Just when I thought I couldn't read another book about WWII, this one captured my heart. Not only does one get a sense of place, but also can feel so strongly about these two young women. I couldn't put it down and highly recommend this tragic and heartwarming novel.

What a beautiful story of motherhood, sisterhood, friendship, and those we choose to love!

While I really enjoyed this, I want people to know ahead of reading it that it’s not an action packed WW2 quasi-thriller. This is a slower paced book, focused more on character and location than on a heavy plot. Lili and Theo travel all across Italy, but it never felt like all that much happened. They were only in serious danger a couple of times, lol. Most of what happens is Lili growing as a person, friend, mother, and daughter. She does a lot of walking, knocking on doors, standing in ration lines, and writing letters.

So while I would definitely recommend this to anyone that wants to read about strong women and the power of friendship in Italy at war, please go into it with fair expectations! I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

I was surprised when I saw One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter on the Net Galley list of reads. Having read her first book, I stopped reading the book I was reading to jump into one of my favorite authors new read. I wasn’t sure when it started it if was going to be as good as We Were The Lucky Ones but I was wrong. A great story about friendship, love, loss and family during WWII. I was sucked in and could not put it down till the very end. The book just kept getting better and better. A must read if you liked Georgia’s first novel. A 5 plus star read. I just hope we get another book by her sooner than later. Thanks to Net Galley for my early copy.

When I first picked up “We Were the Lucky Ones,” I was immediately captivated by its poignant storytelling and the richly developed characters that leaped off the page, solidifying it as my favorite book of the year. So, when I discovered that Georgia Hunter had a new novel titled “One Good Thing,” I was so excited, and could not wait to get the chance to dive into her latest novel.

“One Good Thing” unfolds in the tumultuous backdrop of the early 1940s in Italy, where we meet Lili and Esti—two best friends whose bond seems unbreakable. As Esti marries and embarks on her journey into motherhood, celebrating the joys of her first child, Lili stands steadfastly by her side, embodying the kind of loyalty that defines true friendship. However, the shadow of war looms ever closer, and as German forces invade Italy, the duo find themselves grappling with harrowing choices that could alter the course of their lives forever.

From the beginning, I was completely absorbed, my heart racing as events unfolded like a movie in my mind. The vivid imagery and intense emotions Hunter created hooked me! Each character’s struggle and triumph resonated deeply with me, drawing me further into the storyline’s rich layers. Georgia Hunter’s extraordinary talent for crafting a compelling story, infused with profound emotional weight, left me awestruck. “One Good Thing” is a truly magnificent work of art, a testament to her unparalleled storytelling that has etched itself into my memory long after I turned the final page.

I absolutely loved We Were the Lucky Ones so I was thrilled to receive an ARC from Netgalley for One Good Thing. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book did not disappoint. Set in WWII Italy One Good Thing was an amazing story of true friendship, strength and survival. This book will sit with me for awhile and I look forward to any future books by Hunter.

4.5/5 stars

If I could give a book 6 stars there’d be no question about this one. I loved “We Were the Lucky Ones” and was so excited to get this book as an ARC on NetGalley! This book provides a great insight into Italy in WW2 and the tumultuous political turmoil the country went through during that time. I loved the story of Lili & Esti and friendship through war and just one avenue of what loving your people looks like. 1000% a must read and I’ll buy this one anyways!

Really good! I loved this authors other book that was turned into a hulu show so I was super interested in this story. It was heartbreaking but so good. It stuck with me for a while so that is how you know it’s a good one!

Somehow I was not expecting to be so swept away by One Good Thing. Hunter creates an amazing sense of place, transporting readers to World War II Italy. I felt the sting of each goodbye Lili and Theo make just a little bit more than the last. I needed to reach the end but feared where the characters were going to find. One Good Thing is a worthy follow up to We Were The Lucky Ones.

This book tells the story of another aspect of the holocaust that I wasn’t completely aware of-northern Italy near the end of the war. The story follows two best friends until one of the friends, Esti, disappears, while the other friend protects Esti’s baby. The story is a search for missing people, while at the same time, trying to hide from certain death for being Jewish. I liked that I learned something new from this book as it is easy to think that all of Europe suffered in the same way. Italy, however, has its own history and its story should be told and re-told.
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

One Good Thing
By: Georgia Hunter
Pub date: March 4, 2025
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Hunter’s debut novel We Were the Lucky Ones is one of my all-time favorites, so I was thrilled to get an ARC of this one.
Italy 1941
Lili and Esti met at the University of Ferrara and became as close as sisters. When Esti has a son Theo a war has broken out and Mussolini’s Racial Laws have made it unsafe for Jewish and their descendants. When Germany invades Italy, things heat up and they are now in occupied territory.
Lili flees to a villa to help orphans, then to Florence in a convent where they pose as nuns. After getting false papers and when Esti is wounded she asks Lili to get her son Theo to safety.
An emotional journey that sets Lili in the path of danger, while trying to get Theo to safety. The people she meets along the way and the struggles she will go through to save a little boy are dangerous, but worth every step. Love, loss and survival as their relationship is tested in many situations. Another wonderful novel by Hunter.