My Father's House

Rome Escape Line, Book 1

By: Joseph O'Connor

Narrated by: Barry Barnes, Stephen Hogan, Barnaby Edwards, Laurence Bouvard, Aoife Duffin, Gertrude Toma, David John, Roberto Davide, Thomas Hill

September 1943: German forces occupy Rome. Gestapo boss Obersturmbannführer Paul Hauptmann rules with terror. Hunger is widespread. Rumors fester. The war’s outcome is far from certain.

Diplomats, refugees, and escaped Allied prisoners flee for protection into Vatican City; at one fifth of a square mile, it's the world’s smallest state, a neutral, independent country within Rome. A small band of unlikely friends led by a courageous Irish priest is drawn into deadly danger as they seek to help those seeking refuge. A deadly high-stakes battle of wits ensues in this astonishing and unforgettable story of love, faith, and sacrifice that explores what it means to be truly human in the most extreme circumstances.

The first book in the Rome Escape Line Trilogy, this powerful, heartbreaking literary thriller is based on the true story of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, a man who risked his life to smuggle thousands of Jews and escaped Allied prisoners out of Italy under the nose of his Nazi nemesis.

©2023 Joseph O'Connor (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Interminable

I’m sorry fellow listeners. I just couldn’t get into the plot. The multiple characters and voices were fun but, for me, made it hard to follow a timeline or narrative. And the author seemed very much taken with his writing. I especially disliked the not quite sentences strung together to paint a picture. I guess. Seemed to be an attempted creative writing assignment. Isn’t that cool how I just wrote a chapter without using any complete sentences?! And the constant references to “him” or “her” without telling you who he or she is, assuming you know who’s meant or recognize the different voice actor.
I understand that many loved this. Just not for me.

EXCELLENT

There are times when you know this book is fiction and other times when it reads like non-fiction. This is a very interesting book and I recommend it if you are interested in the German occupation of Rome and the Catholic Church at that time.

Slow to develop

Dull, tested my powers of concentration. I quit after 10 chapters. All talk, no action. Threats of conflict, but little

It never captured my attention

I was very excited about listening to this book, but it was disappointing. I’ll try it again at another time.

Good but too much back and forth

The overall story was great but hard to follow with all the characters and the back and forth in time.

Grand read

A fine book. Narration exceptional. Characters/real persons are well developed. It’s easy to feel and affection by book’s end for Monsignor and his Choir.

The ending

A great book but a baptized person would not go to confession AFTER baptism. Somehow the writer made a serous mistake about the Catholic faith.

Riveting!!

I couldn’t stop listening. Beautiful story and marvelous narrations!A must listen for Historical Fiction fans!

Interesting and not well-known story of bravery during Nazi occupation of Rome

I was unfamiliar with the story of Fr. Hugh O’Flaherty, who ran an operation to help escaped prisoners of war and Jews in Rome hide and escape Nazi capture. Some of the readers in the book were difficult to understand but the the story was compelling. It set the scene for the terror and risks that were involved in running such an operation in the Vatican while under intense scrutiny by the Gestapo.

Not what I was expecting

I had a very hard time following the story. It was just too disjointed for me. It had moments of interest that held my attention and other times I would find myself barely listening. I will say the narration was wonderful and beautifully done. I would not listen to another in the series.