Daughter of Genoa - by Kat Devereaux (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Enthralling and eloquently bittersweet--a vivid historical portrait of the pivotal yet overlooked struggle to save Italian Jews in WWII, and how one unforgettable woman risks everything for love. Devereaux writes with great authority and masterfully blends imagination and history. A deeply affective novel that captivated me from the first page." -- Shelly Sanders, bestselling author of Daughters of The Occupation and The Night Sparrow

"Based on a true story, The Daughter of Genoa is a moving and inspiring story, revealing the hope, humanity, and quiet heroism of ordinary people in their extraordinary efforts to help others. A powerful journey of heartbreak, love, and bravery, this is a book that will stay with readers for a long time." -- Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Booklover's Library

The author of Escape to Florence returns with a thrilling adventure set in the war-torn 1940s and inspired by true events, about a young woman who risks everything to help Jewish Italians flee the fascists, and falls in love with the brave aviator behind a daring secret rescue operation.

Anna's family fled to America years ago, to escape the Fascist regime, but Anna had stayed behind. Alone and terrified of discovery, Anna meets Father Vittorio, a Jesuit priest who takes her to shopkeepers Bernardo and Silvia, an older couple who offer shelter and safety without question. But when Anna discovers that this kind, quiet couple is part of a network of ordinary people daring to help Father Vittorio smuggle Jewish citizens, stripped of their status and rights, out of Italy, she is determined to help.

Anna offers skills essential to the cause: she has a deft hand at ledgers and forgery, talents she learned at the high-powered job she held before the Racial Laws were passed--a past she conceals. Working in secrecy, not knowing others' real names or sharing her own, Anna begins producing fake identity cards and soon meets another member of the operation: a man known as Mr. X., whom she recognizes instantly as the wealthy aviator Massimo Teglio. And suddenly, without warning--despite the threat of imprisonment, torture, and death--Anna finds herself taking the most dangerous of risk of all: falling in love. And she's not the only one.

Based on the true story of the DELASEM--the Delegation for the Assistance of Jewish Emigrants, an organization of brave volunteers working tirelessly to save innocent lives from the concentration camps--Daughter of Genoa is a poignant look at those who loved and lost yet continued to risk everything to create a better world.

Review Quotes

"Daughter of Genoa is enthralling and eloquently bittersweet--a vivid historical portrait of the pivotal yet overlooked struggle to save Italian Jews in WWII, and how one unforgettable woman risks everything for love. Kat Deveraux writes with great authority and masterfully blends imagination and history. A deeply affective novel that captivated me from the first page." -- Shelly Sanders, bestselling author of Daughters of The Occupation and The Night Sparrow

"If you love fiction firmly based in history, Daughter of Genoa is definitely for you. 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, so intense and compelling is her storytelling, and so extraordinary the real-life stories on which the narrative is based."
-- Liz Trenow, author of The Secret Sister and Searching for my Daughter

"Daughter of Genoa had me enthralled from the first chapter. Anna is a moving and brave heroine, and the book is populated with characters who inspire awe with their resilience and courage. This is historical fiction that touches the heart, and would be perfect for book clubs!" -- Anita Abriel, bestselling author of The Light After the War

"Devereaux's knowledge and passion for the time and place jump off the page. Set in the rubble of Nazi-occupied Genoa, amid a group of ordinary people caught up in a war and risking everything to help others, Daughter of Genoa beautifully captures the numbing claustrophobia and stifling fear of individuals under constant threat of exposure or betrayal. Impeccably researched, it brought home to me a brief period in history I knew very little about, which is what the best historical fiction does, in a deeply intense and moving story of quiet courage." -- Chris Lloyd, award-winning author of the Occupation series

"Based on a true story, The Daughter of Genoa is a moving and inspiring story, revealing the hope, humanity, and quiet heroism of ordinary people in their extraordinary efforts to help others. A powerful journey of heartbreak, love, and bravery, this is a book that will stay with readers for a long time." -- Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Booklover's Library