My Father's House
Description
From the acclaimed, bestselling author of Star of the Sea and winner of the 2021 Irish Book Awards Book of the Year for Shadowplay, comes a gripping and atmospheric new novel set in occupied Rome.
September 1943: German forces have Rome under their control. Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann rules over the Eternal City with vicious efficiency. Hunger is widespread. Rumors fester. The war's outcome is far from certain. Diplomats, refugees, Jews, and escaped Allied prisoners flee for protection into Vatican City, the world's smallest state, a neutral, independent country nestled within the city of Rome. A small band of unlikely friends led by a courageous Irish priest is drawn into deadly battle of wits as they attempt to aid those seeking refuge.
My Father's House is inspired by the extraordinary true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, who, together with his accomplices, risked his life to smuggle Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy right under the nose of his Nazi nemesis. Suspenseful and beautifully written, My Father's House tells an unforgettable story of love, faith, sacrifice, and courage.
"Few living writers can take us back in time so assuredly, with such sensual density, through such gorgeous sentences."--Peter Carey
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About the Author
Reviews
Praise for My Father's House
★ "Riveting... A storytelling tour de force. This is top-drawer WWII fiction."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
★ "If the story were told in typical thriller style, emphasizing action over language, it would still be good, but O'Connor's phrasings are a special joy... A deeply emotional read."--Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Praise for Shadowplay
"A vibrantly imaginative narrative of passion, intrigue and literary ambition."--The New York Times Book Review
"O'Connor's magnificent novel does even more than fly, it soars."--Michael Dirda, The Washington Post
"Subtly drawn and intensely affecting...Recalls, in its effortless grace, those 19th-century novels that made readers of us all."--The Wall Street Journal
"An engrossing story wonderfully well served by superb narration."--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"An absolutely magnificent book. It's not just a portrait of Bram Stoker, but a novel of the here and now. This is one of the best books of the year, anywhere."--Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin
"Intensely atmospheric...As a romp through Ripper-ravaged London, Shadowplay is mightily entertaining. But as a meditation on hidden sexuality, it is powerful and poignant."--The Literary Review
"There are few living writers who can take us back in time so assuredly, with such sensual density, through such gorgeous sentences. Joseph O'Connor is a wonder, and Shadowplay is a triumph."--Peter Carey, author of Parrot and Olivier in America
"A marvelous novel...Magnificent."--Suzie Feay, Financial Times
"A vibrantly imaginative narrative of passion, intrigue and literary ambition set in the garish heyday of a theater presided over by a tyrannical Irving and an exquisitely vulgar Ellen Terry, Britain's answer to Sarah Bernhardt."--Miranda Seymour, The New York Times Book Review
★ "An affectionate, tender story about everyday heroism, secret selves, and triumphs and tragedies on stage and in life and the many kinds of love that bind us together."--Library Journal (Starred Review)
★ "Shadowplay blows the dust off its Victorian trappings and brings them to scintillating life."--Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"A gorgeous, gorgeous book . . . A thing of great beauty."--Ryan Tubridy, RTE Radio
"Shadowplay totally swept me away . . . It's a bit like Moulin Rouge meets Dracula. I absolutely loved it."--Oliver Callan, Irish Examiner
"O'Connor is one of the best writers working today."--Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple
