The Hidden Village is an average read. I must admit to being somewhat disappointed since the storyline holds such potential.
WWII is at it’s height. Holland is occupied and the Germans have begun “The Final Solution”. Jews are being rounded up and taken to concentration camps. Rumors are flying as to what actually happens there. Whatever it is the Dutch know it’s not good. One town decides enough is enough. They will hide their Jews and any other whose community is targeted by the Germans: Poles,Russians, Allied pilots all will be helped. It soon becomes apparent that hidden rooms will not be enough. The town decides to build a “village “, deep in the woods, partially underground and hidden from German eyes. Berkenhout “The Hidden Village“is born. They hope to hide 80 people there. This story is based on an actual town that did just that. For some unknown reason the author has changed the name of the town, village and people involved. An authors note would have been very helpful here but none was present with the audiobook version I read. It would have helped answer this question and many others I had.
This story is a complex one that is simply written. Using simple prose and dialogue works well. One is able to keep straight the numerous characters and setttings in the book. No dictionary is needed here. The pace is even for the first half of the book advancing the story well, building up the characters to a point that we care and slowly building up the tension. Then it feels like another author takes over. The pace slows to the point that any tension is lost. By the time the book reaches its dramatic peak the tension is so low I have difficulty caring about what happens. But I still do and that leads me to my second problem. The ending, it felt very rushed and major side stories are just dropped with no resolution. There is an epilogue but it is far from complete and still gives no answer as to what happened with some prominent secondary characters. I now know there is a sequel focused on two characters who went missing but there were others who I would have liked to know about. The epilogue could have been used to hint at a second book and I would have known my answers might be found there but it didn’t.
The audiobook. Here is we’re I feel this book could have been helped but wasn’t. I’m not sure if the writing is the problem or the narrator or both. The narrator handled the American voices very well and no attempt is made at Dutch or German voices leading to a couple of confused moments. The build up of tension could have been helped greatly by the inflection of the actresses voice but was not. Though not quite flat the actress did not emote different feelings like joy, terror or anger (to name a few) particularly well. This is a very rare case where I may have enjoyed the print version more.
I was tempted to give 2 stars because of so many missed chances to make this a strong novel, but I did like the first half and there is much here to like So I give it 3 stars. Remember though, your mileage may vary! If you are intrigued by the story by all means try it there are plenty of reviewers that enjoyed this book!

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher, Bookouture Audio and NetGalley. This fact in no way influenced my review. ( )

Bravery in Wartime.
Berkenhout Village was a collection of huts, partially hidden underground and concealed in dense forest. It was built during WWII, to protect the local Jewish population from persecution by the Germans. The author's mother lived close to this village and in her novel, Ms Matthews chose to highlight the brave efforts of the Dutch people in keeping their neighbours safe.

The main character, Sofie, was a young Jewish girl who became separated from own family early on in the war and adopted the people of Berkenhout Village as her surrogate family. The village was well concealed, but the residents still had to maintain constant vigilance and keep all sounds to an absolute minimum.
Jan, a young lad at the time, epitomised a wayward boy, out looking for adventure. With great excitement he stumbles across an English pilot who has been shot down. This appears to be the start of the underground movement in the area, which subsequently saves many people.

This is a well written fictional account, highlighting the amazing bravery and sacrifices of the people who found themselves invaded by a foreign power.
My version was excellently read by Liam Gerrard, who read clearly and at a good pace.
This was written for a Young Adult audience, but I would recommend it for adults as well. ( )

Didn't really care for it. ( )

This was an educational and charming tale about Nazi occupied Holland during WWII. ‘Charming’ probably sounds a little odd for the subject but it was mostly a light-hearted tale about hiding in the woods and pulling the wool over the eyes of the Nazis. Jan, a lad of 11 years old, plays a major role in the story and for much of it, this was just one big adventure. It was exciting running messages and supplies to the Jews hiding in the woods (Berkenhout). He slips through Nazi hands again and again. Also, he’s found a few pilots that had to bail out. Sometimes his family helps out pilots or Jews by hiding them in their attic. So I can see how it’s all very exciting for the lad.

It took me a while to like Sofie. She is separated from her family and lives in Berkenhout on her own as a teenager. There, she eventually learns to help out. I’m not sure if she had a maid come in and clean once a week before the war, but now she learns to cook and clean and eventually enjoys all the tasks she takes on.

