Set during ww2 in Italy this is a story of two best friends Esti and Lili, who are both Jews, and how they helped each other through the difficult times. Hunter’s style of writing flows from one page to another. I loved seeing both of these characters grow and develop in maturity, confidence, motherhood. I really loved the strong friendship between Lili and Esti. This is a fascinating and heartbreaking read of sacrifices, close encounters with danger and much more.
However, I found the pace of this book to be quite slow especially during their journey through the countryside, and at times not much happened. I also found the ending a bit flat, I would like to have seen an epilogue maybe 6 months or a year later to end the story.
Overall I enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley & Georgia Hunter for advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Two things really drew me into this book. First, it's another account of Jewish characters during Hitler's regime, but instead of being set in the typical Germany or Poland, its set in Italy, and tells about the struggles of Italian Jews during this time, something that I haven't read about, nor appreciated, before. Second, it focuses on the incredibly close friendship of two women, and what each of them will do for each other under horrific circumstances. This is a story of deep friendship, bonds that can't be broken, and the sacrifices they make for each other. What helps this is incredible characters in Esti and Lili. They were simply two amazing women. This book also had great supporting characters – some with bigger roles than others, but all equally important.

Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Viking Penguin

I read “We Were the Lucky Ones” years ago. When I saw that Hunter would have a new book out, I requested it and was thrilled to be given the chance to read it early. Yes, it’s about Jews in Italy during World War II and many of the characters will face danger over the course of the story. But what I like about it and “Lucky Ones” is that they end with hope.

The main elements of the book are friendship, courage, and self discovery against the backdrop of the war. Esti has always been the more vibrant and daring of the two friends but now Lili has to forge ahead on her own, making split second, life or death decisions in an effort to protect Theo and herself. I kind of liked seeing a character who isn’t outwardly brave, who has to mentally pump herself up and then face risks.

Danger is there. In Italy there are German allies, Italian fascists, and several other groups and gangs – none of whom are friends to Jews. Then after Italy surrenders to the Allies, those Germans become enemies. Rationing was a way of life and to get ration cards, one must have an Aryan ID, meaning one that does not state that the person is Jewish. The work that Esti and others, then later Lili, do saves lives.

Another thing that is positive is the number of strangers who willingly shelter first the women and Theo and then Lili and Theo. Some appear to be part of a network while others are strangers who answer Lili’s request for help with food, a bed for the night, or a ride after she and Theo have warily trudged on foot from Assisi towards Rome and closer to the battling Allied army.

Reading the afterward information and seeing how many historical figures are included in the book was nearly as interesting. I had heard about racing cyclist Gino Bartali and immediately recognized his name when he appears in the story. Learning about what Father Rufino Niccacci and Cardinal Dalla Costa (both named Righteous Among the Nations) tirelessly did to hide and protect Jews in Italy was heartening. But I also like that Lili questions the Cardinal about why the Church isn’t officially doing more and that it’s realistic that later Lili runs into a priest who isn’t as helpful.

I wasn’t expecting what occurred in Rome but given what Lili admits, that so many had helped her, a stranger, I wasn’t surprised at her decision. What resulted is delightful. Also kudos that Theo isn’t a plot moppet but a full fledged and sometimes cranky, though usually not, three year old.

There is pain and grief here, and afterwards new-normals to be lived with. Lili knows that she and her life are changed and hates that Theo’s first few years have been filled with loss and upheaval. The scene where she allows herself to grieve for what is lost is moving. But even though the likelihood is that the fate of some of the characters will never be known, as I mentioned above the book ends on a hopeful note. B+

Reading One Good Thing made me realize that I knew next to nothing about Italy's role in WWII. This book fully immerses you in the timeline and helps you see that even when there is unspeakable horror happening around you, that there are still good people willing to risk their lives to help save yours. Lili, the main character, showed incredible strength and fortitude. She was the kind of friend that most of us can only hope to be. I also enjoyed how Hunter brought real life people into the story. It made Lili and Theo more real and helped highlight that stories about WWII and the Holocaust aren't just stories that sell novels but rather stories that need to be told so that we can learn from history, so that some day we might actually stop letting history repeat itself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advance copy.

