"A Place to Hide" is historical fiction, set in the period of time when Hitler had eliminated most of the Dutch Jews in the Netherlands and those who sided with them. It is both disturbing and beautiful, in that people found the gumption to continue to resist and try to shield and protect others. Highly recommended if you enjoy historical fiction or books set in this time period. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. It will be released September 17, 2024.

What a splendid read. I was so engrossed I read this book in just two sittings. The characters jumped right off the pages. Teddy and Julia working at the consulate, Julia introducing Teddy to Sara was the greatest thing to me. Teddy’s life began to be more livable at this point.

The facts of this story were so well researched. I am an avid reader of the atrocities of the holocaust and this book brought the story alive and made it so readable.

I will be watching for more books by this author! Great read for sure.

I really enjoyed this book, while it is fiction it is based on real events. I love that while Teddy is relaying his story, Karyn is able to connect with her past. Karyn is searching for her sister that she was separated from as a Jewish child in Holland during world war 2. Teddy hopes to help bring them together while having Karyn write his story down for his family. Will Teddy finish his story and will Karyn find her sister, find out as you connect with the characters in the story.

Ron Balson writes A Place to Hide in a dual timeline that is unlike typical historical fiction. A chance encounter in a Tel Aviv bakery brings Karyn a connection to finding her sister who she was separated from during World War II in the Netherlands. In exchange for help, Karyn agrees to write the story of Teddy, who worked in the US Consulate in Amsterdam at the dawn of the war. Teddy wants his story written for his family to know what he experienced during the volatile time. From his broken relationship when he left Washington DC to finding new love and creating an instant family with a Jew and abandoned little girl, Balson gives the reader an inside look at how the Dutch Resistance grew out of desperation to save the Jewish community and take back the Netherlands from Nazi Germany. Not romanticized but giving a firm dose of the reality of what was occurring, A Place to Hide holds you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens when an American tries to save a religion with the help of those who need to find a place to hide to save their life and maintain their faith. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book will be published on September 17, 2024.

#netgalley #arc #bookstagram #APlacetoHide #RonBalson #StMartinsPress

A Place to Hide" traverses well-trodden ground, exploring the perennial theme of escaping the looming shadow of the Nazis. Despite the familiarity of the subject matter, this novel offers a refreshing and captivating take on well-known historical events.

One of the best features of the book is its richly drawn characters, who are imbued with depth and complexity. Balson brings these characters to life, making it easy to envision them and become emotionally invested in their journey.

Despite having a sense of the eventual outcome, I found the story compelling. Balson adeptly maintains tension throughout, ensuring that the book remains a good read from start to finish.

A Place to Hide is a story about Teddy, who in 1938, gets sent to work in Amsterdam for the US Consulate. Teddy tells his story to a journalist who is helping him write his memoir while also searching for information regarding a long lost sister. Teddy's story is told in his words, which this reader came to appreciate. Teddy shares about life in Amsterdam during WW2, shares his love story and the role he played in saving others.
Karyn, the journalist doesn't get the specific answers she is looking for but is satisfied to know what may have been.

I will read more books by this author.

Ronald Balson is the master when it comes to sharing unique points of view during WWII. In A Place To Hide, he introduces us to Teddy, a well to do young man who’s familial connections land him a job in the State Department. Climbing the ladder has always been his destiny but the world turns upside down when Hitler comes to power and the next thing Teddy knows, he’s on his way to Amsterdam to fill a vacant position in the consulate. Flooded with refugees seeking asylum in the United States, Teddy’s hands are tied as officially, the refugee quota had been filled. He is also adamant that the Netherlands will remain neutral as they had during the Great War but slowly things begin to change and Teddy realizes that he has the ability to do more, especially when the Nazi’s start to crack down on the Jewish population.

This story is an excellent insight into the history of Amsterdam during the war. It left me with a greater knowledge than before and for that I’m always grateful. The story left me with lots of questions about Teddy that had they been answered would have tied up some loose ends that I saw at the end of the book. While not necessary for the story to wrap up beautifully, I would have enjoyed that little extra bit.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and the amazing Ronald Balson for early access to the incredible story!

6/10

First, let me tell you why I liked this book.

