First published 2012
Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty operates from the safety of Vatican City while Nazi forces control Rome from 1942 to 1944. The Irish cleric disguises himself to venture beyond Vatican walls, coordinating a vast underground network that smuggles Allied prisoners of war, civilians, and Jews to safety. His daring missions earn him the moniker "the Pimpernel of the Vatican" as he evades capture by German forces. Gestapo chief Herbert Kappler personally orders O'Flaherty's assassination, creating a deadly cat-and-mouse game through the occupied city. Working alongside priests, nuns, and civilians from multiple countries and faiths, O'Flaherty's organization faces constant danger as they shelter the hunted and arrange escapes. The network's success depends on split-second decisions and unwavering courage as Nazi patrols intensify their search. This gripping story explores the collision between moral duty and mortal peril in wartime Rome.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, military-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, cat-and-mouse, moral-dilemma
Setting: Vatican City, Rome, Italy
Period: 1942-1944
224 pages · Kindle Edition · Skyhorse Publishing
Content warnings: violence, war