A heartbreaking story well told about WWII. The obstacles people went through to get to freedom! Along the way many people helped but it certainly didn’t make it easier. I didn’t realize all the things that went on in Italy!

There are many Holocaust books and many authors find a unique angle for their story. I was disappointed in this telling because I did not find anything particularly unique. While this story is heart wrenching and speak about the resistance and brutality of the time, I don’t think it added much to the genre

Thank you to NetGalley and the Penguin Group for an advanced copy of One Good Thing. Ms. Hunter has once again written a thoroughly researched, heart wrenching, and wonderful historical fiction. I was very surprised to learn of the Holocaust that took place in Italy during WWII when most novels are centered in Germany or Poland.
I am so looking forward to Ms. Hunter next novel.

One Good Thing tells the story of Italian Jews during WWII. Two young women, Esti and Lili become friends during their studies before the start of WWII. Esti marries Niko and has a baby, Theo. Esti’s husband returns to Greece to try and rescue his parents leaving Esti and the baby.
As Mussolini and the Italian police become Hitler’s allies and the persecution of jewish people start, the two girls along with Theo run to find safety from place to place and finally end up in Florence. Esti gets hurt and tells Lili to take baby Theo and go to Assisi where Esti will meet up with them when she recovers. The story continues on from there with Lili doing everything in her power to survive along with Theo. This is a story of the power of survival, doing everything you have to keep going under wartime conditions.
I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, well researched and easy to follow. One could picture all the trials and tribulations that Lili went through to survive during the war.

Lili and Esti became best friends in college but WWII in Italy tested their friendship. Esti is married to Niko with a beautiful baby named Theo. Niko leaves Italy to go to Greece to help his family escape from the danger to Jews in Greece. Esti and Lili end up throughout Italy, helping to create fake IDs for Jews. After a horrific night at a convent when men came to attack the women, Lili takes Theo and leaves Esti behind to heal while Lili and Theo continue to another town. Along the way Lili meets Thomas and others who help her and Theo stay alive until the end of the war.

Hunter's novel explores WWII from the perspective of Italian Jews. When Mussolini allies himself with Hitler, best friends Lili and Esti find themselves without jobs or opportunities. First they flee, along with Esti's son Theo, to a town where over 30 Jewish orphans are being hidden in a Catholic church. Then they move to Florence where Esti forges Aryan ID cards for Jews. But when Esti is critically hurt, she begs Lili to take Theo and head South.
With her Aryan ID, Lili has some modicum of protection form occupying Nazi soldiers and Mussolini's thugs. But finding enough to eat, and a safe place to stay are constant challenges, given that there's a huge reward for turning in Jews. And every day, she and 3 year old Theo walk south, as far as they can, hoping that the Allies will liberate Italy.

Amazing! A 2025 must-read. This is a beautiful, yet heart-breaking story. Lili and Esti, best friends studying in Italy when WW2 breaks out, need to find safety and protect Esti's little boy Theo. Eventually Lili takes Theo to safety after Esti is injured, and the story becomes one of survival for Lili and Theo. She meets many characters along the way who play a role in their journey. Then there is a romantic thread that was beautiful. My heart-strings were definitely pulled while reading this. Highly recommend as a unique story about Italy during WW2 and the impact on the Jewish population in Italy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I was delighted go get a copy of this book as I enjoyed the author’s previous novel “We Were the Lucky Ones”
This story begins in 1941 and is entirely set in Italy.

