Place

When is a place home?

Place, a Novel by Hannah Huber

Jill Stone, an American radio journalist who married a Dutchman, has spent the past twenty years carefully curating the perfect Dutch life full of borrels—drinks, boats, bikes, and friends in the idyllic Dutch village of Loenen aan de Vecht, just outside Amsterdam. But it’s time for Jill and her family to head to America, fulfilling the agreed-upon plan to spend the next twenty across the Atlantic so they could be closer to Jill’s roots.

Everything was going according to plan when Jill got an unexpected job offer, her dream job - as NPR’s European Correspondent. Only catch? The job is based in the Netherlands. While Jill wrestles with her decision to move home to America and give up everything she has worked for, husband Paul has an accident, landing him in a medically induced coma. As Paul recovers in the hospital, Jill discovers another surprise, forcing her to question where exactly she fits in — and how her plans for the life she might lead compare to the life she’s come to love.

Release Date: December 8, 2021

Order the Book: Place

Author: Hannah Huber

Text: English

Price: Paperback €19,95 (including 9% VAT, excluding €4,10 postage within the Netherlands) / E-book €9,95

ISBN-number Paperback: 9789090352039 / E-book: 9789090353555

Publisher: Amsterdam Academy Press

Review copy available upon request, email: hannah@amsterdamacademy.com

Should you be interested in ordering more than 5 books, please reach out to the author directly: hannah@amsterdamacademy.com. Hannah Huber is also available to speak about her book at your event. Get in touch!

Paperback available for purchase at: amazon, bol.com, Amsterdam Academy website, and bookstores in the Netherlands and worldwide.

E-book available for purchase on Apple, Amazon, Kobo and Barnes & Noble

Also available as audiobook on Audiobooks.com, Storytel, Audible, and other audiobook platforms.

“America has changed, sometimes I no longer recognize my country of origin. It’s like stalking an ex-boyfriend on Facebook - despite no longer wanting to be with him, I can’t help but wonder what he’s up to all the time.”

— Hannah Huber

Reviews for Place

“Hannah beautifully captures the struggles of living a life that straddles two continents, two cultures and ultimately, two identities. Who are we when living abroad? And how does one find their “place” when home is everywhere and nowhere. A must-read that will leave you questioning what home means to you.”

- Colleen Geske, Author of Stuff Dutch People Like
“Place is a story about finding one’s home in the world while being mobile. Jill’s experiences are relatable to anyone who finds themselves in search of possibility and connection. Definitely worth the read and a fantastic debut novel!”

- Julia Bailey, Cultural Anthropologist
“I had trouble putting the book down - I couldn't wait to see what would happen next! The storyline pulled me in right away, as did the character development. Hannah's protagonist was especially compelling. The ending made me want to know, again, what will happen next. Is there a sequel on the horizon?

- Nancy Chambers, retired Higher Education Professional

Order the Book: Place

Idea behind the book Place

Hannah: “I wanted to write a story in which the reader gets a sense of what it’s like to be a dual citizen – someone with two passports and two homes. Over the years people have asked me – ‘Do you feel more American or more Dutch?’. I feel like I’m both but the balance is constantly shifting. With this story, I want to show what it feels like to be ‘too foreign for home’. It’s not a sad story, but more of a comfort read, one in which anyone who has spent significant time away from their country of origin can relate. What and where is ‘home’?

To me, home is something you create and carry with you. In that sense, I prefer the word place.

About the author, Hannah Huber

Hannah Huber is founder of Amsterdam Academy Press, enabling authors, thought leaders, PhD candidates and entrepreneurs to put their work and stories out into the world with as much agency as possible, producing excellent books.

She first set foot on Dutch soil as a sixteen-year-old exchange student and has had a love for Dutch culture ever since. Place is her first novel. Her second novel, Queens’ Row (genre: historical fiction), was released in November 2023. She lives in a small village just outside Amsterdam, with her Dutch husband and three children.

Author photo: Ami Elsius

“Hannah’s attention to detail became a significant reason why I enjoyed this story as it progressed, and WHY I liked the protagonist Jill, her openness to the universe, her totally sensual experience of HER universe. I could feel it, smell it, see it, live it as I gave myself to the author leading me through what turned out to be a REAL dilemma for Jill and her whole family, plus a surprise ending and wonderful closure to her quandary: Where IS my place?

I think it is a great book for all women to read, not just expats, as it applies to the dilemma of moving and finding ‘home’ in general. I think it's a great book for men because I truly wondered HOW THE HELL is Paul going to get out of this?...Each new development ratcheted up the tension and decision-making and sensitivity vs. the rationality of Jill…I also loved the frequent interjection of Dutch words and phrases, which are quickly and easily interpreted so as not to distract from the pace of the story while also giving us an added sense of the charm of where Jill lives now and why this must be so hard for her to decide to leave.”