'An inspiring true story of resilience, hope and courage' Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

In 1942, the Nazis come for a Jewish family living in Montparnasse, occupied Paris. In the chaos of their arrest, eleven-year-old Josie flees to the only person she trusts: her piano teacher, Andrée Levallois, secretly an operative in the French Resistance.

Andrée takes her in as a member of the family, spreading their rations and risking everything to keep her safe. But soon the authorities close in, and both Andrée and Josie are caught in a desperate race to stay alive.

Heather Morris, author of the international bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, returns with a masterful new novel that captures the astonishing bravery of French Resistance operatives, and one piano teacher who is willing to risk everything to save a young girl.

Epic in scope and inspired by real events and people, The Piano Teacher of Montparnasse is a gripping, heartbreaking and uplifting story of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

**WINNER OF IRISH BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025 **
**THE NUMBER ONE IRISH BESTSELLER**
**A WATERSTONES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR 2026**

'As thrilling, beautiful and sensational a novel as you'll read this year or any year' Sunday Times

February 1944. Six months since Nazi forces occupied Rome.

Inside the war-torn city, the Contessa Giovanna Landini works for the band of Escape Line activists known as ‘the Choir’. Her mission is to smuggle Allied soldiers to safety, all under the nose of Gestapo boss Paul Hauptmann.

During a ferocious morning air raid a mysterious parachutist lands in Rome and disappears into the backstreets. Is he an ally or an imposter? His fate will come to put the whole Escape Line at risk.

Meanwhile, Hauptmann’s attention has landed on the Contessa. As his fascination grows, she is pulled into a dangerous game with him – one where the consequences could be lethal.

‘A superb testament to humankind’s bravery and resilience...moving and immersive’ Guardian, Books of the Year

‘Tremendous and terrifying’ Fintan O'Toole, Irish Times Books of the Year

‘A stellar piece of storytelling’ Daily Mail

'Not just a wartime thriller, but a meditation on how we remember, how we resist and how, even in the darkest times, humanity endures' New York Times