An unforgettable story of hardship and hope, courage and resilience, which follows one young woman’s journey through war-torn Italy during World War II
1940, Northern Italy. Lili and Esti have been best friends since meeting at the University of Ferrara; when Esti’s son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. A war is being fought across borders and Mussolini’s Racial Laws, targeting Italy’s Jews, have Lili on edge.. Still, life somehow goes on-until Germany invades and the friends find themselves in occupied territory.
Esti, older and fiercely self-assured, convinces Lili to flee to the countryside to help hide a group of young refugees, then to a convent in Florence, where they pose as nuns and forge papers for the underground. When disaster strikes, Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: to go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can’t.
Terrified to travel on her own, Lili sets out on an epic journey south toward Allied territory, through Nazi-occupied villages and bombed-out cities, doing everything she can to keep Theo safe.
From the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved We Were the Lucky Ones, One Good Thing is an extraordinary tale of friendship, motherhood, and survival-and a brilliant testament to the way love for another person, even amidst darkness and uncertainty, can be reason to stay alive.
Untangling History: Writing One Good Thing
In an essay for the Jewish Book Council, Georgia reflected on her research for One Good Thing, why she chose to set the story in Italy, and how Lili has inspired her in her own life. You can read her essay here.
