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Georgia Hunter has done it again—and honestly, I liked One Good Thing even better than We Were the Lucky Ones. The story follows Lili and Esti, two Jewish friends in 1940s Italy, whose lives flip upside down when Mussolini’s Racial Laws and the German occupation force them into hiding. When Esti is brutally attacked, she begs Lili to take her young son, Theo, and run. And so begins an unforgettable journey across a war-torn country, where danger is everywhere and love is the only currency they can still count on.
What struck me most is Lili’s quiet bravery. She’s not fearless—far from it—but her love for Theo keeps her moving, step by terrifying step. Their bond is the heartbeat of the book. Along the way, they meet Thomas, an American POW posing as a German soldier, and the slow warmth that grows between them feels like sunlight in winter.
This novel is beautifully researched and deeply human. It honors the women who risked everything and the children whose safety meant more than their own lives.
** Thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for a complimentary review copy. Opinions are my own.