My Father's House: A Novel (The Rome Escape Line Trilogy Book 1)

My Father's House is based on the true WWII story of an effort to smuggle thousands of people through the Vatican and out of occupied Rome during Nazi occupation. In September 1943, German forces control Rome. Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann oversees the city with brutal efficiency. Hunger is widespread, rumors circulate, and the war's outcome remains uncertain. Diplomats, refugees, Jews, and escaped Allied prisoners seek protection in Vatican City, a neutral, independent state within Rome. A small group of unlikely allies, led by an Irish priest, becomes involved in a dangerous struggle to help those seeking refuge. The novel tells a story of love, faith, sacrifice, and courage set against this historical backdrop. It is the first book in The Rome Escape Line Trilogy. The book was named a Washington Post and Irish Times Best Book of the Year and was a finalist for the 2024 Walter Scott Prize.