My Father’s House

Irish Book Award winner O’Connor’s (Star of the Sea) first entry in the “Rome Escape Line Trilogy” is a thriller of the first order, narrated by a full cast of nine superb narrators. Set in 1943 Vatican City during the German invasion of Rome, the story is based on actual people and events. Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty and seven others form a “Choir”—supposedly a musical group, but really an escape line intended to help Jews and Allied POWs escape from the Gestapo. The group employs the most secretive tactics, including aliases, forged IDs, and coded communications, knowing that they could be discovered at any moment. Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptmann poses the greatest risk to the operation, as he knows of the escape line and is determined to root out the ones in charge. With vibrant characterizations and spot-on accents, the narrators convey the characters’ rich backstories, luring listeners into this terrifying and dangerous world.