The Hidden Book
Kirsty Manning
Reviewed by Helen
This is a story filled with heartbreak, courage and hope, set over a few time lines we are transported back to a concentration camp in Austria, Mauthausen and the horrors that that the prisoners were subjected to but one prisoner, Spanish fighter Mateo Baca is made to take photos of prisoners and events that happen, he is told to make five photo albums but Mateo makes six and with the help if Yugoslav, Nico and young Spanish boy Santiago they hide an extra photo album and with the help of local woman Lena Lang, this book will travel to Australia many years later.
Many years later Nico arrives in Australia to visit his daughter Roza and granddaughter Hannah and he brings the photo album, Hannah is only thirteen but behind her mother’s back she gets to look at some of the dreadful photos in this album and they never leave her, and when she leaves school she decides to study history at university and get to the bottom of her beloved grandfather’s story.
Roza will not handover the book to help her, but Hannah never gives up searching for answers.
Kirsty Manning again has created a fabulous story from fact, her characters are wonderful I could feel the emotions that went through Nico, Mateo, Santiago and Lena as the struggle through terrible times to leave evidence for the future and Hannah I loved her determination and courage to never give up until she uncovered as much as she could about her grandfather, not matter what she was going through personally.
This is a story that I would highly recommend, anyone who loves history will thoroughly enjoy this one. My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
Many years later Nico arrives in Australia to visit his daughter Roza and granddaughter Hannah and he brings the photo album, Hannah is only thirteen but behind her mother’s back she gets to look at some of the dreadful photos in this album and they never leave her, and when she leaves school she decides to study history at university and get to the bottom of her beloved grandfather’s story.
Roza will not handover the book to help her, but Hannah never gives up searching for answers.
Kirsty Manning again has created a fabulous story from fact, her characters are wonderful I could feel the emotions that went through Nico, Mateo, Santiago and Lena as the struggle through terrible times to leave evidence for the future and Hannah I loved her determination and courage to never give up until she uncovered as much as she could about her grandfather, not matter what she was going through personally.
This is a story that I would highly recommend, anyone who loves history will thoroughly enjoy this one. My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
4 stars
August 29, 2023 by Allen & Unwin
