Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
In 1945, the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria was the scene of horrific atrocities. Mateo Baca, a young Spanish prisoner, is told to photograph images of the prison and create five albums to be presented to high-ranking Nazi generals. But Mateo creates a sixth book to smuggle out of the camp exposing what had taken place. Nico Antonov manages to hide the book of photographs in the home of Lena Lang, a courageous young woman who understands the dangers she and her family face by assisting prisoners. When the story shifts to 1987, Nico travels to Australia to visit his widowed daughter Roza and his 13-year-old granddaughter Hannah. He brings with him the book of photos from Mauthausen that he has kept hidden for decades. Before her mother hides the album, Hannah glimpses at the photos and is shocked by the haunting images. As Hannah gets older, she becomes determined to learn more about her grandfather Nico's connection to the concentration camp, which she had no knowledge of. Her mother does not want her daughter delving into the painful past.
Kirsty Manning's The Hidden Book was inspired by the true story of prisoners who risked their lives to preserve evidence of the atrocities committed at Mauthausen. I've enjoyed Manning's other books and appreciate her style of storytelling. The dual timeline was very effective in telling this poignant story of courage and resiliency, dealing with the trauma of war as well as the generational trauma it creates.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Kirsty Manning's The Hidden Book was inspired by the true story of prisoners who risked their lives to preserve evidence of the atrocities committed at Mauthausen. I've enjoyed Manning's other books and appreciate her style of storytelling. The dual timeline was very effective in telling this poignant story of courage and resiliency, dealing with the trauma of war as well as the generational trauma it creates.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
I enjoyed this historical fiction about a hidden book from WWII during the war as it is created in a concentration camp and present day as a grandchild tries to learn more about her grandfather and his history.
This novel is told from various POV and dates, but each chapter is clearly labeled and in chronological order.
I felt that the middle of the novel had the plot staled a bit and it felt like the novel could have been ~30-40 pages shorter.
This novel is told from various POV and dates, but each chapter is clearly labeled and in chronological order.
I felt that the middle of the novel had the plot staled a bit and it felt like the novel could have been ~30-40 pages shorter.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The premise of this book sounded so good when I picked it up. The story of the hidden photographs that were smuggled from Mauthausen was one I was really looking forward to. I was really drawn into Lena and Mateo's story right away and the great lengths they went to to record the horrors of the camp.
Hannah's story started off interesting but felt quite rushed after the first bit. I felt like her character wasn't fully flushed out and I was left wanting more. Overall, I was left feeling like there could be more details to the whole storyline that could've been included. Still enjoyed reading even though it was a quick read.
Hannah's story started off interesting but felt quite rushed after the first bit. I felt like her character wasn't fully flushed out and I was left wanting more. Overall, I was left feeling like there could be more details to the whole storyline that could've been included. Still enjoyed reading even though it was a quick read.
emotional
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Have you ever seen a flip book? Most people have. Reading Kirsty Manning’s speedy novel, The Hidden Book, felt like reading a flip book. The chapters—and the characters, plot, etc.—race by and create more of an impression than a fully-fledged story. This is particularly disappointing because Manning used someone’s story to create this novel. The photo album at the heart of this book was created by Spanish photographers, Antonio García Alonso and Francesc Boix Campo, who were imprisoned at Mauthausen, and brought to Australia by Bodgan Ivanovic, another political prisoner. I have a lot of questions about Manning’s decisions...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This book really hit home. I love a WWII novel that borders the line of fictional and reality. This book toed that line really well. I love the multiple POVs and how they interconnected at the end. I think the characters were dynamic with their individual struggles. The chronological timeline made it easy to follow when switching between POVs. I look forward to reading other novels by this author.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The thing about this book that most made it stand out from other Holocaust/WWII literature was that its focus was predominantly on hope, kindness and the people who could be relied upon to do the right thing during a terrible time period. There were definitely things about it that were difficult to read about, but they were countered by the heavier focus on several generations of family history and how each member dealt with the information they were given, or that was withheld from them for various reasons. I could have done with a little less focus on Hannah's relationship drama, but overall I really enjoyed the book and found it uplifting, even if sometimes painfully sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Car accident, Murder
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, War, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes