This novel is based on the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’ Flaherty, an Irish priest working in Vatican City who helped many escaped prisoners to flee the city under the noses of the Nazis.
I loved the narration – I have been watching the tv adaptation of Mr Mercedes (by Stephen King) and I was reminded of Brendan Gleeson’s fabulous betrayal of Bill Hodges – the irascible grumpy Irishman with the heart of gold and courage of a lion, in the character of Hugh. (As I re-read the previous sentence, I’m struck by my use of the hackneyed idiom: ‘courage of a lion’. Not only was it lazy on my part, but it seems to me that it is the small creatures who need more courage – it’s easy to appear brave if you’re bigger and fiercer than your peers, Like saying the Nazis were brave but actually they just had power. Surely it is the tiny creatures who face so many dangers and struggles who should be lauded as being brave – so the idiom should be brave as a dormouse, or brave as a wren. Just sayin.)
So, back to the book which was exciting and portrayed the whole gamut of human personalities from the very bad to the very good and shades in-between. I enjoyed the read.
Sarah Wray Writer 