Ronald Balson has done it again! Every book of his is thoughtfully written, engaging and A Place to Hide is no exception. Teddy Hartigan is sent to Amsterdam during World War II to work in the US Consulate. Throughout the book, Teddy is confronted with the complicated intricacies of immigration during war time, exploring moral questions and themes that are relevant to this day. The book is great historical fiction with the twist of a perspective that is not commonly written about. The book was engaging and filled with suspense from the first page to the last. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

I had no idea the depth of Nazi terror felt by the Jewish population in The Netherlands when Hitler invaded Holland during WW2.

Theodore Hartigan represents the true heroes of Holland whose US Department of State job led him to work in Amsterdam. Other characters were real people; Henriette Pimentel, Walter Suskind, Jonah van Hulst, Alice Cohn. Their stories are moving and the trauma and drama were well told. The number of Jews deported is real (104,000), as are the number of those hidden and young children/babies rescued and placed as family in non-Jewish homes. The sheer determination of the citizens of Holland to outlive the reign of terror was inspiring in their ingenuity.

Every chapter exposed more of the reality of war. I am thankful to have been able to read about it.

I have loved every book this author has written since I discovered him a few years ago. The writing and characters are impeccable as are the storylines. In this book, Freddy is such a great character! You can’t help thinking of the bravery of all of them during wartime. And how many children had a chance now.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Ronald H. Balson is one of my very favorite writers. He has written so many historical fiction stories about World War 2 that on their face seem very similar but always end up being unique. The characters are exquisitely well-developed, and by locating each story in a different European country, I have learned so much about the war.

A Place to Hide was no exception. I was familiar with the Dutch occupation, mainly because of Anne Frank, but this story was very different than hers. The frame story was also captivating. Balson manages time and again to write the most endearing curmudgeons who inevitably have excellent reason for their surliness and withdrawal from the world.

As with all stories about the Holocaust, I grew increasingly anxious as time passed, but particularly as the book progressed (and I knew I was nearing the end), I waited for the other shoe to drop.

A Place to Hide is a story about Teddy, a young man working in the US State Department in 1938 who gets sent to work in Amsterdam for the US Consulate. Teddy is telling his story to Karyn, a journalist who is helping him write his memoir while also looking for answers on the whereabouts of her long lost sister. Teddy's story unfolds as Hitler declares war on Eastern Europe. He does his best to help those trying to flee from the oppression of Hitler. Visas are hard to come by, so it’s not an easy task.

I think I would have liked this story if it was told in a more straightforward way. The addition of the Journalist meeting with Teddys grandson and traveling to the US to record his memoir was distracting. I really never felt a connection to the journalist or the grandson, so their scenes were boring for me to read.

I did however enjoy the history of Amsterdam at the start of WWII and how the Jews were struggling to find ways to escape persecution.

Thank you net galley for giving me this opportunity to read 'A Place to Hide'.
I loved this book. Ronald has a gift for writing historical fiction. I have read all of his books and I would have to say this is his best one.
Karyn is in an ice cream shop with her two young granddaughters in Tel Aviv.
A man overhears her speaking and recognizes her accent.
The two get to talking and Karyn explains how she is looking for her long lost sister. The man Danny tells her about his aging uncle in Washington D.C. and how he might be able to help.
Dannt's uncle Teddy agrees tonmeet with Karyn, but only in Washington as he is elderly. Karyn agrees to go to Washington to meet Teddy.
Karyn meets with Teddy and he has a proposition for her. If she will write his memoir he will talk to his contacts about Karyn's sister. Teddy tells Karyn his memoir is for his grandchildren.
As they meet on a daily basis what Teddy is telling Karyn resonates lost memories for her.
This is my own opion.
Thank you again net galley.

This is historical fiction at its finest.

Most didn’t believe Hitler would take the Netherlands next during WWII. He already had control of Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungry, Poland, Denmark, Norway and France. It was a neutral country and many figured it would never happen to them.

We look back on how this occurred many years ago and how incredibly sad it was. And we think: how could this happen? Yet, we never seem to grasp that history could repeat itself with a war that could again cost millions of lives. Read this book! While it’s in the past, it could happen with an evil dictator in charge. The book is expertly written with a handful of characters during this horrific time.

It starts when Karyn Sachnoff agreed to write Teddy Hartigan’s story in exchange for help in finding her sister, Annie. She lost track of her when they were separated as young children during WWII in Amsterdam. Teddy still had contacts that she hoped would be useful. He was in his 90s and his health wasn’t great. But his memory was right on with details that weren’t yet told to his adult children. Now he was ready to give them the full story of his life.

This isn’t filled with descriptions of blood on the streets. It’s a beautiful love story about a time when people had courage to resist and help others. It’s well researched and makes the reader think about how quickly this dictator gained power and was able to take over. Hitler and his German leaders wiped out most of the Dutch Jews in the Netherlands along with citizens willing to fight back. It’s disturbing and thought provoking.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of September 17, 2024.

A testament to the power of how one person can make a difference when they decide to take a stand. Teddy, who works for the state department in the Netherlands in the 30s, works to help Jews escape Hitler's regime as they invade the Netherlands. I appreciated that this had a different focus than most stories centered on WWII and allowed me to add to my knowledge of this time period in history. Kudos to Mr. Balson for writing another powerful book.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. I have read the author's previous books, and they're all worth reading. This book gives a historical account of Hitler's takeover of western Europe, focusing on The Netherlands in particular. I am happy that Balson didn't focus on the Nazi atrocities, but he instead created the atmosphere of dread of what was to come and showed the positive side of people trying to prevent it. Some of the characters were real people, both heroes and villains. It certainly left me feeling very positively about the Dutch people. Although I've read more than I want to about the Holocaust, I appreciated reading this book and learning about life in The Netherlands during this time period and the people who stepped up to help during such a terrible time. I highly recommend this book and think it would make a great choice for book discussion groups.