I’m going to show my ignorance here but this one little thing keeps niggling at me. The characters in this story (Jew or not Jew) all enjoy pork. Ham or bacon is nearly a daily ingredient in the cooking. There’s no discussion of ‘Oh, well, things are desperate and we really need the protein so we’ll eat pork even though it’s not kosher’. So was it common for 1940s Dutch Jews to eat pork? I don’t know and my few on-line searches haven’t answered the question. A few lines in the story would have educated me and cleared up that minor mystery.

The ladies in general were comforters and romantic interests. When two or more got together, they almost always talked about boys or men. I was a bit disappointed in this aspect of the story. We all know that the ladies did plenty in WWII besides the cooking, cleaning, reproducing, and flirting.

The last hour of the book gets very serious and it was a definite change of tone from the rest of the book. Unfortunately, several people die or are injured. There’s also the question of whether or not a certain side character betrayed the people of Berkenhout. Unfortunately, that mystery is never clearly answered.

I enjoyed the two pilots. One was a Brit, Nigel. Then later in the book there’s Donald, an American from Ohio. Both were welcomed into Jan’s house, partially because Jan and his mom (who is British) speak English. They both made a good counterpoint to Jan’s dad, who was always in a bad mood and rather gruff with Jan. After Jan’s older brother Oscar went off on a small mission for the local resistance, Jan didn’t have a steady male mentor. Both Nigel and Donald treated Jan well and appreciated his help.

Liesbeth, Sofie’s best friend from school, is a small comforting presence for much of the story. At the end she plays an important role and I liked her all the better for it. Though once again, I had some questions about how Liesbeth’s generosity changed her life and how she pulled it off.

So, as you can see, it was educational for me (who knew nothing about Nazi-occupied Holland before reading this story) yet it left me with several small questions. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Liam Gerrard was great for this story. He was the perfect, excitable Jan. He also had believable female voices. I know it would be a lot to ask for, but I would have enjoyed a Dutch accent for the Dutch characters… but that would have been the majority of the book so I understand why it wasn’t done. Gerrard used a light British voice for the majority of characters, which was perfect for the two British characters but it did make it feel like the story was set somewhere in the UK rather than in Holland. Gerrard had a good German accent for the Nazis and the one German defector. I also liked his American accent for Donald (who is from Ohio). His pacing was good too. There were no technical issues with the recording. 4.5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Essential Audiobooks. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it. ( )

This is a book that truly has a strong message Reviewed from Kindle
This is a book that truly has a strong message and imparts some very important safety measures, especially for the children. Depending on the reader's awareness of WWII, it is a difficult story and yet made me follow the people involved, really drew me. While I say it is a difficult story, it is even more a very well-written story that encompasses several years, several lives, and a Hidden Village. Now that is very interesting and I loved the story-line, the closeness of the village, the historic significance. I read this whole book without stopping, it grabbed me so much. Was there a real "Hidden Village"? I honestly don't know but I have suspicions of a sort. There have been signs of it. The people are the main focus, because this was the way a community came together and lived and watched out for each other, and protected the Jewish families and in many cases just the children.

Even today the world reverberates with loss and fear, lost dreams and lost family. Sometimes it seems that every generation has a war and it starts all over again. Generation after generation. But this is a story that is innovative, careful, frightened yes, but they are making plans, they are refusing to simply be victims and nor do they leave these people to what is absolute slaughter. I really found this not only an interesting read, but grew up feeling for many of the innocents and those who lost their lives. WWII is a history not forgotten.

The fascination comes mostly with how the Dutch were able to hide so many in some very small places. If indeed the Hidden Village is/was real, it operates in this book as a community living as normal as possible, while being very careful. The Village is not seen easily, thanks to the heavily wooded area surrounding it. But most people know if they go into the woods, they are not as quiet as one might think. Sometimes a twig snaps, sometimes a bird stops in mid-song. But back to the German searches through the community, did they ever find the Hidden part? When refugees are taken in to the village homes the transition is pretty smooth but the need for so many spaces increases constantly. Closets, attics, under floors, small spaces. This book is based on a village in Holland of which some signs have been found. I would say this historical fiction is closer to fact than originally thought. Those who have read Corrie Ten Boom and Anne Frank will remember they were hidden in this way.

There are several times that there are near misses of the villagers getting caught. Finding an English pilot once and an American pilot later, both in the woods, shows how chancy any outdoor activity is. How they managed to get the glaring white 'chutes out of the dark forest fast enough for them not to be found amazes me. But life goes on and on, and for probably years the Hidden Village was not found. My thanks to Imogene Matthews for the courage, insight, endurance, and the ability to see things that may or may not have been there and interpreted it all into a polished and fascinating piece of historic value. This is the best I have read in this genre. ( )