Jennifer Robson is one of my favorite Historical Fiction authors and Our Darkest Night does not disappoint.

Over the years, I have read a lot of World War II fiction. The format of this one felt different than all of the others. There was a lot of heart and soul and I liked the view from a Jewish girl posing to be Christian to be spared. I feel the author wrote with compassion and dealing with a sensitive topic.

I really enjoyed this book, full of suspense, heartbreak, courage, and understanding. The characater development was fantastic.

An extraordinary book. In the fall of 1943, life has become more complicated and dangerous for Italian Jews. Germany's military has been occupying the country, and the threat of deportation has been growing. Antonina Mazin hopes to survive the war. For this, she needs to leave Venice and hide in the rural area with a man she has just met. Nico Gerardi was studying at the seminary to become a priest. Circumstances forced him to stop his studies to dedicate himself to his family's farm. Nina will hide her identity, and Nico will do everything to protect her. I love Nico's attitude, protective and brave. I like Nina's bravery and maturity. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been to leave everything she loved to save her life. It is a story that intrigued me. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Nina. I enjoyed every page of this book. I thank NetGalley, William Morrow, and Custom House, for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a moving love story set in Italy during WWII. Nina, an Italian Jew, moves to the country to pose as wife to a Christian farmer, Nico, in order to save her from the Gestapo. It was nice to get a glimpse into a whole new setting from what I'm used to in WWII fiction. I don't think I've ever read about the farmers during this stressful time.

Nina and Nico's story is a compelling one. Before the war, she was in medical school, and he was studying to be a priest. Their sudden "marriage" is a shock to both of them for different reasons. But their relationship grows and they eventually become lovers. The writing is stunning. I highlighted so many beautiful quotes, like this one:

"The day I left Venice was one of the worst days of my life," she whispered. "I had to say goodbye to my mother and father, to my home, to everything that was familiar and comfortable and safe. It was truly awful—and yet one part of it was good. The part when I met you."

Another favorite quote comes from the town priest to Nina, “Your love for Nico, and his for you, was meant to be. Some might call it fate. I prefer to think of it as an instance of grace...your love for him, and the strength you gain from that bond, will continue to exist--no matter how long you are separated, and no matter how distant you are from one another. Your love lives on.”

It is an emotional roller coaster. I was captivated by their story and want to share it with all my reader friends!

This beautiful novel provides lessons on the power of human resilience and hope and focuses on those who do good; the ones who made sacrifices on behalf of fellow man. In other words, non-Jews risking their lives to save helpless strangers. I like to think these people are the true hero of this story.

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson was one of those books that kept the reader enthralled by each page. The novel takes place near Venice, Italy during the Second World War. We enter the book reading about Antonina Mazin, whose family is Jewish. Her father is a renowned nephrologist who has been banned from practicing his medicine by the Facist government. What lies ahead is the rounding up of all Jews for their “relocation”. Her father conspires with a Catholic priest friend to try to get Antonina hidden away from these atrocities.

It's difficult to describe how amazing this book is without giving anything away. Nina and Nico are two amazing characters who literally fight for their lives through horrifying circumstances during WWII. Just when it seems like there's nothing left to fight for, the author reminds us that there is always something to live for. The details are so vivid, it makes the reader feel like he/she is part of the story. The characters are so well developed, that you feel like you would recognize them on the street. Jennifer Robson has given us a stunner of a book.

Jennifer Robson has written a number of well received historical novels. I very much enjoyed her earlier book, The Gown, so was looking forward to reading Our Darkest Night. It did not disappoint.

I have written before about the number of historical fiction titles that center on WWII are being published now and why I think that is so. In brief, I think that, in our current uncertain times, the certainty of who won the war and the courage that people displayed, gives some reassurance to readers.

This is one of the few WWII novels that I have read that takes place in Italy, the other being The Road to Grantchester. The settings added to my knowledge and enjoyment of this title.

Robson’s story is about a Jewish young woman who needs to leave Venice to hide in the countryside in order to escape the Germans. She meets a young man who had been studying for the priesthood but has left to help his parents manage their farm. Antonia and Nico meet and she subsequently poses as his bride in an effort to stay safe. What will happen to them over the course of the war? Will their assumed relationship become a real and valued one? Will they both survive the war? What will happen to their families? Read this title to find out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was a great read! I have read other books by Jennifer Robson and enjoyed them, and this one is no exception. The character development is excellent, and the writing is really good. I was surprised that part of the story took place in a concentration camp, and that was upsetting, but by then I was so invested in the characters that I didn't want to stop reading. Thank you for the opportunity to read this excellent title.

Bestselling author Jennifer Robson offers readers a well-researched account of life in Italy during World War II. In her novel Robson traces the events of how Jewish Italians had their rights stripped away before being rounded up and sent to concentration camps.

