Thank you to NetGalley, author Georgia Hunter and Penguin Group Publishing for gifting me an ARC of One Good Thing. In exchange I offer my honest review.

Having read and loved We Were The Lucky Ones, I was thrilled to receive an early copy of Georgia Hunter’s newest novel. Once again the author has written a memorable and moving story set during WWII.

This book of historical fiction was compelling, emotional and extremely poignant. I admit it was very difficult to read this novel at a time when there is so much open antisemitism occurring in the world and so few are speaking out. I was amazed to discover how many non Jews risked their lives during the Holocaust and I am grateful to Georgia Hunter for highlighting these unsung heroes.

This time in One Good Thing, we meet best friends Esti & Lili, living a carefree existence in Italy until slowly the horrors of Hitler and his Nuremberg Laws makes it’s away across Europe, forcing those of Jewish lineage to go into hiding. Despite trying their best to survive under brutal conditions, things take a turn for the worse when Lili and Esti are separated.

I truly believe this book needs to be read, shared and discussed by everyone; from those who have remained silent and for those who have chosen the path of courage and resilience. A captivating and gripping story.

This is a beautifully written, historical fiction set in WWII Italy. It is the story of two women who have been best friends since college and are "doing life" together until suddenly Mussolini's laws and Hitler's regime make their way into their lives forcing them to make incredibly tough decisions. "One Good Thing" portrays the life-altering impact of being an "other" in Europe during WWII. The novel uses narrative to connect to the reader in such a powerful way. 4.5/5 star read for me. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been given an advance reader copy. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this incredibly read!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
4.5 stars!
I was so excited to get this ARC and it did not disappoint. The writing is beautiful and this story is heartbreaking. This explores the evil of man, the beauty of friendship, and finding love in the midst of loss and pain. I can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter chronicles Lili's journey of survival during German occupied Italy. I feel WWII Historical Fiction is an important and timely genre because of the current political landscape and for that reason these perspectives and glimpses into the past are important.

I liked but did not love this particular story. I did love the strong female friendships and characters as well as the courage of side characters and the humanity that was shown throughout.

What I thought this book lacked was that while it is a character based book, the reader only got to know Lili on the surface. The writing focused on Lili's journey but didn't dive much deeper into her as a person. Even the love story was very surface level. Lili's lack of depth left me skimming at times to get to the next part of her journey.

While lovers of WWII Historical Fiction will likely enjoy this book, I ultimately did not think it added much to the genre as a whole.

I rated this book 3 starts on Goodreads and 3.25 stars on Storygraph.

An emotional and dramatic novel of WWII in Italy. Lili and Esti met an university and became the best of friends, a relationship which endures through the Esti's marriage, the disappearance of her husband, the birth of Theo, their assistance to others Italian Jews, and their flight from Bologna. And then the worst happens Esti is dragged from the convent where they've been hiding and Lili and Theo, now three, must run to find safety. This is their journey through war torn Northern Italy, their struggle to survive. It's a story of resilience and determination, of the good people and the bad ones they encounter. It's amazing that Lili is able to make it to Rome and even more so that a chance encounter with Thomas, an American who has escaped a prison camp, changes so much for them. Lili doesn't let go of Theo through all their troubles, nor does she let go of hope that she will see Esti again. If I have a quibble it's that Theo conveys as much older than 3. This doesn't have clear margins and while you might expect the ending it might not be entirely what you hope for. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. An excellent read.

Set during ww2 in Italy this is a story of two best friends Esti and Lili, who are both Jews, and how they helped each other through the difficult times. Hunter’s style of writing flows from one page to another. I loved seeing both of these characters grow and develop in maturity, confidence, motherhood. I really loved the strong friendship between Lili and Esti. This is a fascinating and heartbreaking read of sacrifices, close encounters with danger and much more.
However, I found the pace of this book to be quite slow especially during their journey through the countryside, and at times not much happened. I also found the ending a bit flat, I would like to have seen an epilogue maybe 6 months or a year later to end the story.
Overall I enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley & Georgia Hunter for advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Two things really drew me into this book. First, it's another account of Jewish characters during Hitler's regime, but instead of being set in the typical Germany or Poland, its set in Italy, and tells about the struggles of Italian Jews during this time, something that I haven't read about, nor appreciated, before. Second, it focuses on the incredibly close friendship of two women, and what each of them will do for each other under horrific circumstances. This is a story of deep friendship, bonds that can't be broken, and the sacrifices they make for each other. What helps this is incredible characters in Esti and Lili. They were simply two amazing women. This book also had great supporting characters – some with bigger roles than others, but all equally important.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin

