Our Darkest Night

In this gripping novel, which is based on historical events and vividly depicts the most dangerous moments of World War II, a young Jewish lady must pretend to be a Christian farmer's wife in order to survive the Holocaust. The story is one of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice.

Autumn 1943: For Italian Jews like the Mazin family, life is getting more and more dangerous. With the majority of her cherished country now under Nazi Germany's control and the prospect of incarceration and deportation becoming increasingly real, Antonina Mazin's only chance for survival is to flee Venice and her adored parents and hide in the countryside with a man she has just recently met.

Before being compelled by his family's difficulties to leave the seminary and manage the family farm, Nico Gerardi was pursuing his priesthood studies. Being a decent and moral guy, he was unable to watch as the Nazis and fascists started murdering innocent people. Instead of taking a chance on a treacherous mountain escape, Nina will pretend to be his new spouse. Nico and Nina also need to convince onlookers that they are a happy married couple in love in order to keep her safe and safeguard his own secrets.

However, for a refined city girl who aspires to follow in her father's footsteps and become a doctor, farm life is not easy, and Nico's provincial neighbors are suspicious of this gentle and intelligent stranger. Even worse, a local Nazi official who has a personal grudge against Nico has the same mistrust as them. His suspicions about Nina intensify as he learns more about her, and he becomes more and more determined to get retribution.

Nico and Nina's friendship becomes much more than just a charade as their love for one another grow. However, they both worry that each day that goes by may eventually tear them apart.