1. I love historical fiction. It brings history to life and is much more impactful for me than straight up non-fiction

2. I haven’t read much about the Netherlands during WWII so that was all interesting

3. I haven’t read many historical fiction that follows the slow and deliberate ways the Nazis were able to destroy the Jews. They acted just like a child predator in many ways, in how they build trust and slowly peel it away. Before you know it, it’s too late to escape.

Unfortunately, I think the writing of this book is not good. The premise is a bit weak (an author is interviewing a man to write his life story in exchange for him trying to locate her sister).

Because of the premise, the entire story was told with dialogue. That is both limiting and draining.

If you’re interested in the topic and not as much stickler as me for good writing, this is worth the read. After all, I read it quickly.

But honestly, I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a friend who likes great literature.

#netgalley #aplacetohide

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

What a wonderfully done historical fiction. I have read and enjoyed several of Ronald H. Balson’s books. He is a gifted author who does his research.

This book takes place in the Netherlands (specifically, Amsterdam) during WW2. Many decades after the war, Karyn Sachnoff, a journalist, agrees to write the life story of Teddy if Teddy helps her locate her biological sister. They were separated during the war.

Teddy is an American and gets a job the U.S. consulate in Amsterdam as the war was starting. While there he meets Sara and they quickly fall in love. Sara is a Jew. Sara and Teddy rescue an abandoned child and together with a group of their family and friends help many Jewish families and children hide from the Nazis.

Having been to Amsterdam before, it was a joy to be transported back there and be reminded of the fight the Dutch gave the Nazis.

Theodore “Teddy” Hartigan is assigned to the consulate in the Netherlands to process visa applications. A job that shouldn’t be too hard, until more and more people start feeling Nazi occupied countries. The days are long, the stress levels are high, and things are only getting worse.

As tensions heighten and the threat levels increase more and more regulations are put into place, many of which are completely unbelievable and unheard of. Teddy is left trying to navigate his duties to his country that is thousands of miles away and his obligation to the Dutch people and the immigrants who have come to the Netherlands.

This book was a heavy and long read, but it was still incredibly interesting and well done. While Karyn’s character was a nice addition, I didn’t feel she was really needed.

This story is unlike most books about the Holocaust, this one details a unique period in time - there were no battles, there were no Concentration Camps - this was the in between. This was about the strategic planning and implementation of underground organizations that worked together to save lives.

This story made me question US policies during the late 30s and early 40s. The story was beautifully written and thought provoking.

With so many historical fiction books written about the events surrounding WW2, Ronald Balson has focused on telling the story of what took place in the Netherlands, which had started out as a neutral country but like most of Europe, was taken over by Hitler.

Teddy Hartigan is a ninety-two year old man living in Washington, DC and who served in several roles for the US Consulate in Amsterdam. Journalist Karyn Sachnoff, is a Jewish woman living in Israel who was separated from her family as a very young girl and adopted by a Dutch family. In her quest to find her sister from whom she was separated, Karyn meets Teddy who is determined to help her if she writes his memoir in exchange for his help.

Though these two characters are fictionalized, Mr. Balson did immaculate and detailed research and was able to stay true to many names and events that are part of Teddy’s story.

Thank you NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the opportunity to receive this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

Currently at 25% … but when I’m enjoying a book I like to provide partial reviews and updates. I’ve already skipped ahead to read the authors note. I’m so drawn in by A Place to Hide … I had to find out if any parts were based on actual events. Pretty sure this is going to be a 5 star read for me.

Finished A Place to Hide today. Very, very highly recommended! Teddy wants his memoir recorded (at 90+ years old), Karyn is a journalist and looking to find her sister. They barter.

Many thanks to NetGalley, especially for (yet once again, introducing me to a “new to me” author). Ma y thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martin’s Press for approving my request to read the advance review copy of A Place to Hide in exchange for an honest review. Ronald H. Balson … great read! Nicely done!

I have really loved reading Ronald Balson's books as they are both informative as historical fiction and grpping as narrative. This latest offering is NO EXCEPTION. Absolutely a great read!

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.

this had everything that I was hoping for from a historical feel. I enjoyed the way the characters were written and thought it was a unique take on a World War 2 book. It was moving and I'm glad I was able to go through this story. Ronald H. Balson has a great writing style and I enjoyed the overall style of this book, I can't wait to read more from the author.