Description

**AS SEEN ON BBC BETWEEN THE COVERS**AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4**THE NUMBER ONE IRISH BESTSELLER**

When the Nazis take Rome, thousands go into hiding. One priest will risk everything to save them.

September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror.

An Irish priest, Hugh O’Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. He gathers a team to set up an Escape Line.

But Hauptmann’s net begins closing in and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmas, it’s too late to turn back.

Based on a true story, My Father’s House is a powerful thriller from a master of historical fiction. It is an unforgettable novel of love, sacrifice and what it means to be human in the most extreme circumstances.

‘A spectacular, thrilling novel…suspense crackles…celebrates triumphant against-the-odds camaraderie’ Sunday Times

‘A masterwork… so urgent, so incredibly alive… A searing and beautiful example of storytelling’s infinite importance’ Donal Ryan

‘Impressive and pleasurable…the diverse ventriloquism of O’Connor’s novel evokes a city in peril with wonderful vitality’ Financial Times

LONGLISTED FOR THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2024

SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR FICTION 2024

*The second book in the Rome Escape Line Trilogy, THE GHOSTS OF ROME, is available to pre-order now.*

Publisher Review

Stylish, gripping, and inspiring...O'Connor is one of the most talented and respected writers of his generation * Church Times * O'Connor combines suspenseful storytelling with an eye for quirky human details * Sunday Times, *Summer Reads of 2023* * [A] lavishly crafted thriller * Daily Mail, *Summer Reads of 2023* * Magnificent * Jewish Chronicle *