If you have been keeping up with my reviews you’ll know that I adore Jennifer Robson. I mean I also hate her because The Gown had me sobbing in the middle of Union Station in Toronto, but, that’s par for the course with her.
Our Darkest Night is set in 1943 in the Italian Countryside. We meet the Mazin family who are of Italian Jewish descent. As one can imagine life for all Jewish people during the Second World War was dangerous and being discovered meant death or imprisonment.
Our main character, Antonia, must make the difficult decision to leave her parents, her homeland, and hide in Vienna. To complicate this decision, she must flee with someone she barely knows.
Said person is Nico who before the war hit was training in the seminary. Now, he is the caretaker of his family’s farm. Disheartened and angry by what is happening all around him, he promises to care for Nina (Antonina). To keep secrets with both Nina and Nico they must convince everyone they are in love and very happily married.
But, Nina is from the city and finds farm life drastically different from the life she left behind. Nico tries his best to help her find her footing. But can only do so much to help someone who wishes more than anything to be a doctor and not a farm wife.
Nico’s neighbours are very suspicious of Nina and one in particular will do whatever it takes to discover the secrets that both Nina and Nico are hiding from those around them.
I found myself white-knuckle reading more than once.
