1944, Amersfoort Concentration Camp, Holland. Based on a true story, the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell. On a cold, dark day in a tiny Dutch village, Saskia and her boyfriend Frans watch as Nazi soldiers force thousands of prisoners towards Amersfoort Concentration Camp. Their hearts break as they see the desperate faces of innocent men and women and realise that the war is closer to them than it's ever been before... Saskia's father's shop is raided when the guards suspect that he is Jewish, and Frans is soon forced to enter the concentration camp every day to collect scraps of food as it's the only way to feed the animals on his family's farm. But despite the growing fear the couple feel, when a prisoner begs Frans to send a letter to his beloved reassuring her he is alive, they know they must risk everything to help him. They smuggle his letter out, right under the noses of the Nazis. And eventually they ferry hundreds of messages for prisoners, bringing them hope in the darkest moments of their lives. But every letter Frans gets out of the camp puts him in even more danger. And every reply Saskia manages to collect is a risk. And then Saskia is led into Kamp Amersfoort and is forced to wear a yellow star. Inside, she cannot ignore the pain of the other prisoners, and Frans knows she will be putting herself in more danger to help them - attracting the attention of the guards. The couple know they must act. Everyone says it's impossible to escape the camp, but it's the only option they have left. Their love has kept them together but is it enough to help them survive? A gripping story of love, betrayal and courage. Readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and anything by Fiona Valpy will never forget this heartbreakingly beautiful novel and the great sacrifices Saskia and Frans made to change the fate of the world. What readers are saying about Imogen Matthews: 'Unbelievable... Drop everything as you will not want to put this down.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'Powerful, inspiring, heartbreaking... An inspiring story about the bravery and kindness of ordinary people... It had me in tears.' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

The Girl Across the Wire Fence: Completely unforgettable World War Two historical fiction based on a true story (Wartime Holland)

Literature & Fiction

Matthews, Imogen

Literary

Bookouture

A Nazi soldier slams his rifle into her father’s head. From her hiding place, Sofie stifles a scream as tears roll down her face. Suddenly she can’t take it any more. ‘Stop, stop!’ she sobs, rushing out and pushing the soldier away. And then freezes, as he snarls and whips the gun round to point at her…\nHolland, 1943: the Nazis are in occupation. German soldiers patrol the streets, and each week more families disappear without trace, never to be seen again. So when armed soldiers storm Sofie’s house and threaten her father at gunpoint, she knows their time – and luck – has run out.\nFleeing in the middle of the night to hide in a neighbour’s secret attic, the constant threat of a German raid means they can’t stay long. So Sofie’s parents make the heart-rending decision to send their daughter away. Concealed in the woods is a secret village, built by the town as a haven for Jewish families like Sofie’s. Remote, cold and bleak, yet filled with the hopeful laughter of children playing, it is the one place Sofie has the chance to live.\nBut rumours of the hidden village have been swirling, and the Nazis are determined to find it. As soldiers patrol the woods in ever-greater numbers, snow cuts the villagers off from the outside world and starvation sets in. Sofie knows what she must do, even though it means putting herself in danger. And when the worst happens, Sofie is faced with a terrible decision – save the village, or save herself…\nAn absolutely heart-breaking and gripping WWII historical novel based on the true story of an entire town who put themselves in danger to keep strangers safe. What happens will restore your faith in humanity. Fans of Fiona Valpy, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Choice will never forget this incredibly moving tale and the real-life heroes who inspired it.\nReaders love The Hidden Village:\n‘Excellent!... So good I couldn’t put it down… I read it in a day… I even found myself warning them when they were due to be raided – OUT LOUD!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Unbelievable… Drop everything as you will not want to put this down.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Powerful, inspiring, heartbreaking… An inspiring story about the bravery and kindness of ordinary people… It had me in tears.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Heart-wrenching… My heart was in my mouth through some of it and tears for others.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘A phenomenal read.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Couldn’t put this book down… Have read a few historical fiction [books] about WWII but this one was the best. I was transported through time and space and felt as if I was right there.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘An amazing story of survival.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Captivated and intrigued me right from the start till the very end… A gripping and fascinating WWII story!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Hidden Village: An absolutely gripping and emotional World War II historical novel (Wartime Holland)

