IN NAZI-OCCUPIED ITALY, KEEPING SECRETS COULD BE DEADLY …

“Intense and compelling” – Liz Trenow

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.

  • "A powerful journey of heartbreak, love, and bravery."

    Madeline Martin

  • "A story of kindness and courage—a real testament to what humans are capable of, and an antidote to the evil backdrop of Fascism that it also portrays."

    Keren David

  • "Enthralling and eloquently bittersweet—a vivid historical portrait of the pivotal yet overlooked struggle to save Italian Jews in WWII."

    Shelly Sanders

  • "Kat Devereaux conjures the terrifying, claustrophobic world of those working to save Jews under Nazi rule in Italy so skilfully that from time to time I had to force myself to look up and breathe."

    Liz Trenow

  • "Impeccably researched ... a deeply intense and moving story of quiet courage."

    Chris Lloyd

  • “Haunting beauty, unforgettable characters, and a vivid sense of time and place.”

    Suzanne Kelman

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