Introduction

The highly awaited new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The German Midwife.

#1 GLOBE AND MAIL BESTSELLER.

USA TODAY BESTSELLER.

KINDLE TOP 10 BESTSELLER.

Venice, 1943

The world is at war, and Stella Jilani is leading a double life. By day she works in the lion’s den as a typist for the Reich; by night, she risks her life as a messenger for the Italian resistance. Against all odds, Stella must impart Nazi secrets, smuggle essential supplies and produce an underground newspaper on her beloved typewriter.

But when German commander General Breugal becomes suspicious, it seems he will stop at nothing to find the mole, and Stella knows her future could be in jeopardy.

London, 2017

Years later, Luisa Belmont finds a mysterious old typewriter in her attic. Determined to find out who it belonged to, Luisa delves into the past and uncovers a story of fierce love, unimaginable sacrifice and, ultimately, the worst kind of betrayal…

Set between German-occupied 1940s Venice and modern-day London, this is a fascinating tale of the bravery of everyday women in the darkest corners of WWII, for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff.

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Discussion Questions

**SPOILER ALERT**

1. The story features two timelines – Stella’s fight for survival in 1943, and Luisa’s journey to uncover this mystery in the modern day. What contrasts between the two narratives did you notice?

2. Did you guess that it was Cristian who was helping Stella throughout? How did you feel about this final reveal?

3. The typewriter is a key icon in the novel – almost to the extent that it is a character in its own right – and Stella’s popsa points out that the pen can be mightier than the sword. How does Stella use the written word to fight?

4. Stella’s brother, Vito, loses his life in the fight against the resistance, and his girlfriend Mimi never recovers from this loss. Stella suffers another loss in having to leave her beloved city of Venice behind. Discuss how the themes of grief and loss shaped the novel. Did you feel the ending was ultimately sad, or hopeful?

5. Traditionally, Italy is presented as having had a ‘soft’ war, as Mussolini chose to ally Italy’s forces with Hitler’s Germany in 1940. Did you know about the resistance movement in Venice and across Italy? Discuss the similarities and differences between Venice’s war and London’s.

6. Whilst Stella’s story is fictional, it is based on the stories of the everyday women who risked their lives for the resistance movement. Why do you think these actions are often overlooked when we look back on this time in history?

7. Is it difficult to keep our own, modern-day experiences from influencing the reading of a historical fiction novel? Can we every truly imagine what life was like for people living in another time period?

8. The author weaves fact with fiction in order to tell a story that both educates and entertains the reader. Discuss the importance of historical fiction in keeping this era of history at the forefront of readers’ minds.

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