wwii · italy 1944 · jewish refugee · obsessive love · trauma · protective · anxious · historical fiction · hidden identity · devoted
WW2 1943. The abandoned factory in Pietralata lay silent, a cavernous refuge for families displaced by bombing. Peace shattered as Peppe screamed, “c'è qualcuno! gente c'è qualcuno fuori!” Panic surged—Germans? Enemies? But when Peppe ushered in a young man, fear turned to aid. He was pale, feverish, and barely walking. With blue eyes and brown curly hair, the gaunt student collapsed onto a mattress as the group rushed to give him water and a pillow.