When it grows increasingly unsafe to be Jewish in Venice, Nina’s father concocts a plan to have his only child sent away to pose as the wife of a farmer and ride out the rest of the war in the countryside.

While Nina doesn’t want to leave her parents, she obliges and leaves with Nico, the kind stranger who has volunteered to protect her.

As the book progresses Nina and Nico develop a gentle friendship before falling in love, all while the war rages around them. Nina struggles to adapt to her new country life and worries when Nico leaves her with his family to pursue his increasingly secretive missions to help others flee the fascists. Robson layers in details of the war’s progression in Italy.
While the story itself is rather intriguing, Robson’s characters feel flat because she puts so much of her effort into accurately depicting the history and life of an Italian farmer that she doesn’t get around to providing her cast of characters with more depth.

The reader only knows what Nina knows, but while we read about her suffering, Robson fails to take it to the next step and evoke an emotional response from the reader.

Nina’s life is torn apart time and again throughout the novel, and while she manages to cling to hope her narrative misses the emotional mark.

“Our Darkest Night” is an interesting tale, but it had the potential to be far more intriguing if Robson had provided more than a surface-level exploration of her character’s feelings.

While life surely isn't luxurious for Antonina Mazin as a Jew in Venice during 1943, she still has her parents and her dreams of going back to school when the war is over. So she is shocked when seemingly overnight, her father sends her away from Venice masquerading as the wife of Nico Gerardi, a man she just met and who she literally must now trust with her secret and her life. As she leaves Venice and everything she knows behind to head toward an uncertain future, Nico suggests that she also change her name to Nina and she learns she will be living on his family's farm in the countryside. Nina's arrival isn't welcome by all of Nico's family or the village residents and it isn't long until her appearance draws unwelcome attention from a German officer with a particular vendetta against Nico.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to read, but I do sometimes feel that many of those novels have a World War II setting, which can lead to some reader burnout on my end. I can say Our Darkest Night was a bright light. While at first glance, it might have some similarities to other novels in that genre, Our Darkest Night brought a whole new perspective. The characters leapt from the page and I could sense the danger and peril they faced. I was drawn back to this book time after time and was so invested in the future of both Nina and Nico. For me, a story of resilience and courage through adversity was exactly what I needed right now.

I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Robson (The Gown) mesmerizes with a focus on World War II Italy and the persecution of Italy’s Jewish population. Antonina “Nina” Mazin lives in Venice in 1942 and hopes to become a doctor like her father. Her plans are cut short when her father fears for her future under the fascist government and asks her to leave Venice, posing as wife to Niccolo “Nico” Gerardi, to live at his family farm near the village of Mezzo Ciel. Though Nina misses her father and mother who had suffered a stroke, she adapts to the hard-working life on the Gerardi farm. Nina is eventually embraced by all the members of Nico’s family, though his sister Rosa was chilly to her at first, believing that Nina was responsible for Nico’s abandonment of the priesthood. When Nina and Nico admit their love for one another, they are faced with danger in the form of Obersturmfuhrer Zwerger who is suspicious of their marriage and Nina’s presence at the farm. Robson’s focus on the dangers faced by Jewish people in Italy during World War II explores events not often revisited in World War II historical fiction. Nico and Nina’s love story is emotional and a testament to the human fortitude for survival against all odds.

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson is an amazing historical fiction book which highlights the struggle of Italian Jews during World War II. Antonina Mazin is the daughter of a well regarded Jewish Doctor in Venice in 1943. Her father fears for her safety and makes the decision without her input to find an escape for her.

This escape route leads to a pretend marriage with a prospective seminary student on his way to becoming a priest, Nico Gerardi. Nico has already sacrificed his studies to help with the demands of a family farm after the death of his brother in the war. Antonina becomes Nina and his wife. This transformation is not without peril. As a city girl studying medicine, she has few skills to bring to the table in her new role as a farmer’s wife. But, as her life depends on being believed she has to adjust.

Nina and Nico are forced to make choices to survive under the Nazi Regime that fight against their intrinsic beliefs. Their private personas are admirable and we learn more about the secret activities to combat the Nazi’s by partisans in the Italian countryside. The heartbreaking and all to real concentration camps are also experienced.

The mission of helping others and the struggle to give back at all costs was made real. These characters will become real to you, too. Despite their many challenges they found ways to defy the societal bounds and face their tormentors with courage. They were not looking for glory, just a chance to do something that was decent and worthwhile. What a legacy they left, you will be better after reading it. Their strength and determination should not be forgotten.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from William Morrow and Custom House in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

📚 Book Review 📚

Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for review!

