. And while Oscar yearns to see more of Sofie, circumstances soon make that impossible.

Then there is Oscar's 11 year old brother Jan, a young tearaway who gets himself into mischief with his two friends Nico and Lex. Together they roam the woods, despite being told countless times by his mother not to, looking for fun and adventure. Fate brings fallen pilots to their den in the woods as Jan endeavours to help the airmen. And while the woods are not teeming with Germans yet, they could be and so Jan brings the pilot home to keep him safe. Was that a wise move? Jan didn't care because now he was playing a part in a big adventure and for him it was exciting.

Then when the net closes in and Germans begin to steal the Jews away, forbidding them any birthright or privilege, the villagers know the time has come when they must hide them. And so plans are made...

A secret purpose-built village deep in the Veluwe woods called Berkenhout. There dozens of persecuted people, mostly Jews, were sheltered in the underground huts that soon became home for them. They were helped by a community of men, women and children from the nearby village who gather food and other necessities for all those who were hidden there. The need for secrecy was paramount and instilled in anyone who knew of its existence...for a betrayal could cost many of them their lives.

Sofie was one of the first to be hidden in Berkenhout where she moved in with a family of strangers who soon became a second family to her. Her own parents went to a Dutch family who only had room for two of them, thereby paving the way for Sofie to live in Berkenhout. There she learnt how to cook under surrogate mum Corrie's guidance and even set up a little school alongside Laura, another girl her age who was from Ghent in Belgium. Together they taught the younger children and created activities to keep them occupied. It was not an easy life but it was one they adapted to. And all the while, Sofie longed to see Oscar and spend a few moments alone with him.

Oscar and his family worked tirelessly with others to keep Berkenhout and its inhabitants secret and safe. Even Sofie's best friend Liesbeth helped with gathering supplies for the village. Jan longed to be privy to whatever secrets were being kept from him and his yearning to help often put them in danger. Berkenhout must remain secret; its inhabitants kept safe.

But little did they know that trouble was a lot closer than they thought...

The easy style of this story made it an enjoyable quick read I devoured in a day. I wondered how on earth you could hide an entire village from discovery but the people of this village did just that to all intents and purposes. And that's what compelled me to read this story as it didn't read like any other Holocaust tale I have come across. I have read many Auschwitz like stories and after a while they all become too similar...so I was after something similar but different. And THE HIDDEN VILLAGE is just that.

The sheer terror at being discovered by the Germans is felt upon the pages - by both adults and children alike. Such as when Jan hides in the woods from the Nazi officers he encounters. So it was difficult to appreciate their courage as well as their fears in helping those in this hidden village.

I thoroughly enjoyed THE HIDDEN VILLAGE but I do however have one complaint. The ending. The story was unfolding at a perfect pace with the reveal of a major event when suddenly the last chapter jumps twenty years to a whole other era and I felt like...what just happened? It felt rushed and unexplained and it almost leaves the reader feeling a little bit cheated having invested so much in getting to know the characters. I don't even know what happened to some of them. And one explanation from Henk Hauer was just unbelievable. Just no. Maybe we'll get more answers in the sequel "Hidden in the Shadows" ...

Despite this, THE HIDDEN VILLAGE is a thoroughly engrossing read and a very easy one at that. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, particularly those surrounding the Holocaust and the underground movement working against the Nazi regime.

I would like to thank #ImogenMatthews, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheHiddenVillage in exchange for an honest review.

This was really interesting and very well researched. I think I had heard about this village when we were visiting the area.

I really enjoyed the fictionalised stories which gave body to the story and made it really easy to read, making me really want to continue which I did - then it was the end of the book.

I was given an advance copy by Bookouture and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.

The HIdden Village is a historical novel based on a true story of a village built underground in the woods. This was done to hide Jews from the Germans.
The hidden village of Berkenhout is deep in the Veluwe Woods in Holland. Reading this story really gives you a good understanding of what went on during this time period.
Overall, this books was a engrossing read. If you are looking to read a good historical war book, definitely recommend you consider The Hidden Village.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

After reading, The Girl Across the Wire, I got this as an ARC from the publisher, although this book was published before.

The story takes place during the WWII in Holland in 1943. One night, Sofie flees to a hidden village named Berkenhaut. The Germans have no idea about the existence of this village.and Sofie lives in this village, away from her family and friends. Meanwhile, Jan, a small young boy comes across an American pilot known as Donald and befriends with him. The story is told from the multiple perspectives, where many Jews hidden in this village. Eventually, with the rumors of the village being circulated around, the Germans would do anything to find the village.

This is an emotional read. The book is beautifully written and the author has done a good job, captivating the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story. There were some heart wrenching moments, the sense of OMG moments when the Nazi soldiers roam through the woods where the hidden village is located. I do like how the whole community in this village will get together and help out each other, which shows the unity. I do like all the characters in the book though.