I read “We Were the Lucky Ones” years ago. When I saw that Hunter would have a new book out, I requested it and was thrilled to be given the chance to read it early. Yes, it’s about Jews in Italy during World War II and many of the characters will face danger over the course of the story. But what I like about it and “Lucky Ones” is that they end with hope.

The main elements of the book are friendship, courage, and self discovery against the backdrop of the war. Esti has always been the more vibrant and daring of the two friends but now Lili has to forge ahead on her own, making split second, life or death decisions in an effort to protect Theo and herself. I kind of liked seeing a character who isn’t outwardly brave, who has to mentally pump herself up and then face risks.

Danger is there. In Italy there are German allies, Italian fascists, and several other groups and gangs – none of whom are friends to Jews. Then after Italy surrenders to the Allies, those Germans become enemies. Rationing was a way of life and to get ration cards, one must have an Aryan ID, meaning one that does not state that the person is Jewish. The work that Esti and others, then later Lili, do saves lives.

Another thing that is positive is the number of strangers who willingly shelter first the women and Theo and then Lili and Theo. Some appear to be part of a network while others are strangers who answer Lili’s request for help with food, a bed for the night, or a ride after she and Theo have warily trudged on foot from Assisi towards Rome and closer to the battling Allied army.

Reading the afterward information and seeing how many historical figures are included in the book was nearly as interesting. I had heard about racing cyclist Gino Bartali and immediately recognized his name when he appears in the story. Learning about what Father Rufino Niccacci and Cardinal Dalla Costa (both named Righteous Among the Nations) tirelessly did to hide and protect Jews in Italy was heartening. But I also like that Lili questions the Cardinal about why the Church isn’t officially doing more and that it’s realistic that later Lili runs into a priest who isn’t as helpful.

I wasn’t expecting what occurred in Rome but given what Lili admits, that so many had helped her, a stranger, I wasn’t surprised at her decision. What resulted is delightful. Also kudos that Theo isn’t a plot moppet but a full fledged and sometimes cranky, though usually not, three year old.

There is pain and grief here, and afterwards new-normals to be lived with. Lili knows that she and her life are changed and hates that Theo’s first few years have been filled with loss and upheaval. The scene where she allows herself to grieve for what is lost is moving. But even though the likelihood is that the fate of some of the characters will never be known, as I mentioned above the book ends on a hopeful note. B+

Reading One Good Thing made me realize that I knew next to nothing about Italy's role in WWII. This book fully immerses you in the timeline and helps you see that even when there is unspeakable horror happening around you, that there are still good people willing to risk their lives to help save yours. Lili, the main character, showed incredible strength and fortitude. She was the kind of friend that most of us can only hope to be. I also enjoyed how Hunter brought real life people into the story. It made Lili and Theo more real and helped highlight that stories about WWII and the Holocaust aren't just stories that sell novels but rather stories that need to be told so that we can learn from history, so that some day we might actually stop letting history repeat itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advance copy.

A heartbreaking story well told about WWII. The obstacles people went through to get to freedom! Along the way many people helped but it certainly didn’t make it easier. I didn’t realize all the things that went on in Italy!

There are many Holocaust books and many authors find a unique angle for their story. I was disappointed in this telling because I did not find anything particularly unique. While this story is heart wrenching and speak about the resistance and brutality of the time, I don’t think it added much to the genre

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for an advanced copy of One Good Thing. Ms. Hunter has once again written a thoroughly researched, heart wrenching, and wonderful historical fiction. I was very surprised to learn of the Holocaust that took place in Italy during WWII when most novels are centered in Germany or Poland.
I am so looking forward to Ms. Hunter next novel.

