The Hideaway is a heartwarming, emotional tale of family life. Characters are so real you can take yourself off with them whether that’s back to WWII or present day. I enjoyed this novel.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This book, a historical fiction book, based on WWII.

Hedi is held in a concentration camp. She is then released by The British when she meets Harry. After falling for each other and getting married they go to England where Harry is from.

When they have a daughter, a decision is made, she will not know what they went through during the war.

This then causes her daughter separating from them. Will time and Thea, who’s their granddaughter be able to reconcile the family?

It was interesting to read about what happened when those held in camps. The story was about the relationships created in families.

I recommend this book.

Hedi and Harry have a secret, the keeping of which has left them estranged from their own daughter. Thea is rootless and restless, she turns her feelings off to avoid dealing. On running away from love, she finds herself drawn to The Hideaway. At Harry’s funeral, Thea meets Hedi. The Grandma she had been told was dead.
Hedi is lost without Henry who was “her home” and when Thea takes Hedi in, she learns why for three generations, there has been nowhere to call home.
A novel of bravery, survival and home in all it’s different forms. A well crafted novel with characters who are not perfect and made so believable.
I recommend this book for those interested in wartime novels and time slip novels.

Thea doesn't know her grandmother Hedi nor does she know why their family has been estranged for years but when social services calls, she takes Hedi in and discovers secrets that have had impact down through the years. This moves back and forth in time to tell Hedi's story of love and loss in WWII, her time in the camps, and her struggles with making attachments. She's packed a lot away. Thea's story is more or less irrelevant and used only as a frame for Hedi. It's an emotional read. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

A tender but sad story. Hedonism loses her beloved Henry and is stranger from her daughter and granddaughter. However social services contact Thea, the granddaughter due to concerns over Hedi. The two embark on a summer adventure with Hedi revealing her hidden past.
It’s a sweet story full of themes. Secrets usually are discovered and family is very important. Once stories are lost they are almost never retrieved so learning and listening are critical.

The Hideaway is a novel that exemplifies what it means to live through heartbreaking loss. The loss in this novel is striking and poignant; it really made me think about what loss I have seen in my own life. My favorite part of this novel is its themes; it deals with several central themes and handles them all beautifully. The emotions we have as human beings can be difficult to handle and this book does a great job of showing that. Some of the characters manage to thrive through many tragic moments, and you will want to cheer them on as they do so. All of the characters are well rounded, and I don’t want to say much more about them because I want you to read this novel. I was not sure what to expect when starting to read this story but I did not expect this historical fiction novel to handle so many emotions at once. I finished reading this story a few days ago and I am still thinking about it. I read a lot and it’s not often that I spend days at a time thinking about one particular story.

I like this book a lot. Norma Curtis’ writing is smooth and heartfelt. The pacing of this story is somewhat slow but not so slow that you are left feeling bored. The plot of this story is interesting and ended up heading in a direction that I was not expecting it to. Like I said before, all of the characters are well rounded and I could imagine them being people I would meet in real life. Their stories are unique, heartbreaking and yet you are always left wanting to know more about everyone. The dialogue is straight and the descriptions are bright and sharp. I am not used to reading a fictional novel within a WWII timeline but I think the nod to its history is fascinating and somewhat terrifying at the same time. I suggest this book to anyone who is interested in life during WWII, loves historical fiction or is just looking for a quick, genuine read. This novel teaches you that if you are determined enough, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Such a quaint story to tuck into, “The Hideaway” is moving story that moves across several generations of a family who are estranged. It comes full circle, starting and ending with a death (and that is the limit of the spoilers). We meet Hedi and Harry both I their twilight years and estranged from their daughter and grand-daughter. The story revolve around connection, being together, family secrets and home truths, and the impact of belonging. Such a mix of themes. There is a historical nod to WW2 and the experiences of both Hedi and Harry in the camps in Germany, and a lot of the book moves back and forward to present body from this point of view.
The book highlights the pain and feelings of loss and emptiness after a long term partner passes away. It highlights the determination and strength of the human spirit to endure the worst from the worst and find a way to keep going. It also explores the genuineness of stubbornness and determination to not mend old family rifts. It also explored the meaning of freedom: from being a war prisoner to being liberated, to being free of guilt and opening up about life history that was kept away in order to protect others. It explored the responsibility of caring for one another: Thea takes Hedi, her grandmother under her wing at a time where she was unsure of her own life choices and it is her snooping in Hedi’s old suitcase that opens up old wound, old secrets and a chance to reconnect and belong.
Some of the occurrences seemed bot dubious and a little twee, yet in the context of family bonds being explored, it helped to build the momentum. I loved the openness of Thea to Hedi as both her grandmother and an older woman with s story to impart. They had so little in common, but at the same time, they had so much that connected them.


