A remarkable tale of friendship

1940, Emilia Romagna. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. There is a war being fought across borders, and in Italy, Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an “inferior” Jewish race, but life somehow goes on—until Germany invades northern Italy.

Esti convinces Lili to flee first to a villa in the countryside to help hide a group of young war orphans, then to a convent in Florence, where they pose as nuns and forge false papers for the Underground. When disaster strikes at the convent, a critically wounded Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: To go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can’t.

Review Quote

“Georgia Hunter proves herself to be a remarkable storyteller who brings to vivid life a group of ordinary people living through extraordinary times…. Thrilling, romantic, and deeply meaningful, it is a tribute to hope and love and all the things that matter most.”—Ariel Lawhon, author of The Frozen River

Additional Book Details