Overall, this is an emotional and heartbreaking ride that will captivate you as a reader--worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

WW2 continues to be a rich source of inspiration for novelists. Readers still seek these stories of human triumph and tragedy and often they provide a good historical account of little known events. This is one of those novels and is touching and redemptive.
Imogen Matthews writes of the beauty and brutality of Jewish refugees hidden by the sympathetic Dutch. It is a tale of hardship and heroism and ultimately betrayal in the darkest of times. She focuses on the young people caught up in the horrors of war, allowing their elders to appear only on the margins of the story, and guarantees an abundance of empathy.

A fascinating story primarily told through the eyes of children forced to grow up in occupied Holland. Members of the town put themselves and their families as risk to hide neighbours wherever they can, as visiting family, in the attic.... But the numbers of people needing help will not fit in existing homes. How much will they risk for people they don't know - downed enemy pilots, or foreigners escaping their own villages. And how can you hide dozens of people where the Germans won't find them. While the adults make plans, the children have their part to play as well. Interwoven with young love, fear, jealousy, family, and sacrifice, the story alternates perspectives revolving around keeping a village hidden in the woods.

I found the story itself interesting, but found the chosen perspectives difficult as the seriousness of the situation was often glossed over. When things finally started to get a bit more serious and in depth, it abruptly skipped ahead in time and then ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.

As interesting as this book is, it was a bit boring in places. There were too many descriptions of daily life and the struggle to keep Berkenhout around and the end wasn’t so much as a climax as an anticlimax.

I really enjoyed the book The girl across the whire fence so I was excited to read the book. For me the book didn’t live up to my expectations. The story didn’t flow well, it had lots of loose chapters and the story started to drag pretty quickly.

I didn’t really like Sofie as a character, she was mostly annoying it and there were a lot of loose ends.

As I thoroughly loved Imogen Matthews' earlier book The Girl Across the Wire Fence, and always enjoy learning more about unique situations in WWII (and the hidden village (located in Vierhouten) definitely is a unique setting here in the Netherlands) and the way events impacted real people, I was quite excited to pick this one up.

Unfortunately, somehow I didn't feel quite as captured by The Hidden Village as I had expected. The unique premise of a village in the woods where Jewish families could hide from the Nazis holds a lot of promise for a WWII story that is unheard of, but the choice to focus on a couple of younger characters (aged between 11 and 16/17) and their perceptions of it all, made the story seem superficial. It focused more on the dreadfulness of daily chores and teenage angst and romance than the logistics of a hidden village, providing cover for over 80 people, and the difficulties that come with moving people in and out of such a situation. There were a great number of characters but I felt that all of them were somewhat one-dimensional. Finally, I believe some of the elements of the story were quite unrealistic (mostly the amounts and types of food available under German occupation in the Netherlands) and I am not sure I liked the ending of the book as it left me with so many questions.

There were of course things I liked too. Out of all the characters, I felt most empathy for little Jan. He does not take no for an answer, and in his own way makes great contributions to the resistance efforts. I also appreciated some of the more nuanced ways in which the war, and having so many refugees hiding in a village, influenced individuals as well as family ties. The book clearly addresses the heroism of the general population. After reading The Hidden Village, I have gone on a bit of an internet search and found that many of the elements in the book were real (the use of a dog to let inhabitants of the camp know it was safe to come out to tap water for instance), which I can also appreciate.

“It’s surprising what people will do when faced with danger.”

The Hidden Village is a novel based on a forgotten part of history that took place in Holland during WW2. After listening to her Dutch mother recount tales from her youth of thrilling and extraordinary adventures during the German occupation and the Hunger Winter, the author chose to write about young people and explore how they coped with the constant fear and danger of war. You don’t have to read too far into this novel before you feel you are privy to the excitement of being caught up in a real life adventure. The narrative was also shaped by the author’s discovery of a memorial stone and two hidden huts on a bike ride through the Veluwe Forest one summer day in 2011. Both events contribute to a unique perspective on wartime fiction.

The story is written from the perspective of two young people; Sofie, a young Jewish girl forced to go up and live in a hidden village and an adventurous boy, Jan, whose curiosity takes precedence over a multitude of warnings not to go into the woods on his own. As one would expect, the story focuses on teenage preoccupations such as limited freedom, the duty of chores, separation from friends, and the strain of war on friendships.

On the edge of the Veluwe Forest, a community pulls together to help desperate people stay safe. They build Berkenhout Village, a hidden village of underground huts for those fleeing the Nazis and then selflessly provided food, clothing and medicine to ensure their survival. With the Nazis hunting for hidden Jews and this village they’d heard rumours about, can the forest community remain undetected? You’ll have to read to find out!

With plenty of discourse to keep you involved, this novel focusing on the resistance movement as seen through the eyes of the youth, is a worthy read.

