Switzerland 1942: Valerie watches with fear and incredulity as the war gets ever closer. She is anxious to stop the incessant rise of Nazi power and helps with resistance. Her sweetheart Philippe is a soldier but Valerie’s actions could spell danger for the man she loves…
The Watchmaker’s Daughter is an historical novel set in Geneva. It is author Dianne Haley’s debut novel and will be the first in a series.
Valerie is brave, defying her father who is keen to appease the Germans to protect his business and family. She smuggles secret messages as she goes out on her deliveries. But one message creates a moral dilemma as it could put her own sweetheart in danger.
I haven’t ever read a book set in Switzerland during the war so was fascinated to read a new perspective. For me, Switzerland is associated with neutrality so it was interesting to read how this had to be negotiated. I felt that the author had researched the era and culture to make the book as realistic and vivid as possile.
The book is written from Valerie and Phillipe’s third person perpectives. The sense of fear for both lead characters provides tension and anticipation which fuel the emotional side of the plot. Both characters are in danger and unsure who they can trust.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter is an enjoyable historical novel about love and bravery against the odds.
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The Watchmaker’s Daughter: An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching World War II historical novel
Hiding the worn piece of paper among her father’s watch deliveries, her eyes fill with tears at the memory of her brave friend walking towards the Nazi soldiers, and the sharp sound of gun fire. Her friend sacrificed herself so that she could deliver this message. But if she hands it over, the love of her life will die…
1942, Geneva: As her radio crackles with heart-breaking news from occupied France, Valérie Hallez gazes towards the snow-covered Alps after a long day helping her father, a local watchmaker. With a Nazi invasion looming, she is sick with worry for the future of her country, and for Philippe, her childhood sweetheart with soft brown eyes. Valérie might not be able to join the army like him, but she is determined to play her part in the fight against evil…
In defiance of her father, Valérie helps the French Resistance by smuggling messages among her father’s watch deliveries. And when darkness falls, she risks everything to hide Jewish refugee children in his old workshop. Philippe fears for her safety, as her work for the Resistance could come with a heavy price. But nothing will stop her delivering vital information and getting terrified children to safety before they are sent back to the Nazis.
But when Valérie is entrusted with an urgent letter for the Allies, she finds herself in an impossible position. The information it contains could alter the course of the war. But if she hands over the message now, it will cost Philippe his life. With Nazi spies closing in on her, Valérie must act now… But can she really trust the man she loves, and will she find a way to save both him and her country before it’s too late?
An utterly gripping and heart-breaking novel about love and bravery in a time of terrible danger. Fans of The Alice Network, The Nightingale and We Were the Lucky Ones will be swept away by The Watchmaker’s Daughter
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About the author
Originally from the north of Scotland, Dianne now lives with her husband in Edinburgh and has two grown-up children. After a thirty-year business career in London and Edinburgh when Dianne wrote between projects, she is now writing full-time.
Dianne and her family have been visiting the area round Lake Geneva since 1992 and love the Alps in all seasons. The inspiration for her series set in WW2 Switzerland came from a drive through Geneva’s old town on a rainy October evening, the cobbled lanes a perfect setting for secrets and hiding places.
Author social media
Laura and Wouter are inhabitants in the hidden village of Berkenhout when it is raided by the Nazis. They both flee in opposite directions: will the young sweethearts be reunited?
Hidden in the Shadows is the second book by Imogen Matthews to describe wartime experiences in Holland. It is the sequel to The Hidden Village and continues the story of two of the more peripheral characters from that first book.
Laura is Jewish and Wouter has refused to join the Nazis so he is also hiding. He has a fiancee but falls in love with Laura whilst they are living in the hidden village. The surprise attack splits them up and they are desperate to be reunited. The drama and danger faced by the characters is relentless as they hide from the Germans and are continually fearful about being captured or betrayed.
Laura and Wouter’s characters were easy to like. I did feel more of a connection with Laura but this could be due to her parts of the book being written in the first person. They are brave yet vulnerable, with complex emotions and relationships that bring their characters to life.
The sense of community that was so strong in the first book carries on as the locals continue to support those in hiding. I felt that the author had done substantial research about the location, culture and history of the Dutch people during WW2 which gives a realism to the plot and characters.
Hidden in the Shadows is an enjoyable historical novel
Hidden in the Shadows: An utterly gripping and heartbreaking World War II historical novel about love and impossible choices (Wartime Holland Book 2)
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…
Nazi-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…
Desperate 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.
Wouter 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.
Devastated 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.
Even 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?
An 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.
About Imogen Matthews
Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories about the Netherlands during the German occupation in World War 2. Some stories she discovered by chance, others are based on her Dutch mother’s own experiences of hardship and survival during the Hunger Winter of 1944-45.
Her first novel, The Hidden Village, is set in the Veluwe woods, a beautiful part of Holland that Imogen has visited frequently over the past 30 years. It was in these woods that she discovered the story of the real hidden village which provided shelter in underground huts for Jews during WW2. Imogen retells the story of the hidden village with characters drawn from real life and from her imagination.
Within weeks of publication in 2017, The Hidden Village became an international bestseller, ranking at the top of a number Amazon’s most-read book lists.
Following on from The Hidden Village comes Hidden in the Shadows, which has the pace of a thriller yet is also a love story. It tells the story about two young people who are brutally torn apart and must find a way to be together against all odds.
Imogen’s third WW2 novel, The Girl Across the Wire Fence, is set in Amersfoort, Netherlands, and is based on the unforgettable tale of two young lovers who risked everything to keep hope alive in the very depths of hell – the little known Dutch concentration camp called Kamp Amersfoort.
Imogen’s WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.
Author social media
Facebook: @theHiddenVillagenovel
Twitter: @ImogenMatthews3
What Makes A Lemur Listen? is a children’s picture book written by Samuel Langley-Swain and illustrated by Helena Panayi.
Young lemur Maki is not keen on listening to his mum. Sound familiar?! With 3 children of my own, I saw our family in this straight away! The problem of wanting to be grown up but still needing an adult’s guidance resally resonated with me 🙂
For children, this is a lovely book about a little lemur going on an adventure and striking out on his own. But he isn’t alone: there is someone who is keeping an eye on him and knows that adults have children’s best interests at heart so we should follow their advice.
The illustrations are really lovely and it is fun to spot the chameleon in the pictures as Maki remains unaware of her presence. The dangers are also apparent and the pictures show Maki’s narrow escapes.
What Makes a Lemur Listen is a sweet book that can appeal to parents and children as we can both identify with the characters and narrative.
Book blurb:
‘Just like all ring-tailed lemurs, Maki liked to bathe in the sun and huddle under the moon. BUT one thing Maki DIDN’T like to do, was LISTEN!’
Join Maki on his adventures through the Madagascan forest, where things may not be as they seem. Can clever chameleon, Sofina, help Maki to listen when it matters the most?
For children, this charming story is about a loveable lemur who learns to listen. For adults, the text explores neurodiverity, demand avoidance & alternative parenting styles.
