Books

Thanks to a painstaking historical research, Fabiano Massimi brings back to life an incredible and forgotten true story.

London, 1988. He is sitting in a BBC studio. The presenter calls his name, then points to a woman sitting to his left. She hugs him, thanks him repeatedly. He cannot believe his eyes. Then the same happens with the woman sitting to his right, then with the whole auditorium. Dozens of men and women stand up to thank him, their eyes full of tears. They all owe him their lives. Yet among them, there is another woman who owes him more than just her life. She owes him, first of all, an explanation, because if forgiveness exists, it can only be reached through telling the truth.

Prague, 1938. My name is Petra Linhart, and until a few days ago I worked as a waitress. Then I met my destiny, or maybe I was chosen by it. A destiny bearing not one, but three names: Doreen Warriner, Trevor Chadwick and most importantly Nicholas Winton, the man who came from England to save children.

In this dark and endless Winter, while everybody counts the minutes separating us from the inevitable – the flag with the swastika, Hitler himself – who is thinking about the children? There is so much to do: preparing the lists, finding money and support, talking with the local associations, and finally organizing the trains for England. My help is necessary, says Doreen; Nicholas depends on me, for I know the city, and he doesn’t speak Czech; I am the only person Trevor can trust when his most difficult task – saving a special girl in danger who doesn’t want to be saved – seems impossible.

None of them, though, can guess the terrible, threatening secret I am hiding…