Well, hello! It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I haven’t done much reading, but I did finish this at the beginning of the month and wanted to share my thoughts!

It’s been a while since I’ve read historical fiction, so I was eager to dive into this story. It takes place in Italy, and as someone whose grandmother lived during WW2 there, I know some of the atrocities that took place. However, I don’t think many people know or understand what happened in Italy. Robson does a nice job of touching the surface of what Jewish people in Italy faced, and overall wrote a lovely story of family, love, sacrifice, and survival.

I will say the one downside to this story was that it seemed a lot of time was spent on details (which is fine!) except big events seemed to happen in a blink and didn’t get as fleshed out as I would have liked.

Overall, this was a lovely WW2 historical fiction. However, a word of caution, if the events of Jan. 6th still have you rattled, reading any WW2 historical fiction while still mentally processing that may put you in a strange headspace. It did for me at least as I was reading this while those events were unfolding.

TW: antisemitism, murder of loved one, concentration camps, attempted rape, animal cruelty

A very good read from start to finish. A story of a close family going through the years of the Second World War. The story of Nina and Nico was a slow and growing theme throughout the book. The hardship of rationing, living under enemy occupation and fear of discovery.

I have devoured every book by Jennifer Robson since her first novel and her latest, Our Darkest Night, is just as good as the first.

Our Darkest Night follows an Italian Jewish woman, Antonia, who flees Venice to evade the roundups happening during WWII in Italy. She is taken in by a family who owns a farm and poses as the new bride to Nico, who has recently returned home to the family farm after his older brother dies.

From the first pages I was absolutely gripped by this novel and it was impossible to put down. One of the best things about Jennifer Robson's works is how well she is able to create worlds from words and Our Darkest Night is another stunning example of that. From the canals of Venice, to Nico's family farm and everywhere they go between, I was able to mentally place myself alongside the characters.

This is yet another stellar novel from this amazing author.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for an eARC copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Part love story, part part war story. Part surviving the worst of humanity and finding the best of humanity. Amid a glut of WWII stories, Our Darkest Night stands out.

This is a wonderfully written novel and a book that will haunt me for some time. This is the story of Antonina, a young Jewish woman, who is sent to live with young farmer Nico in the countryside of Italy in order to keep her safe from the German forces during WWII. She poses as his wife and lives with his family while dealing with the loss of her parents. We then follow Nico and Nina throughout the war, through terrifying and horrible situations. This book does have a satisfying resolution, but it is certainly not an easy read. I think it is so important that we continue to read these stories, even if works of fiction, as they are based on real atrocities that we cannot allow to be repeated. Robson has a gift for storytelling and creating characters who are easy to take into your heart. 4.5 stars.

I am thankful to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

Trigger warnings: violence, antisemitism, animal cruelty, murder, attempted rape, concentration camps

Atonina Mazin leaves her Jewish parents in Venice for farm life in the Italian countryside. She poses as Niccolo Gerardi's new wife to protect her from the Nazis' persecution. As the daughter of a doctor, she is handy with stitches and sewing, but the hard work on the farm is daunting. She changes her name to Nina and pretends to be from Padua instead of Venice.

Living off of the land could have been peaceful, but frequent visits from Nazi soldiers make the Gerardis' lives extremely hard. One Nazi in particular is fixated on Nina and Niccolo because he knew Nico from seminary school. His attentions make their lives increasingly hard because they are also periodically hiding refugees at the farm.

Nina and Nico grow to love each other over the course of the war, and their love increases their fear of being separated or killed. Their story is both hopeful and heartbreaking as the Nazis strengthen their hold on Italy.

Recommended for fans of World War II fiction.

"Our Darkest Night" by Jennifer Robson
Released 1.5.2021

In 1943, life is changing for Jewish families. Antonina Mazin's father makes a plan on how to protect his daughter -- she will leave her home and family and move into the countryside to live with a man she barely knows.

Nico Gerardi left the seminary to run his family's farm. He decides to help; Nina will pose as his new bride. They need to show their neighbors, friends, and enemies that they are in-love.

Farm life is not easy for Nina; she lived in the city and planned on studying to become a doctor. The neighbors are suspicious of this new girl they have never seen before. A Nazi officer becomes suspicious of Nina.

"Our Darkest Night," inspired by true events, shares a story of sacrifice, loss, love, and hope. What a book! Although a slow beginning, I couldn't put it down. Such a different perspective than other fictional books set during World War II.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #thattravelinglibrarian #worldwariifiction #jewishfiction #worldwar2fiction #readersofinstagram #2021bookreleases #booknerd #publiclibrarian #netgalley #williammorrowpaperbacks #jenniferrobson #ourdarkestnight #historicalfiction #historicalfiction2021