Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty is determined to save as many people as he can. But the Nazis are on to him. He is confined to the Vatican and cannot leave without special permission. But, this does not stop him or his “choir”. They risk everything to smuggle out thousands of people right under the Nazis’ nose!

This is a bit different take on WWII. This is set at the Vatican. I have read a great many books in this time period lately, so, I enjoyed this change of scenery.

I also loved that this was based on a true person. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty saved thousands of lives and he definitely had the Nazis number. He thwarted them at every turn. Look him up! He was an amazing man!

This book has some beautifully written areas but it also has some areas which are a bit slow. But, I loved the production. There are 9, yes you heard me, 9 narrators. Now, there were a couple of narrators in which I had to slow the speed down because of the accent. (Yes, I listen at 2x the speed!). This just made the whole thing more authentic.

Need a different take on WWII…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Choir

In WWII Nazi occupied Italy the Vatican was a neutral zone. Outside the Vatican the Nazi's spread their fascist terror among the Italian people , and especially the Italian Jewish population.

Within the Vatican and under the directions of one Priest, partisan's an Allied Army officer formed a Choir. In this Choir were the people involved in helping the Jewish escape the Nazi brutality in Italy. They even had outside help from an countess. They called those they were hiding the books and the hiding places the shelves. It made it easier to talk about their escape route without being compromised by being overheard.

The book is a good story, some of the male narrators had heavy accents and I did have a little trouble understanding , especially at first but I soon grew more used to the voices. The female narrator was very easy to understand.

I enjoyed the audio book and the story it told.

Thanks to Joseph O'Connor for writing the story, to Dreamscape Media for publishing it and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audio book to listen to and review.

“My Father’s House” is a riveting historical novel that I would highly recommend. While I am very familiar with the city of Rome and the state of Vatican City situated within it, I had never really thought about the relationship that existed between the two places during the period of WWII when the Nazis occupied Rome, and the Vatican was an independent and neutral state. Based on a true story of an Irish priest at the Vatican who uses the neutrality of the Vatican to establish an escape line for Jews, Allied prisoners, and other refugees—with a determined band of friends in Rome—it is a detailed and compelling story. I especially enjoyed the audiobook, as it is performed by a variety of voices, as the book is broken up into different accounts: the priest’s story and the Christmas Eve 1943 mission unfolds, post-war accounts (interviews, statements and unpublished memoirs) of the other characters. While this is not a light-hearted story and there are lots of tense, grim moments, they are tempered with episodes of bravery, hope, and friendship. And, the ending is not to be missed! Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor was the first book in the Rome Escape Line Trilogy. It was a historical fiction novel based on the tue story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty who had risked his own life in order to save others. During World War II, when Rome was occupied by the Nazis, Vatican City was neutral. Vatican City measured all of 1/5 of a square mile. It was the smallest neutral state. Jews, escaped Allied prisoners and diplomats knew that if they entered Vatican City they had a chance of survival. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty was committed to helping as many people escape the wrath of the Nazis as he could and get out of Italy. He accomplished this by befriending several Italian people who shared his viewpoint and beliefs and were willing to risk their own lives to save others. When all was said and done, the Monsignor had the cooperation and support of seven people. These people became known as The Choir. They actually practiced songs but also used the time when they met to plan their mission which the members of The Choir referred to as Rendimento. The goal of their mission was to help Jews, escaped Allied prisoners and diplomats escape from the persecution of the Nazis and escape from Italy. All this was planned to happen on Christmas Eve, December 23, 1943. The Monsignor was their brave leader. In the days leading up to the Rendimento, false documents and new identity papers were created. The members of The Choir practiced their code names and what they were to say if they got stopped. Routes were gone over and committed to memory. The primary obstacle was SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Paul Hauptmann. SS Officer Paul Hauptmann ruled Rome with terror. He was on to the Monsignor and had compiled a dossier on him but so far had not been able to charge him with anything. Would The Choir and the Monsignor be able to evacuate all those they hoped to get out of Italy successfully? Would the abstractions they planned be enough to keep SS Officer Hauptmann distracted long enough to accomplish The Rendimento?

My Father’s House was the first book that I had read by author, Joseph O’Connor. I enjoyed that it was told in a duel time line. It alternated between the days in 1943 that led up to the Rendimento and then in 1963 when several members of The Choir were interviewed. The audiobook that I listened to was well done. There were several narrators so voices were easily distinguished. This was a part of World War II that I had never heard about. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty was a courageous and brave man. With his help, guidance and leadership thousands of Jews, Allied prisoners and diplomats were able to be smuggled out of Italy. He is someone who should be admired for his courage. I look forward to reading the second book in this trilogy. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor through Netgalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

My Father's House' is based on a true story about Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty. It's set in Rome in 1943 about a group who risked their lives in order to save others. I truly enjoy the orators of this audiobook. Not only did they have the Irish accent down perfectly, but they also utilized a German accent when necessary and inflections that made you feel as though you were a large part of the story.

Monsignor O'Flaherty is in the Vatican where he plots and plans his mission he called Rendimento to be done on Christmas Eve 1943.

The mission is to smuggle Jews and Allied prisoners and pows out of Italy and to do this without the Nazis noticing. Obersturmbannfurher Paul Hauptmann has nothing but hate for the Priest from Ireland, the Jewish prisoners and anyone who gets in his way.

All of this book is a work of fiction based on a true story, it stirs up anger in me as to how could anyone hate someone so much that they've never even met in their life. This book seems to encapsulate the horrors of WW2. Most books on this error covering awful lot of what was happening in France and germany. Sometimes we forget that the war touched everyone.

I personally haven't read too many books about the Vatican and its presence during the war. This book should be on our shelves in one that should be read. Even though it's based on a true story I believe that the sentiments are beyond real. This one I think is a reread and a reread again.

I should know better than to read stories set during WWII because they always break my heart, even worse when they're based on a true story, but props to O'Connor for one of the very rare WWII stories that give hope and shows what there are good people in the world willing to risk it all to save those that need it and that their sacrifices pay off.
An Irish priest in Nazi-occupied Rome gathers a ragtag group of individuals to help escaped war prisoners find shelter in the Vatican and passage to safety beyond the reach of the Führer and his goons. As a story told in recollections and interviews from all those that participated, it has the edge-of-your-seat excitement common to spy/war stories tempered a bit by the very human scale of how the story is being told. You're not limited to just one person taking the risks or doing the action, you have a group of friends and found family that risk everything for strangers just because it is the right thing to do.
The pacing is great for setting up the key moments in the plot and I was honestly completely surprised by some of the twists O'Connor weaved into it. There's a lot of suffering mentioned but not much actually 'shown' on the page and I am really grateful for that.
The one negative comment I could possibly make about this fantastic story is actually due to the narration. All the narrators do an excellent job of breathing life into the story and the characters, but they do such a great job of being true to life that I sometimes had trouble understanding the accents. I'm usually very good at deciphering them, but throw in Italian, Irish, and German accents and my brain made me rewind several times to make sure I understood what was being said. Again, points for realism, but maybe not as thick would have been good.

Very grateful to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the chance to experience this book!

This is a high quality book with a full cast narration. All narrators are really good and they have different accents that really adds a lot of quality to the story. However, I could not get into this book. Maybe the subject of the war is too sensitive to me at this time. I was not able to finish the book but I will definitely try it again later. It is easy to see that there was a lot of research done for this book and the writing style is good.

In his latest book "My Father's House," Joseph O'Connor creates a protagonist based on a real man, Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a priest in the Vatican. It's 1943, and the Nazis control Rome, putting a circle around the Vatican, which announced its neutrality. However, one can't remain neutral in the face of evil, which Hugh O'Flaherty believed in, risking not only his potential Vatican career but also his life.

Hugh O'Flaherty was a colorful Irish character: born in Cork and brought up in Kerry, very educated and speaking a few languages. He loved the opera. His mode of transportation was a motorcycle - not a typical way of moving for a priest. He was a warm man, attuned to people's problems, and always ready to listen to those who needed him; for this reason, people were instinctively drawn to him. Eventually, those who became his trusted friends and acquaintances created a secret group that organized the Escape Line, saving the lives of over 6000 Jews and Allied prisoners of war. The "choir," as Monsignor called them, was a diverse and colorful bunch of characters. There was Countess Giovanna Landini, Sir Francis Darcy Osborne, Britain's ambassador to the Holy See, his servant John May and many others. We get a glimpse of their personalities listening to different narrators – and I think the format of an audiobook, read by various narrators, makes this novel even better.

I loved the story's atmosphere, moving through the dark city of Rome, where a false move could result in quick arrest, torture, and death. Exciting as a WWII thriller, this novel is also emotional and heartwarming. There were moments when I had tears in my eyes; other times, I smiled, for example, when a member of British high society coldly criticized the feared Nazi officer's pronunciation.

There are many ways of describing heroes or geniuses in a novel. Combining just enough poetic license with plenty of research based on facts is an art Joseph O'Connor mastered.

My Father's House (Audible Audio) by Joseph O'Connor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bookshelves/tags: 2023, audio, europe, historical-fiction, ireland-irish, italy, netgalley, thrillers, ww2-holocaust

Thank you to the (new-to-me) Irish author, Joseph O’Connor, Dreamscape Audio, and NetGalley for this wonderful ARC, in return for my honest review. What an ensemble of narrators: Aoife Duffin; Gertrude Toma; Barry Barnes; Stephen Hogan; Barnaby Edwards; Laurence Bouvard; David John; Roberto Davide; Thomas Hill.

From the publisher: Book 1 in the Rome Escape Line Trilogy, My Father’s House is a powerful, heartbreaking literary thriller based on the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who risked his life to smuggle thousands of Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy under the nose of his Nazi nemesis, Hauptmann. September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. The war's outcome is far from certain. A deadly high-stakes battle of wits ensues in this astonishing, unforgettable story of love, faith and sacrifice, exploring what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances. A small band of unlikely friends led by this courageous Irish priest is drawn into deadly danger as they seek to help those seeking refuge and escape.

This was an 11+hour novel on a well-done audio! Although parts could have gone on longer, IMHO, other parts seemed to need a bit of editing or shortening. Regardless, it was quite interesting and compelling due to the author's writing and treatment of the subject matter (WWII, Holocaust), which includes an IRL Irish Monsignor stationed in Rome who helped Jews and other escapees flee the Nazis. Each chapter was read by one of the narrators listed above and we see the setting and atrocities through their eyes.

I read a lot of historical fiction, especially about the Holocaust and WWII, and this is one of the really good ones. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series!

A gripping WWII historical fiction set predominantly in Vatican City during the German occupation of Rome. I excited to know that this is but the first book in a trilogy as the writing and the narration are excellent and engaging.
The protagonist of the story is based on the real-life story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, an Irish priest who risked his life to help thousands of Jewish and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy during the Nazi's reign of terror. During a time of unimaginable horror, this story chronicles the bravery and cunning of a small group endowed with outsized courage.
This book reminds us that even in the most extreme and heartbreaking circumstances, the capacity to tap into our best selves - our humanity - is enough to restore hope.
The narration with its cast of characters is exceptional and adds dimension and clarity to the story that can sometimes lack from a single-narrator. A truly enjoyable audio experience.
A must read for fans of Second World War historical fiction.

My thanks to Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley, for the audiobook ARC.

Book Title: My Father’s House
Author: Joseph O’Connor
Narrators: (9) Barry Barnes; Stephen Hogan; Barnaby Edwards; Laurence Bouvard; Aoife Duffin; Gertrude Toma; David John; Roberto Davide; Thomas Hill
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Genre: Historical Fiction -Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: January 31, 2023
My Rating: 3.5 rounded up

The Vatican City, at one fifth of a square mile the world’s smallest state, a neutral, independent country within Rome, acted as a safe haven for diplomats, refugees, and escaped Allied prisoners. Such a small area had its limit of how many people could be hidden.

Story is based in Vatican City 1943
This Historical Fiction is based on the true story of Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty who was based at the Vatican - he and a group of heroes and heroines risked their lives in order to save others. They did this in a mission that was to be carried out on Christmas Eve 1943.

The mission was to smuggle Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy to safety – awhile they were under the watch of the Nazis.
These prisoners were on starvation diets. Monsignor O’Flaherty was able to visit and then started to bring little treats. This was discovered and the visits were stopped. Monsignor knew he had to do something as they would die as so many lives were already taken.

The narrators are all amazing. The story is not only enriched by their performance but also their telling of the story is one that I could visualize.

At the end of the book author, Joseph O’Connor tells about the actual people and events that inspired this work of fiction. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and many of the people in this story were real!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for granted me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 31 2023

A WWII book that taught me something that I never knew about the war against the Nazis in Rome and Monsignor O’Flaherty's role in the heroic rescue of so many lives.

This WWII novel sucks you right into its story from the very beginning. It has numerous characters and I found that I had to start the audio over after chapter two because I wasn’t grasping the story. Don't give up if you find this happens to you because it does get better as the story unfolds. Once I focused and relistened to those initial two chapters I found that I couldn’t put the book down.

Intrigue, suspense, and jaw-dropping scenarios had me concerned for the safety of those who were being hidden from the Nazis’ torture.
The different narrators reading with their different accents really had me feeling as though I was present during many of the conversations. Their narration surely added to the suspense of this heartwrenching story.

A very good WWII historical fiction novel that will surely keep your heart pumping quickly. It will affect you emotionally and have you feeling for the escapees as well as for the numerous heroes who risked their lives to save them. 

Eager to research more on WWII in Italy and to read more from this author!

My thanks to #NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the pleasure of this ARC.  This opinion is my own.

“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” 

The background of this tribute to a priest, Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, living in Vatican City at the start of the war when thousands of Nazi troops and their evil commander, Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptmann, (Kappler) ruled with an iron hand. Vatican City was a neutral zone that housed a huge variety of people coming into the city for protection and a place to find that their life might go on.. Included with those fleeing were many Jews who hid among the thousands hoping to find a way to safety. These were the people the Monsignor and his divergent band of friends stove to help.

