‘Heart wrenching… I really struggled to put this book down, particularly the end of the book which I sat up until 2am reading and trying hard not to wake my husband with my crying!’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐1941, Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. An unforgettable story of love, hope and betrayal, and a testament to the courage of humanity in history’s darkest days. As Nazis occupy his beloved city, …
As Nazis occupy his beloved city, Professor Josef Held feels helpless. So when he discovers his former pupil Michael Blum is trying to escape the Gestapo, he offers Michael a place to hide in his attic.
In the quiet gloom of the secret room, Michael talks of his beautiful, fearless girlfriend, Elke. Michael insists that not even the Nazis will come between them. But Elke is a non-Jewish Dutch girl, and their relationship is strictly forbidden.
Josef sees the passionate determination in his young friend’s eyes. Furious with the rules of the cruel German soldiers and remembering his own heartbreak, Josef feels desperate to give Michael and Elke’s love a chance. But then tragedy strikes, and Josef is faced with an impossible choice.
In the dark days of war, with danger and betrayal at every turn, no-one can be trusted. If Michael is to survive and get back to the woman he loves, it will be down to Josef – to find the hero inside himself, and do whatever it takes to keep Michael alive.
Even if it means putting his own life in mortal danger.
A heartbreakingly beautiful story about courage against the odds, perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, All The Light We Cannot See, and The Nightingale.
Readers are loving A View Across the Rooftops:
‘Oh my goodness… Hauntingly beautiful… Incredibly powerful… I cried, I grieved and I hoped… I was left both heartbroken and satisfied.’ Robin Loves Reading ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Heart-wrenching… It is an emotional journey of heartache and love that will leave you in tears. One of the finest books I have ever read.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘I’ve read many books on WW2… but I’ve never read one like this before. Mesmerising, emotional and beautifully written.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘The rollercoaster of emotions I went through while reading this book is amazing… For an author to make me literally cry… The story is just incredible.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. From the first moment I started reading the story, I could not stop. I was captured… Made me feel like I was right there.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Oh my Goodness! What a wonderful book! There is so much love, hope, and fear as well. This is a book I will put back to read again, I enjoyed it so much. It is a book you can’t put down.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘It brought me to tears… impossible for me to put it down. One of my best reads of 2019.’ Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Took me on a rollercoaster of emotions – happiness, sadness, anger. This story made me cry and the writing style is amazing. An amazing book.’ NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A beautifully written story of love, courage, self-sacrifice and determination… Such an emotional story and so different to others that I have read in this subject… [A] big fat 5 stars from me.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐more
5 stars ; l loved this book, couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.
From the cover to the final page A View Across the Rooftops lives up to its description of “an epic, hear-wrenching and gripping story”
It is a story full of hope, determination , courage and love and survival. Evil as history has shown does not triumph but makes a road of destruction along its way.
I had to find out what would happen to Josef, Hannah, Michael and even Ingrid. At the same time I wonder how I would have coped or survived during this terrible time; would I be that brave as Josef and the others.
Pleas take the time to read the authors notes at the end of the book as they add so much to the story.
This book will stay with me a long time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read A View from the Rooftops.
If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. From the first moment I started reading the story, I could not stop. I was captured by the story and the characters. Descriptions made me feel like I was right there and surrounded by events and people. The dust, smells, pain and emotions were felt as I turned each page. This is a story of intense dedication of people who cared deeply for others. Amidst turmoil, death and fear of the unknown, friendships and love win out. Author Suzanne Kelman has written another great story. I received a complimentary copy of the book. No review was required.
1941, Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.u202f
An unforgettable story of love, hope and betrayal, and a testament to the courage of humanity in history’s darkest days.
A great read I enjoyed every page !
World War II in occupied Amsterdam — something I had never read about before. Dangerous missions with the resistance, hiding Jews from the Nazis, love and tragedy. This is a captivating, emotional book. Very well written. I enjoyed it immensely!
This book was a 99cent deal on Kindle. I’d say I got much more than my money’s worth. What a beautifully written book. I was so invested in the characters; their hopes and dreams and all their bravery and yes, loss. I didn’t realize how Amsterdam was effected in the war as we only hear a lot of France and Germany. If you like historical fiction, don’t miss this one!!
Love this cover! This was a quick story that kept me up late to finish it! I enjoyed the story and am amazed at the characters determination in such hard times. Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for a great read!
Set in Amsterdam during World War II, this very moving story tells of the lengths people went to in assisting others during the occupation, the unlikely bonds that were formed, the hardships, and the unnecessary loss of so many.
Brilliantly written and researched; I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Beautifully written, distinct characters, and historically accurate. I found it difficult to stop reading when I had to. The author captures the slowly evolving elimination of the Jewish population through the eyes of both Jews and non-Jews; she also portrays the Nazis’ attempts to brainwash Amsterdam’s non-Jews into accepting and even supporting Hitler’s Great Solution. I found the pacing of the story just-right, and feel she started the story in the right place which was shortly after the Nazis occupied Holland. As we know, it was downhill for the Dutch from that point on until the Allies landed. Get this book, even if you’re not into Historical Fiction; the characters and their stories will have you hooked through to the end. “A View Across the Rooftops” is a new addition to my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION List.
