Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Head Of Zeus for the gifted ebook to write my honest review.
In Nazi-occupied Italy, keeping secrets could be deadly…
Genoa, 1944:
Widowed and alone, Anna Pastorino has been surviving on her wits since the Germans invaded. The daughter of a prominent Jewish antifascist, Anna lives a hidden life in her small flat near the harbour … until an RAF bomb destroys her only shelter. When a Jesuit priest approaches her offering help, she has no choice but to accept. She follows her new friend, Father Vittorio, to a safe house above a printers’ shop in a quiet street near via Assarotti.
But the Tipografia Guichard is more than just a refuge. It’s a forgery workshop: a key part of the secret rescue operation headed by Massimo Teglio, the “Scarlet Pimpernel” of Genoa’s persecuted Jewish population. Drawn into a world of clandestine resistance, Anna discovers a new sense of purpose, a circle of friends, and a passion that brings her alive.
Soon, the little flat above the shop holds more secrets than anyone could imagine. As Anna grows closer to both Teglio and Vittorio, she must confront a past trauma of her own: a secret that might endanger her and everyone she loves.
Purchase Link https://amzn.eu/d/fYISSnd
My Review
Historical fiction set in and around the second world war always draws me in. I have read previous books by Kat Devereaux, so I knew I would be in for a great read.
1944 in Genoa, Anna Pastorino is doing her best to keep surviving in a place where being Jewish is enough to make you a victim. After an air raid her home and everything in it is destroyed, she is helped by a monk. This changes her life in more ways than she could realise.
Kat Devereaux had based this intense and emotional story on real people. This made such an authentic and powerful read. I always appreciate the amount of research that goes into this type of story, and the Daughter of Genoa is one such book.
I have read such a lot of books set in this period, but not one that explores the Italian people’s war. To read of Anna’s journey and the part she plays in helping kept me so engrossed. The characters had enough detail that I was invested to the point that I felt every emotion as the story unfolded.
The time flew so fast as I flipped the pages, and before I knew it, it was bedtime! It was so well written that I just couldn’t stop reading! A totally engrossing and important story.
Author Bio
Kat Devereaux was born near Edinburgh, and lived in the United States, Russia, France, Chile, Germany, and the Czech Republic before finally settling in Italy. She is a writer and translator with a special focus on Italian literature.
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