A review by linipanini
Our Narrow Hiding Places by Kristopher Jansma

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.75

“What does it mean, to be forbidden?” In Our Narrow Hiding Places, we meet Mieke. Mieke is presented as both a child and an elderly person throughout this book, both experiencing WWII and reflecting on it as an adult. It speaks to the more unknown stories of WWII-I will admit that I didn’t even know about the Hunger Winter before reading this book. Mieke is an endearing character that you can’t help but cheer for as she endures the horrors of Nazi rule. I also really appreciated how Jansma highlighted the complexities these characters face: what do you do when you’re military but don’t agree with your country’s actions? What do you do when lying is your only option? What do you do when you’re forbidden? 
While this book is slow-moving, it is also magical storytelling, I could feel Mieke leaping off the page and spending time with me. This book is definitely for WWII buffs who enjoy historical fiction like I do. Learning history through story is a powerful thing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ecco for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.