We’ve read the biggest book written on the holocaust and war based in the Netherlands. This is the second one that should be on your list as well. It is so well written, and gives you insight into what was going on in the Netherlands, and how people were working to help and save, their fellow country men, women, and children.

I tend to read a lot of books in this time. And this one is one of the best I’ve read in quite a while I look forward to reading more from this author in the future as this is the first time I’ve read his work. It is well written, and has left a mark on my heart.

Teddy is assigned to the US consulate in Amsterdam in 1938. His job it to process visa applications. As he watches Hitler take over and kill Jews, Teddy thinks working in the underground would help the Jewish people. This was a very touching story to me.

First of all I want to thank NetGalley and StMartin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to read Roandl Balson’s A Place to Hide I have read all of his books and each one is just as good as the others.
Another type of story about Germany, the Nazis, Hitler in the Netherlands. Teddy, is on his career path to being a diplomat in 1938 He is sent to the Netherlands to replace staff who are fleeing from the Nazis and their onward take over of the Netherlands, Poland, Austria among others. When the atmosphere gets worse, even he and his Jewish wife, and the child they adopted cannot get visas since the US quota is full. In trying to help others he and his father in law try to save some Jewish people and their families who are being taken by the Germans and sent to work camps by taking the children and hiding them or finding adoptive homes. The parents wanted their children to live and so they gave them up to other families. A very sad situation. This is one of a kind story. I had so many emotions reading this story. When you find how many were saved it was a more than happy feeling. You must read to his to understand the whole situation- what everyone went through and how it all ended. You won’t be sorry you read this book It is worth every moment of reading.

Thans to St. Martin's Press for an ARC copy of this book to read and review. As a Holocaust survivor myself, I find it very difficult to read about the time period I lived through as a very young child. This novel, however, focuses on the positive difference made by small groups of people who risked their lives to shelter and/or save Jews (particularly children) in Nazi occupied Holland. It was just such righteous Christians who sheltered and saved me and my family in Poland.

Ronald Balson, an attorney, has written a historical novel that is accurate in time and occurrences of that horrific period. It is a work of fiction that nonetheless presents an accurate picture of the wartime occupied Netherlands. It is told from the point of view of Teddy Hartigan to a survivor who is now a journalist. She, Karyn, agrees to write a memoir for Teddy's children and grandchildren in return for his help in locating her long-lost sister who, like her, was adopted out to a Christian family in order to save their lives.

In the telling of Teddy's story, there are real people named along with their involvement in the history of the time. In its telling, moving lightly across the unimaginable horror, you have the chance to meet people who risked their own lives in order to make a difference and so saved the lives of countless Jews.

Living in this time of growing antisemitism, directed by a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Adolf Hitler, it is worth your time to return to the 1930's and 40's to see what is possible when an insane despot rises to power.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read A Place To Hide. Ronald H. Balson writes an amazing story about how ordinary people came together to save innocent lives during World War II. This is a beautiful book about fighting back and fighting for what's right. This book is a must read.

A Place to Hide by Ronald H. Balson is one of those books that lingers in your mind long after you finish it.
Ronald H. Balson masterfully weaves a tale of hope, resilience, and hardships.
He tells a great story of WWII in a such a unique way. His characters are excellent and compelling.
I was completely engrossed in this story and loved every minute of it.
With its evocative setting, well-drawn characters, and compelling narrative, this novel is sure to resonate with fans of historical fiction.
A powerful WWII historical story.

Thank You NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Thank you to. NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I just finished this book and I am still trying to gather my thoughts, this was probably one of the best WorldWar II historical books that I have ever read. This story about a young American, “ Teddy “ Hartigan working as a diplomat in Amsterdam in the early pre war days is a fascinating, interesting story that had me from the first page. I have read many historical fiction books that have focused on the people, this story did indeed have that, Teddy with his relationships with fellow workers and ultimately his relationship with Sara, but I really appreciated reading about the background of what was going on in the Netherlands in the early days of the war and the resiliency of the people and the hardships they faced.. I would highly recommend this book, especially for someone who wants to learn about the history of what was going on at the time

I have read all of Mr. Balsam's books and they never disappoint. Loved the story and the way it was told. Makes for a great weekend afternoon read that will keep you going till the end. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

Balson’s novels always take an ordinary person and place them in extraordinary circumstances to show the strength of the human resolve to make a difference in the lives of others.

In this case, he introduces readers to Theodore ‘Teddy’ Hartigan, an employee at the U.S. Consulate in Amsterdam. Hartigan is strong, determined and well-principled. He also processes visa applications for refugees who are desperate to secure safe passage to America. After meeting an orphaned girl, Katy, his heart is softened and he is encouraged to adopt her. This decision changes the trajectory of not only his life and that of his girlfriend, Sara, but also of Katy and fellow Jews with few options. What results from this choice sets the wheels in motion for heroic intervention and humanity. His actions ease the difficulty and remove a few formidable barriers that the Jewish people faced in wartime, giving them ‘a place to hide.’

Balson capably placed me back in time in wartime Holland under Nazi occupation and showed me the deprivation that coincided with lack of assistance in the midst of devastating events.

My takeaway? As a society, we should be encouraged not to turn our backs to those in need. Repressive societies and those in war-torn countries are relying on our humanity.

Don’t forget to read the author’s note to read more about wartime Holland and discover the inspiration for this novel! If you haven’t read a Balson book, might I also suggest An Affair of Spies and The Girl From Berlin.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Another fun Ron Balson story with rich characters and a historical plot that was engaging and educational.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was such a good book! I loved the characters, and their story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable. I was very surprised by the ending!