I was gifted this advance copy by Imogen Matthews, Bookouture, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

A very interesting novel about many relentless acts of courage I was not aware of!

The Hidden Village, by Imogen Matthews.

Inhabitants of a village in Holland built a hidden village in a forest to hide Jewish people as well as anyone fleeing the Nazis. The houses, huts really, were underground dwellings for most of them and housed about a 100 inhabitants of all ages. They formed a community where each fulfilled his/her own duties to make it liveable. However it could work only because of the help provided by the villagers nearby. I found amazing to see how many people took part in this incredible and fearsome undertaking particularly because the Germans were never far and often organized razzias in their houses to get any fugitives hidden! The Nazis had also heard rumours about a hidden village in the forest, and were searching for it. Did they find it? A very intense story I will not forget!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

With grateful thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion. Haven't read this author before and can highly recommend a huge amount work and research went into this amazing tale its is rather harrowing in places but that was real life fir so many people I will look out for mire by this author in the future.

One of the things I love about WWII is there are still so many stories left to discover. I love that Matthews wrote her latest historical fiction based on her homeland. It’s based On a story I hadn’t heard about before, a hidden village. Acts of heroism were very real through the pages. The story was engrossing and I loved the author’s explanation. Reading what people endured during WWII gives me the strength to face modern society.

I will never forget this unbelievable tale and the real-life heroes who inspired it. To say that reading this book became addictive is a huge understatement. I would stupidly pick the book up only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there well over an hour and several chapters later. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my favourite genres at the moment is historical WW2, even more so when it’s based on fact. The Hidden Village of Berkenhout was a secret village built by the Dutch resistance and local townspeople to hide Jews from the Germans. Before I read this book, I did not know there was such a place, so I found that aspect of the book fascinating. It never fails to amaze me when reading this type of book the number of people who were willing to put themselves and their families in danger. They showed great courage in the most dangerous of times.

The book centres mostly around Sofia a young Jew forced to go into hiding and Jan, a local boy who is only to willing to help the Jews, at 11 some choices he made were foolhardy, but his heart was in the right place. I thought the characters were well developed and you get a genuine sense of the fear and danger that they faced day in day out.

Imogen Matthew’s has created a story that’s fraught with danger, courage, and hope. The story is heart wrenching as you share the characters’ struggles. It’s not difficult to imagine the loneliness in being separated from their loved ones and the constant threat of being found by the Germans.

I had one small quibble. I thought the ending felt rushed as it left me with so many unanswered questions relating to some characters. The author has done a great job of creating a story that’s not overwhelmed with the atrocities that took place in WW2, the stories main focus is on the people living this awful period of time.

I really enjoyed this story it was completely captivating right from the start and was engaging the whole way through. It was so well written with well developed characters and a interesting and heartbreaking storyline that dealt with real and raw issues in a sentive and heartwrenching way. It also had moments of hope and love that shone through. I really enjoyed it.

I found this book very interesting. The book is about WW2 and what the German did to people and their family were horrible. I thought it was very well written with slot of information I didn't know

I never cease to be amazed at the true stories of courage and heroism displayed by ordinary people during the Holocaust; these stories continue to come to light and I can only imagine how many more have yet to be told. One small Dutch town took the extraordinary step of creating an entire village for their Jewish neighbors, deep in the forest. Matthews takes this incredible true story and makes it the basis for her novel about a Jewish family who know they are about to be found by Nazis. With space for only one more “resident”, Sofie’s parents make the agonizing decision to send their daughter there, praying she escapes the horrors that await the rest of them. Incredibly moving and a reminder of how lucky we truly are

THE HIDDEN CITY by IMOGEN MATTHEWS is a heart wrenching novel which takes place in German occupied Holland during the second world war.
It is a story about courage, love and friendship, and unfortunately also about betrayal.
We get to know some of the families who live in Kampenfeld and are working with the resistance to save Jewish families and young men who would otherwise be sent to Germany to work. We see how homes are opened to those in danger, and how, when the Germans start raiding and tearing places apart, a decision is made to build a hidden village. This village, called Berkenhout, is hidden in the forest and becomes home to many, mainly Jewish, displaced people. We see the strain of living in fear of being found. The people of Kampenfeld work together to provide food for those in hiding.
There are many interesting characters. When Sofie is taken in by a family and then is sent to Berkenhout, she is angry and rebellious, but eventually settles down in her new home. Jan, as a boy of eleven, is adventurous and full,of life. His enthusiasm often puts himself and others in danger. He is proud to have saved a British and then an American pilot who were shot down in the area.
It is a book which gives real insight into what the Dutch people went through during the war.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews

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…
I read this book in two sessions , a fantastic story of how people are willing to put themselves in mortal danger to help those that need it most.
You are sat on the edge of your seat , willing them to keep safe and able to keep out of the evil hands of the Nazis.