Thanks, Netgalley for the e-ARC.

Heartwarming emotional. A great story of generations and survival in a concentration camp during World War 2.
A really great read!

Moving story of family secrets that estrangement. Beautifully written with well rounded characters. The story stays with you which to me is the mark of a very good book. Thank you netgalley fir the advanced copy

This book is really well written. It has heart and love and drama and family issues. It has wonderful characters and a sweeping storyline. This story stays with you for a long time after you have read it too.

This book has stayed in my mind for quite some time after reading it, very much the mark of an outstanding book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was an incredible read that was well written with a riveting storyline and well developed characters some of which I took completely to my heart. Heart-wrenching and emotive but also hopeful. I couldn't put it down, I loved it.

“The Hideaway” by Norma Curtis is a historical fiction book about WWII. In this book, Hedi is interned in a concentration camp. The British liberate the camp and Hedi meets Harry. They fall in love, get married, and move to Harry’s homeland of England. They have a daughter and decide to not tell their daughter about the horrors they went through during WWII. Without giving away too much of the plot, this leads to an estrangement with their daughter. But can time and their granddaughter (Thea) help heal the family rift?

One of the things I liked about this book was how in all of my reading of WWII historical fiction, I have not read many books about liberating the camps and what that entailed. While I’ve seen film of the horrors the soldiers (and survivors) faced, reading about the organization, trying to locate family, and the like seemed more “real” in printed format. I found a little bit of this book a bit difficult to believe happened by chance, but along with the historical fiction this book was also about family and those bonds that create family. This was a quick and enjoyable read.

“Curiosity killed the cat, satisfaction brought him back.”

I’m so excited to have read such a phenomenal historical fiction book, I’m bursting at the seams and can’t wait to tell you about it. I’ve read Norma Curtis’s books before, but this one was exceptional. She’s managed to tap into the emotional baggage of the characters AND write in a unique voice for each timeline; both are so important to me. The WW2 timeline reflects the emotions and mindset of those imprisoned in a concentration camp; it comes across as more factual than emotional.

“Their faces were vacant. Prisoners in the camps didn’t have expressions. They didn’t have the energy for them, and besides, they no longer had the muscles necessary to form a frown or a smile.”

The modern-day timeline set in Bear Cave exudes tension and emotion and, as the characters get to know each other, it is like a giant hug from between the pages.

Curtis explores the concept of home, what it means to love someone, and the importance of sharing and listening to each other. I was brought to tears when she pulled back the curtains on what it’s like for a spouse to be left behind when their partner dies - especially after a long, loving marriage. She highlights the human spirit’s capacity to shine in the deepest darkness. I cried, yelled and laughed out loud while learning about an anger-filled reaction that cost someone years of family togetherness, the Royal Army Medical Corps' role in liberating Bergen-Belsen, the 'Harrod’s’ shopping experience and the lipstick-wearing ladies, and what it was like transitioning from a prisoner to a freed person and the options suddenly available, especially when choices weren’t a part of life behind the barbed wire.

I loved Harold ‘Harry’ Lewis and Hedi Fischer’s story and I was sad to leave them and Thea. If you plan on reading this story, please visit the author’s website and check out some photos of the locations mentioned. It enriched my reading experience. Congratulations on an amazing cover!

Yes, it’s a vague review. I don’t want to spoil it for you. Happy reading.

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

Thea has never known her grandmother, but now she’s charged with caring for the ninety year old woman. Thea’s life is already in an uproar, she’s living in a dilapidated cottage in the middle of nowhere after the breakup with her boyfriend. How is the nonagenarian Heidi going to fit into the mix? The two women have little in common and Heidi refuses to discuss why she and Thea’s mother haven’t spoken in years. Then Thea gets a glimpse at what’s inside the battered old suitcase that Heidi never lets out of her sight. This is a moving, lovely story, h