-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
Summary | Discuss | Reviews | More Information | Read-Alikes
A Novel
by Georgia Hunter
From the New York Times-bestselling author of We Were the Lucky Ones, a propulsive and heart-wrenching story of a young woman entrusted with a boy's life as WWII rages in Italy.
1940, Italy. Lili and Esti have been best friends since they first met at university. When Esti's son Theo is born, they become as close as sisters. While a war seethes across borders, life somehow goes on—until Germany invades Italy, and the friends suddenly find themselves in occupied territory.
Esti, older and fiercely self-assured, convinces Lili to join the resistance efforts. But when disaster strikes, a critically wounded Esti asks Lili to take a much bigger step: To go on the run with Theo. Protect him while Esti can't.
Terrified to travel on her own, Lili sets out with Theo on a harrowing journey south toward Allied territory, braving Nazi-occupied villages and bombed-out cities, doing everything she can to keep the boy safe.
A remarkable tale of friendship, romance, motherhood, and survival, One Good Thing reminds us what is worth fighting for—and that love, even amidst a world in ruins, can triumph.
What are you reading this week? (8/28/2025)
...he night. Went from not sure to liking this book. Think I'll start The Mango Tree by Annabelle Tometich next. These are both ebooks. I'm reading book One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter. I like it, but just harder for me to read actual books. And about to finish The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club by Martha Hall Kelly on audio....
-Melinda_J
What are you reading this week? (8/14/2025)
I'm reading The Cliffs by J. Courtney Sullivan this week and loved it from first chapter. Also reading One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter, but keep falling asleep. Just can read ebooks easier than an actual book!
-Melinda_J
"Well researched... . A compassionate and compelling tale of an Italian Jew's life during World War II." —Kirkus Reviews
"A stirring novel of bravery and sacrifice in World War II Italy ... Fans of Hunter's previous book and the miniseries based on it will be pleased." —Publishers Weekly
"Gripping ... At once a riveting wartime story and a tender tribute to friendship, One Good Thing considers the small acts of kindness and the undergirding love that can sustain people through difficult times." —Shelf Awareness
"Epic, intimate, thrilling, and beautiful. One Good Thing is a story of unbreakable friendship, of remarkable resilience, of how love and hope can shine through even the darkest, most unimaginable horrors. Stunning." —Chris Whitaker, New York Times–bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
"In One Good Thing, Georgia Hunter builds a whole world from the complicated sweep of history and the heartbeat of one young woman's struggle to survive. The novel is a fascinating glimpse into a piece of World War II history I knew very little about, and a truly moving portrait of what it means to be brave. Lili's journey is thrilling and intimate: I made myself read slowly in order to savor it. It entered my dreams. I did not want this beautiful book to end." —Lauren Fox, New York Times–bestselling author of Send for Me
This information about One Good Thing was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
When Georgia Hunter was fifteen years old, she discovered that she came from a family of Holocaust survivors. Years later, she embarked on a journey of intensive research, determined to unearth and record her family's remarkable story. The result was the New York Times bestseller We Were the Lucky Ones, which has been published in over twenty languages and adapted for television by Hulu as a highly acclaimed limited series. One Good Thing is Georgia's second novel. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and their two sons.
If you liked One Good Thing, try these:
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
