My Father's House cover art

My Father's House

The Rome Escape Line, Book 1

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My Father's House

By: Joseph O'Connor
Narrated by: Barry Barnes, Stephen Hogan, Barnaby Edwards, Laurence Bouvard, Aoife Duffin, Gertrude Thoma, David John, Roberto Davide, Thomas Hill
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. SS officer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. The war's outcome is far from certain.

An Irish priest, Hugh O'Flaherty, dedicates himself to helping those escaping from the Nazis. His home is Vatican City, the world's smallest state, a neutral, independent country within Rome where the occupiers hold no sway. Here Hugh brings together an unlikely band of friends to hide the vulnerable under the noses of the enemy.

But Hauptmann's net begins closing in on the Escape Line and the need for a terrifyingly audacious mission grows critical. By Christmastime, it's too late to turn back.

Based on an extraordinary true story, My Father's House is a powerful literary thriller from a master of historical fiction. Joseph O'Connor has created an unforgettable novel of love, faith and sacrifice, and what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances.

©2023 Joseph O'Connor (P)2023 Penguin Audio 20th Century Historical Fiction Jewish Suspense Thriller & Suspense World Literature Fiction Heartfelt War Rome

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All stars
Most relevant  
I am not keen on sound effects and multi-narrations in Audiobooks. This is the first time I really enjoyed the experience, which added to the narrative.

This is a stunning book with a solid story that keeps you guessing to the priest’s fate right to the end. The best thing I have read (listened to) for months. The atmosphere and the feel of the period and Rome are pitch perfect

Great Story; best I have read in months

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I understand that this is the first of a trilogy. I will be reading the next two. The multi voiced narration takes a bit of getting used to, and some of the voices are difficult to understand as they are so strongly accented. The ‘tapestry’ form of the book gets the reader to work hard but adds texture, intimacy and involvement. Such an interesting multi layered book about a fascinating man in an extreme situation. A modern classic.

Brilliant - not an easy read but so worth while.

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A wonderful story, brilliantly read. Highly recommended both as an account of an historical event, and as a clever reimagining of it.

A completely compelling read

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The life & heroic achievements of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty are reasonably well known. However, this beautiful rendering of his story by Joseph O’Connor is perfectly paced & suspenseful, while providing compelling human characterisations of all O’Flaherty’s choir members.
The lyrical dialogue, which is such an integral part of this beautifully written book, is done justice by excellent reading performances.
The compensation for reaching the end of this fabulous story is the knowledge that it is the first in a trilogy.

A superbly crafted story of a fascinating wartime hero

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Listened to brutally abridged version on BBC Sounds a few months ago, it was so memorable that I forgot and bought the Audible recording as a Daily Deal.
Glad that I made this “mistake”, especially when listening towards end of October 2023, seems more pertinent somehow.

Superb - loved every minute

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Excellent story and the multiple narratives are well presented and give it a good pace.

Bringing a forgotten story to life

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I have listened to many books about the war, but few with the searing honesty of 'My Father's House'
it was refreshing to listen to consistently great narration.
A love story without intimacy, the true love of people who gave their lives for others,
No cloying, saccharine scenes. no gratuitous violence, the horrors of war portrayed with reality.
Excellently thought through, with a start, middle and ending.
No rush to finish the story and tie up loose end, nor drawn out to meet to met a 'word count'.
Thank you to Joseph O'Connor, for guiding me around Rome and the Vatican City. For giving me an account of the partisans, armies, civilians, with one example of how lives were lived,
.A snapshot of what happened during the second World War, consistently over many years.
Politicians cause wars, ordinary people are made to fight them, without choice or agreement

the humility of those that gave their lives for others.

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Not at all what you’d expect from a war story. It was beautifully written and was almost poetic at times. There needs to be wonderful brave people in this world to deal with the likes of Hauptmann. I know I would not be that brave.

An outstanding book

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A most interesting story of resistance to the Nazis after they “liberated” Italy (even though they allies!) in 1943. There were times when I had to listen carefully to ensure which characters were featured but overall enjoyable.

Wartime in Rome and the Vatican

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Loving the story, but there are chapters that seem to use AI to narrate and I am finding this very off putting, to the extent that I have had to skip ahead. The accents of the other readers are beautiful and really draw me in. Such a pity they have chosen to do this. Maybe I’m wrong, but I really think it takes away from the book

Loving the story, but not the AI generated chapters

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