Best book I’ve read in a while. Will read more from this author.
I will be reading this one again!
This was an interesting insight into occupied Holland during WW2 with believable characters and a strong plot. Josef Held was particularly convincing and lived up to his name (Held meaning Hero in Dutch) but not in ways you might expect. Do add this one to your reading list.
Fantastic book -. Its 1940’s Amsterdam and Professor Held has been grieving for years – and expects to carry on doing do. When he finds himself sheltering a young Jewish man, Michael, he discovers his potential to love again. An emotional read with highly polished and smooth writing. A lot of books would make great films – but this one, A View Across the Rooftops, really would make an exceptional film. There’s a lot going on – but at heart it’s a wonderfully powerful human transformation story.
A View Across The Rooftops by Suzanne Kelman is a powerful historical novel about ordinary men and women who performed extraordinary acts of bravery during a time of pure evil.
The novel is set in Amsterdam 1941-1945. It is the height of the Nazi occupation and a time of terror and unspeakable horrors. The Jewish people begin to disappear and no one said anything. Rumours of roundups began. Only when blood lands on a character’s doorstep do they wake up to the horrors all around. “When had all this become normal?” Now a character feels compelled to act.
Suzanne Kelman has captured the horrors of war and persecution. Man’s inhumanity to man knew no bounds. In contrast there were exceedingly brave acts performed by ordinary men and women who refused to let evil wash over them. “One doesn’t realise how brave one is until the cost outweighs the fear.” There were those who could not stand by and do nothing, those who went above and beyond, those who gave their all.
There is the theme of imprisonment. Not all the walls that hem us in are physical, some are mental as characters are trapped by guilt and memories. In some cases those trapped by walls are freer than those trapped internally. “They can take away my freedom, but they can’t suppress my thoughts or mind.”
Hope keeps us going. When we have hope, there will be something to live for.
In contrast to the everyday heroes, there were collaborators who profited from association with the Nazis. Some did it for gain, others were just wildly naïve.
A View Across The Rooftops is a powerful read of individual lights shining in a dark time. It would make a marvellous movie. I look forward to more by Suzanne Kelman.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
Epic. There is no other way to describe this story. It is an incredible journey through occupied Amsterdam, from 1941 to after the war in 1947. The characters are realistic, and the author did an excellent job of creating a representative cross-section of people, from the Nazi sympathizer to the members of the Dutch Resistance. When it comes to books, I am not a crier, but I found myself tearing up several times at both the sheer beauty and the utter despair on the pages. This is one of my favorite books I have read this year, by far. For a detailed review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks Fiction Reviews. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a complimentary, pre-release, digital ARC of the book.
Moving story of self sacrifice and endurance under incredible odds
Incredibly moving, this fictional story of a few of the long-suffering residents of Amsterdam who risked their lives to help their vulnerable fellow citizens during the German Occupation is really top-notch. Josef and Hannah quietly dominate the story, but the biggest emotional punch is attached to the sad, taboo love story of Jewish university student Michael and Elke, his gentile lover, and young Eva, whose whole family is threatened by the German campaign against the Jewish community..
This is a story that will stay with me for a long time. Michael’s fate could so easily have echoed that of Anne Frank, who experienced her own years sequestered in an Amsterdam attic with a view across the rooftops. Josef breaks his self-contained isolation to protect and bond with a young man in need of refuge and goes to ultimate lengths to keep Michael healthy and safe. Hannah finds her own way to fight back against the Germans’ oppression and cruelty. And Josef’s Nazi-sympathizer niece provides a high level of tension as she makes Josef’s mission more perilous, plus her self-absorbed character gives a different perspective on how to face the disruptions and deprivation of wartime. It’s an epic tale told through small lives and, despite some tearful, heart-wrenching events, was a joy to read.
Thanks to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.
Ordinary people can become heroes. In Dutch, the word held means hero. The name of the main character is Josef Held who is a mathematics professor. He lost the love of his life Sara and has an isolated life. He steps up to the plate by hiding a Jewish student, Michael who appears at his home one night as the Germans are rounding up Jews.
In this story we see heroes doing what is right at great costs. I thought the story was interesting and I learned a great deal. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.
I knew in the first couple of pages that this was going to be a really great read and it really was. This story is set in Amsterdam during World War II. Josef Held is a widowed college math professor and Michael Blum is one of his Jewish students. Add in, secretary/clerk Heather Pender and you have a great story line. There are so many things that happen in this book and the author did a brilliant job weaving the story lines together. I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves World War II stories. The characters are all pretty much likeable and I found myself on the edge of my seat rooting for Professor Held. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an absolutely fantastic read in exchange for an honest review.