Daughter of Genoa
A heartbreaking tale of love and loss, based on the true story of the DELASEM rescue network.
“Intense and compelling” – Liz Trenow
COMING SOON
Author photograph by Elizabeth Lawrence
Ciao!
My name’s Kat and I’m a writer and translator. After spending a few years in Italy, I now live and work in the beautiful city of Prague.
As a writer, I love strong characters, dramatic settings and high-stakes scenarios. The rest of the time, I like being very quiet in libraries.
My debut novel was published in July 2023 as Escape to Florence (Harper, US) and Escape to Tuscany (Head of Zeus, UK). My next novel, Daughter of Genoa, is available to preorder now.
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.
