The Hidden Village Quotes

“I asked my mother to repeat her stories so I could get them down for posterity. I also had another motive, to write a novel set in Holland in WW2. Since 1990, I’ve been on holiday with my family to the Veluwe, a beautiful national park where we love to cycle through magnificent woods and across expansive heaths. One year, we came across a World War 2 memorial deep in the woods. It had been designated in memory of a group of Jews who hid from the Germans by living in underground huts in a purpose built village. Several of these huts had been reconstructed and I found it hard to believe that whole families could have lived in these gloomy cramped spaces for years on end. The alternative, deportation to a concentration camp, was too awful to contemplate.”
― Imogen Matthews, The Hidden Village

“Jan struggled free and stumbled to his feet. He was off down the path towards the houses at the edge of the wood. The thought of his mother’s pea and ham soup, bread hot from the oven and creamy milk spurred him on. He’d make sure he wouldn’t tell her where he’d been as it would only worry her. Lately, she’d been fretting at the rumours that Germans were patrolling the woods. Not that he’d seen any, and even if he had, he was sure it’d be no different to the games they played. A shiver of excitement snaked through his body at the thought. Calling back to his friends, he said that he’d see them later at the usual meeting spot deep in the woods where few people went.”
― Imogen Matthews, The Hidden Village

“I can’t believe you did that?’ Sofie shot at him. ‘What was I supposed to do? You saw those two had guns. If I hadn’t they’d have shoved me in the back too.’ ‘Or shot you,’ Sofie said in a quiet voice. ‘No, I don’t think they would’ve done that. Just threatened me. They’d already got who they wanted this time.’ ‘Did you know that couple?’ Sofie looked up at him and tried to blink away the tears that filled her eyes. ‘By sight. They never go out much because he can’t walk far. I sometimes see her going to the village with her shopping bag.’ ‘Why them?’ Sofie wondered, innocently. ‘It’s obvious. They’re Jews. That’s why you’ve got to watch out.’ ‘But what use are they to the Germans? They’re hardly able to work in those camps are they?’ She glanced at Oscar, who was staring straight ahead as they resumed their walk to school. ‘I don’t know, Sofie. I wish I did.’ His comment chilled her. Perhaps her Oscar didn’t have all the answers after all. He put an arm round her waist, but still didn’t look at her. She leant into him, grateful for his warmth, even though the morning sunshine was beating down on them.”
― Imogen Matthews, The Hidden Village

“Reluctantly, she perched on the edge of a kitchen chair, ready to flee. ‘I didn’t want to say in front of Liesbeth, because it wouldn’t have been fair,’ began her mother, smoothing down her faded floral apron. ‘Mr and Mrs Foppen have kindly offered to help us if it becomes necessary. They have a large attic where the three of us can sleep safely until the danger passes.’ ‘But there have been rumours about the Germans for weeks and nothing’s happened. What makes them so sure something’s going to happen now?’ Sofie was irritated and just wanted to escape. Something in her mother’s expression made her stop. She’d never cried in front of her daughter but her eyes were full of tears. She blinked and then almost as quickly they were gone. Had Sofie imagined it? ‘We don’t need to do anything just yet. But we have to be ready, just in case.”
― Imogen Matthews, The Hidden Village