One Good Thing: A Novel

From the New York Times–bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones, an unforgettable novel of remarkable bravery and perseverance, about a Jewish woman making her way through war-torn Italy during the Holocaust

1941, Italy. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the university in Ferrara; when Esti gives birth to the adorable Theo, they become as close as sisters. But when Germany invades northern Italy, they will soon find themselves in occupied territory.

Esti, always the fiercer of the two, convinces Lili to flee to a convent in Florence, where they’ll be responsible for guarding war orphans and forging identification papers with the Resistance in the dead of night. When a brutal gang descends on the convent, a critically wounded Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: Go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can’t.

Terrified to travel without her brave friend, Lili sets out on a harrowing journey through the bombed-out villages and cities of Italy, doing everything she can to keep Theo safe. A tale of friendship, motherhood, survival, and unexpected romance, in One Good Thing Lili will learn how love for another person can be a reason to stay alive.