It was a dangerous game they played with Hauptmann, one where their own lives would have been extinguished if found they housed and kept Jews safe. The danger and peril was ever so real and the author does an excellent job of showing the reader that with scenes that set one's heart beating faster. This was a game played out against the Nazi oppressor and through The Monsignor and his band of loyal friends, they managed to save thousands of Jews and Allied trapped soldiers. They were brilliant but everything they did came under the intense scrutiny of Paul Hauptman who knew something was happening but couldn't quite catch them all. Some he did and they lost their lives but no one ever turned over the names of the group.

This book is inspiring and moving in so many ways. I have often wondered as a girl raised solidly in the principles of the Catholic Church why something wasn't done to save the Jews by the church. To say I was disappointed in their reticence was an understatement, but Mr O'Connor made me understand the why of that. Through Monsignor O'Flaherty and the others, I came to know what life was like in that tiny enclave of one hundred nine acres and what courage under fire truly looks like. It is estimated through the use of safe houses and churches this indomitable group saved some six thousand five hundred people under the very eyes of the Gestapo.

The Monsignor lived until he was sixty-five, born in County Kerry in Ireland, Hugh returned there and was interred in 1963, an Irish hero, (labeled the Scarlet Pimpernel) for his ability to always escape.

A poem I found written about him
 "There is a tree called freedom and it grows
Somewhere in the hearts of men
Rain falls, ice freezes, wind blows
The tree shivers, steadies itself again."

As a note, Pope Pius XII seemed to know of O'Flaherty's activities and knew what he did could endanger the Vatican, but allowed him to continue.

Enormous thanks to Joseph O'Connor, Dreamscape Media (wonderful narrators Barry Barnes; Stephen Hogan; Barnaby Edwards; Laurence Bouvard; Aoife Duffin; Gertrude Toma; David John; Roberto Davide; Thomas Hill) and Netgalley for a copy of this astonishing story due out January 31, 2023.
Do not pass this one by.

Wow. My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor is just breathtakingly great, especially when listened to as an audio book. The audio book version has these sound effects that really help to put one in the mood and feel of a fictional WWII memoir.

This poignant tale is predominantly set in Vatican City, but also weaves through the differences that existed just beyond the boundaries of Vatican City and into occupied Rome.

Highlighted were the bleakness of the times; the Nazi propaganda/psychological operations campaigns; both true famine due to diminishing food supplies everywhere in Western Europe that was exacerbated by Nazi officers claiming the best of what little there was and looking down their nose at everyone else, as well as their using food as a weapon to discourage certain behaviors and to encourage others; and the fear that pervaded even into Nazi camps, as one could not trust Anyone.

This particular story was the story of a Monsignor who worked with others who formed a “choir” to be able to smuggle high-risk people and escaped POWs to safety, as Nazis in occupied Rome were looking for any and all reasons to torture and kill dissidents or anyone looking like they might be a threat, even if something as trivial as breaking curfew.

The book is an edge-of-your-seat thriller as you wait to hear if any of the choir survive the night of their grand Rendimento, the crazy dangerous operation that they came up with to smuggle the people out of occupied Rome and from their hiding spots in Vatican City. The best part is that it was based on a true story.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and to Dreamscape Media for the Audio Arc of this amazing book!!

This book is based on the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty who risked his life to save smuggle thousands of Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy. He must do this under the eyes of the Nazis. He did not do this alone, he had many brave men and women, known as the ‘Choir’, who helped save others while putting their own lives on the line.


I love books that not only teach me something but are thought provoking and evoke feeling. This book fit the bill. I also love books based on real people and events. Joseph O'Connor transported me to Rome in 1943. His vivid descriptions made it possible to see the events in this book/audiobook takin place in my mind.

I loved how clever Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and all that helped him were. How they were able to pull the wool over the ever-watchful eyes of Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptman.

I could feel the amount of research that was done by the author while listening to this book. I enjoyed the tension and suspense. I enjoyed the stories and how the book was told in dual timelines (1943 and 1960's). I could not help but admire all helped others while putting themselves at risk. That is no little feat. To know the consequences for your actions, but to do the right thing knowing the risk. It is truly beautiful to see the compassion, bravery and dedication that was shown.

This book was informative, gripping, moving and evoked emotion. My only complaint is that at times I felt as if it was not going to end. But overall, a very enjoyable, educational, moving book.

I listened to the audiobook and thought it was nicely done.

It was extremely hard to immerse myself in this book. While I enjoyed reading it I just couldn’t get into it.

OK, this book is amazing. The narrator's are amazing. The sound effects of some of the different interviews are amazing. there are several stories and people's perspectives that all work together in order to tell this story. I am a true lover or historical fiction, and so when I stumble across books that are like this, I fall in love. I loved hearing about the Choir and all the work they put into fighting the German Nazi's. I find the characters lovable and relatable. The way you can feel their panic and worry about being caught is amazing. I couldn't stop listening to this book, and I highly recommend it.