Imogen Matthews

Imogen Matthews writes novels based on true stories during the German occupation of Europe in World War 2. Some stories she discovered through visiting European countries, especially the Netherlands, 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 for many weeks.

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.

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.

The Boy in the Attic is a dual timeline novel in which Anna discovers a bent sixpenny coin on a silver chain amongst her father's possessions that leads her on a journey to discover the grandmother and grandfather she didn't know she had who lived in wartime Holland.

The Dutch Girls is a series based on the true story of three young female activists who worked in the Dutch resistance and who put their lives on the line for those they loved: The Girl from the Resistance, The Girl with the Red Hair and the Wartime Nurse.

Only I Can Save Them is a dual timeline based on the true story of German Jewish photographer Rudolf Breslauer, who used his camera to create unique photographic evidence of Nazi persecutation of Jews inside Westerbork transit camp.

The Girl With Two Names is inspired by the real story of one of KLM's first stewardesses, who becomes a spy for the British government operating under an alias. She sacrifices everything to stand up for what is right and fight those who can't, as well as striving for a future with the handsome pilot she loves.

Imogen's WW2 novels are published by Bookouture, a digital imprint of Hachette.

Keep up with all the news about Imogen's books and more:

Imogen’s website: imogenmatthewsbooks

Facebook: @ImogenMatthewsBooks

X: @ImogenMatthews3

Instagram & Threads: oxfordnovelist