One Good Thing tells the story of Italian Jews during WWII. Two young women, Esti and Lili become friends during their studies before the start of WWII. Esti marries Niko and has a baby, Theo. Esti’s husband returns to Greece to try and rescue his parents leaving Esti and the baby.
As Mussolini and the Italian police become Hitler’s allies and the persecution of jewish people start, the two girls along with Theo run to find safety from place to place and finally end up in Florence. Esti gets hurt and tells Lili to take baby Theo and go to Assisi where Esti will meet up with them when she recovers. The story continues on from there with Lili doing everything in her power to survive along with Theo. This is a story of the power of survival, doing everything you have to keep going under wartime conditions.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, well researched and easy to follow. One could picture all the trials and tribulations that Lili went through to survive during the war.

Lili and Esti became best friends in college but WWII in Italy tested their friendship. Esti is married to Niko with a beautiful baby named Theo. Niko leaves Italy to go to Greece to help his family escape from the danger to Jews in Greece. Esti and Lili end up throughout Italy, helping to create fake IDs for Jews. After a horrific night at a convent when men came to attack the women, Lili takes Theo and leaves Esti behind to heal while Lili and Theo continue to another town. Along the way Lili meets Thomas and others who help her and Theo stay alive until the end of the war.

Hunter's novel explores WWII from the perspective of Italian Jews. When Mussolini allies himself with Hitler, best friends Lili and Esti find themselves without jobs or opportunities. First they flee, along with Esti's son Theo, to a town where over 30 Jewish orphans are being hidden in a Catholic church. Then they move to Florence where Esti forges Aryan ID cards for Jews. But when Esti is critically hurt, she begs Lili to take Theo and head South.
With her Aryan ID, Lili has some modicum of protection form occupying Nazi soldiers and Mussolini's thugs. But finding enough to eat, and a safe place to stay are constant challenges, given that there's a huge reward for turning in Jews. And every day, she and 3 year old Theo walk south, as far as they can, hoping that the Allies will liberate Italy.

Amazing! A 2025 must-read. This is a beautiful, yet heart-breaking story. Lili and Esti, best friends studying in Italy when WW2 breaks out, need to find safety and protect Esti's little boy Theo. Eventually Lili takes Theo to safety after Esti is injured, and the story becomes one of survival for Lili and Theo. She meets many characters along the way who play a role in their journey. Then there is a romantic thread that was beautiful. My heart-strings were definitely pulled while reading this. Highly recommend as a unique story about Italy during WW2 and the impact on the Jewish population in Italy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I was delighted go get a copy of this book as I enjoyed the author’s previous novel “We Were the Lucky Ones”
This story begins in 1941 and is entirely set in Italy.

Lili and Esti have been friends since university… after Esti has a baby their bond is very close.. like sisters.
Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed them descendants of “inferior Jews”
Esti convinces Lili to leave with her to help hide a group of war orphans to a villa in the countryside, then to a convent in Florence where they pose as nuns… and forge false identification papers for the Underground.
A disaster happens at the convent and Esti is badly injured… she convinces Lili to leave with little Theo and that they will meet later in Assisi.
Here.. the story becomes a very dangerous and epic journey ..mostly on foot.. for Lili and Theo throughout Italy to reach allied territory.
There were many brave people who helped them along their journey but there were also several close calls.
This is a great story about friendship, motherhood, and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random Hose for the ARC!

This novel about WW2 was different than so many I’ve read. First of all, I loved the friendship between Esti and Lily. I learned more about how Italy played out during the war. The journey with Esti’s son painted a poignant picture of a small child and Lily’s determination to survive and protect them both. I loved this book.

I have read a lot of WWII books, but this one told a story that was unique about a group of people I hadn’t read a lot about during the war. It was really interesting and I loved all the characters. The author was able to make all the scenes come to life and kept me hooked the entire time.

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter is a historical novel of World WarII heroism that takes place in Italy.It tells the harrowing story of Lili and Esti and young Theo as life gets harder and harder for the Jewish people in Italy.You will enjoy the characters you will meet and the places you will see and read about in a country we don’t hear as much about in our WWII stories!Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking Penguin Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me to read this ARC!