The hidden village was meant to keep them safe, but the Nazis have found it… There’s no time to lose. Laura gathers the children and whispers to them to be brave. The smallest cowers in her arms as they hear the crack of gunshots outside. Laura knows they’ll have to run if they are to survive…\nNazi-occupied Holland, 1943: In a makeshift village in the middle of the woods, hiding from Nazi soldiers determined to find them, a beautiful young Jewish woman named Laura thought she was safe. By day she remained silent and out of sight, but as darkness fell, she began to fall in love with a resistance fighter named Wouter. Until everything changed, on the day the village was stormed…\nDesperate to protect the six small and terrified children in her care, Laura races towards the church spires of the nearest town in the distance and just manages to escape from the soldiers.\nWouter is stuck on the other side of the village when the German officers start shooting. As he desperately scrambles through the dark, dense woodland, he has no idea whether Laura has made it out alive.\nDevastated that he hadn’t tried to save her, Wouter spends his days delivering food and transporting people to safety, determined to help those most in peril. But he never gives up hope of finding the woman he loves.\nEven when he hears the rumours about the Nazis cramming Jews onto cattle trains for deportation to brutal work camps, he can’t believe she’s gone forever. How could he live if Laura was amongst them? And if he does find her, will their love have survived the ravages of everything they’ve been through, together and apart?\nAn utterly heartbreaking tale of love, betrayal and sacrifice, Hidden in the Shadows is perfect for fans of Fiona Valpy, The Nightingale and All the Light We Cannot See.\nReaders love Imogen Matthews:\n‘Literally gave me shivers… Absolutely heartbreaking… Gripping… This one really got to me, I was in tears… Will stay with me for a very long time.’ Echoes in an Empty Room, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Unbelievable… Drop everything as you will not want to put this down.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Powerful, inspiring, heartbreaking… An inspiring story about the bravery and kindness of ordinary people… It had me in tears.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Heart-wrenching… My heart was in my mouth through some of it and tears for others.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘I couldn’t put it down… I read it in a day… From the first chapter you are engaged with the characters and I even found myself warning them when they were due to be raided – OUT LOUD!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Couldn’t put this book down… Have read a few historical fiction [books] about WWII but this one was the best. I was transported through time and space and felt as if I was right there.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Truly heartbreaking and emotional… Tear-jerking… Glued to the story… A page-turner and unputdownable, will make you cry till the end!’ Tropical Girl Reads Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Absolutely captivated me from the first to the last page!… Heartbreaking… This five-star read needs to be top of your list – especially if you are a lover of historical fiction!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Wow! Where do I begin?… An inspirational read and one of hope… Loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘A moving story of courage and betrayal… This is a rapid-paced, compelling story with masterful execution.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hidden in the Shadows: An utterly gripping and heartbreaking World War II historical novel about love and impossible choices (Wartime Holland)

Anna opened the letter with trembling hands. ‘My darling, if you’re reading this, I haven’t managed to unravel my parents’ secret. But you can. Will you finish the search for me, find out who they were, and who you really are?’\nNazi-occupied Holland, 1944. As soldiers patrol the streets, nursing student Ilse is only just surviving the terrible famine and increasingly violent German occupation. Though exhausted by her demanding work at a hospital far from home, she can’t help but notice Levi, the young man with the dark eyes watching the world silently from the abandoned house next door.\nThen, early one morning, she finds him terrified and trembling with cold on the back doorstep. Levi’s Jewish family have been arrested and sent to a concentration camp, their likely fate all too clear. And now he needs her help.\nSo Ilse makes the most dangerous decision of her life, and takes Levi in. Hiding him away in her tiny attic room, he must remain concealed or risk almost certain death. But as the war worsens, keeping Levi a secret becomes ever more difficult, even as their mutual affection grows. And when a local German soldier becomes obsessed with Ilse, they fear their time – and luck – has run out…\nLondon, present day. When Anna’s father dies, he leaves her a ticket to Amsterdam, a bent silver sixpence on a delicate silver chain, and a note begging her to complete the journey he was never able to. To the town where he was born, to find out once and for all who his parents were, and to discover their wartime fate.\nBased on the author’s incredible family history, a totally devastating and ultimately uplifting story about a girl who risked everything, including her life, to save the man she loved. Heart-breaking and timely, this powerful tale will be loved by fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and Fiona Valpy.\nReaders love Imogen Matthews:\n‘Literally gave me shivers… Absolutely heart-breaking… Gripping… This one really got to me, I was in tears… Will stay with me for a very long time.’ Echoes in an Empty Room, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘I couldn’t put it down… I read it in a day… From the first chapter you are engaged with the characters and I even found myself warning them when they were due to be raided – OUT LOUD!’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Couldn’t put this book down… I was transported through time and space and felt as if I was right there.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Heart-wrenching… My heart was in my mouth.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Unbelievable… Drop everything as you will not want to put this down.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Powerful, inspiring, heart-breaking… An inspiring story about the bravery and kindness of ordinary people… It had me in tears.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Truly heartbreaking and emotional… Tear-jerking… Glued to the story… A page-turner and unputdownable, will make you cry till the end!’ Tropical Girl Reads Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Absolutely captivated me from the first to the last page!… Heartbreaking… This five-star read needs to be top of your list – especially if you are a lover of historical fiction!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘Wow! Where do I begin?… An inspirational read and one of hope… Loved it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\n‘A moving story of courage and betrayal.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Boy in the Attic: Absolutely gripping and heart-wrenching historical fiction (Wartime Holland)

The Girl with the Red Hair: Heartbreaking and completely unforgettable World War Two historical fiction inspired by a true story (The Dutch Girls)

Genre Fiction

The Wartime Nurse: Utterly heartbreaking and absolutely gripping World War Two fiction inspired by a true story (The Dutch Girls)

The Girl from the Resistance: Based on a true story, a heartbreaking and completely gripping World War 2 historical novel (The Dutch Girls)

Wartime Holland. Who can you trust? Deep in the Veluwe woods lies Berkenhout, a purpose-built village of huts sheltering dozens of persecuted people. But the Germans can find no proof of its existence.The whole community pulls together to help the Berkenhout inhabitants adjust to a difficult new life and, above all, stay safe. Sofie, a Jewish Dutch girl, struggles to adapt to living in Berkenhout, away from her family and friends. As weeks turn to months, she’s worried they’ll abandon her altogether. Young tearaway Jan likes to help, but he also enjoys roaming the woods looking for adventure and fallen pilots. His dream comes true, until he is found out. Henk is in charge of building the underground huts and organizing provisions to Berkenhout, but his contact with the Germans arouses suspicions. Who can you trust? All it takes is one small fatal slip to change the course of all their lives for ever.

The Hidden Village

Teen & Young Adult

Historical Fiction

Amsterdam Publishers

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Matthews, Imogen. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Matthews, Imogen