The Postmaster's Mistress

In 1940, when Elena was twenty, she and her family were declared civilian internees by the Italian Fascists. Banished from their home in Genoa, they left behind their work in helping Jews to escape Europe. This well-connected Dutch family of Jewish heritage, who counted Albert Einstein’s family amongst their intimates, lost their privileged existence: Elena’s reign as an equestrian champion was over and her father was stripped of his beloved shipping business. They found refuge in Florence....