A story of WWII and the Jewish community in Italy. Esti and Lili are best friends. In 1940, the war came to Italy when Germany invaded. Esti recruits Lili to join the resistance. Esti is helping to create papers for Jews to have safe passage. Esti has a son, Theo, and when Esti becomes wounded, she begs Lili to escape their small town and run with Theo. Lili is frightened but takes young Theo on a journey, hoping they will eventually be reunited with Esti, and also with Lili's father. The story covers several years of the war, and relates stories of those who helped to hide Jews. It is a story of survival and love and a deep friendship. There is also a bit of romance and hope. A different story of WWII, showing the Italian experience. (read less)

A story of WWII and the Jewish community in Italy. Esti and Lili are best friends. In 1940, the war came to Italy when Germany invaded. Esti recruits Lili to join the resistance. Esti is helping to create papers for Jews to have safe passage. Esti has a son, Theo, and when Esti becomes wounded, she begs Lili to escape their small town and run with Theo. Lili is frightened but takes young (read more)

In 1941 Italy, best friends Lili and Esti are as close as sisters, especially after Esti’s son Theo is born. But then the war knocks on Italy’s doors and Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an “inferior” Jewish race. The two women and Theo first flee 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 identification papers for the Italian Underground. When the convent is raided, Esti ends up wounded and asks Lili to take Theo and run; to protect him. Even though she’s terrified of traveling on her own, Lili heads south towards the Allied territory, travelling through Nazi-occupied villages, bombed out cities, and wide open fields, doing everything she can to keep Theo safe while they wait for both the war to end and to be reunited with Esti. So, I feel like quite a few people who read We Were the Lucky Ones and immediately wanted this new novel from Georgia Hunter, so of course I asked for an ARC of it as soon as I saw it. As with the previous novel, Hunter did a fantastic job at crafting characters who were relatable and endearing. I felt like I was reading a letter from a friend as I followed Lili’s journey. As I’ve come to slowly learn over the years, no matter how many WWII historical fiction novels I read, I’m constantly learning more and more about different parts of Europe and different experiences through every book. I’ve known Italy started off on the Axis side and then effectively switched sides after the Allied invasion, but I didn’t realize the treatment of Jews during this time. Overall, an amazing character enriched historical fiction about one woman’s endurance during the WWII in Italy as she does everything to protect her best friend’s son. *Thank you Pamela Dorman Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review (read less)

In 1941 Italy, best friends Lili and Esti are as close as sisters, especially after Esti’s son Theo is born. But then the war knocks on Italy’s doors and Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed Lili and Esti descendants of an “inferior” Jewish race. The two women and Theo first flee to a villa in the countryside to help hide a group of young war orphans, then to a convent in Florence, where (read more)