Lili and Esti have been friends since university… after Esti has a baby their bond is very close.. like sisters.
Mussolini’s Racial Laws have deemed them descendants of “inferior Jews”
Esti convinces Lili to leave with her to help hide a group of war orphans to a villa in the countryside, then to a convent in Florence where they pose as nuns… and forge false identification papers for the Underground.
A disaster happens at the convent and Esti is badly injured… she convinces Lili to leave with little Theo and that they will meet later in Assisi.
Here.. the story becomes a very dangerous and epic journey ..mostly on foot.. for Lili and Theo throughout Italy to reach allied territory.
There were many brave people who helped them along their journey but there were also several close calls.
This is a great story about friendship, motherhood, and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random Hose for the ARC!

This novel about WW2 was different than so many I’ve read. First of all, I loved the friendship between Esti and Lily. I learned more about how Italy played out during the war. The journey with Esti’s son painted a poignant picture of a small child and Lily’s determination to survive and protect them both. I loved this book.

I have read a lot of WWII books, but this one told a story that was unique about a group of people I hadn’t read a lot about during the war. It was really interesting and I loved all the characters. The author was able to make all the scenes come to life and kept me hooked the entire time.

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter is a historical novel of World WarII heroism that takes place in Italy.It tells the harrowing story of Lili and Esti and young Theo as life gets harder and harder for the Jewish people in Italy.You will enjoy the characters you will meet and the places you will see and read about in a country we don’t hear as much about in our WWII stories!Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group/Viking Penguin Pamela Dorman Books for allowing me to read this ARC!

One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter transports readers into life in Italy during WWII, first under Mussolini's rule, then under German control until liberation by the Allies. The author's ability to describe scenes in 3D-like fashion and her richly drawn, complex characters make it very easy to engage in this story. This read will take you on an emotional rollercoaster as it explores themes of deep friendship, family, the trials and horrors of war, heartbreak, finding strength, hope, resilience, and survival. It shows good people doing what they feel they must to survive as well as good people who choose to help others even when it puts themselves in danger. War turns everything upside down, and yet the human spirit finds a way to go on.

A very good read!!

My sincere thanks to Pamela Dorman Books for permitting me to access a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 3/4/25. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

I LOVED this book! We've all read a bunch of WW2/Holocaust historical fiction, right? The fact that this book felt so fresh and original speaks volumes. The story begins with best friends Lili, Esti, and Esti's husband Niko as they welcome the couple's new baby Theo in 1940s Italy. With the war well underway in the rest of Europe and Mussolini's racial laws in place, Esti and Niko become involved in resistance efforts. When the opportunity for Lili and Theo to escape to Italian cities in the south, Esti begs her best friend to take her son to safety. Lili and Theo's journey is anything but safe, and although she was always the more reserved between herself and Esti, she must find it within herself to move through German occupied cities and town and keep them both out of harms way. This was a friendship story, a love story, and bravery. This book had me crying, but not for the reasons you'd assume. Highly recommend!

Often sophomore books fall flat, but One Good Thing did not disappoint. The story of a young woman trying to survive as. Jew in Italy during WWII continues to pick up steam throughout the book. Hunter's writing style is to the point and keeps the story moving and the characters are likable and well developed. While the story took place decades ago, many of themes are more relevant today than ever.

Another good WWII story showing tenacity, dedication, resilience, bravery and most of all love and kindness to fellow citizens caught in the crossfire. Lili and Esti were friends from childhood, and they tried to make the best of the situations. Unfortunately, they had to make a decision that would cost them both. Lili is the main character and she steps up to do the best she can and she does just fine.

Not saying this was a subject I hadn’t read before in my WWII books, but I will say the author wrote an enjoyable read that flowed well and once again, the people during the war are an inspiration to me. The ending was well deserved for all.

I received an ARC from Penguin Group and NetGalley for my unbiased review. Comes in with four stars.

This is a well written story that elaborates on aspects of WW II that readers need to know. It has a different slant that makes it interesting and captures the reader's desire to know what happens to the characters (who are very realistic).