From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon

Eva and Angelo are best friends, they grew up together and know everything about each other. But in Italy during World War II life becomes dangerous for them both. Eva Rosselli is Jewish and Angelo Bianco is a Catholic priest who is working with the local resistance (some inside the Vatican) to rescue and hide Jewish people being hunted for by the Fascist Italians and then by the German army in Rome. Eva refuses to hide and poses as Angelo's sister so she can work with the resistance to help her people. Will they get away with it?

From Sand and Ash is a moving historical novel focusing on Italy during World War II. The best part of the story is the relationship between the Catholic Church, specifically the Vatican, and the Roman Jewish population. The priests go above and beyond to help the most marginalized citizens without caring about religion. Too bad that would never happen in America today, instead we have Christians attacking anyone and everyone who doesn't believe their narrow-minded view of Christianity, people who wouldn't help their fellow neighbor for fear of being “tainted” by outside beliefs. (Such is life in the Bible Belt, at least.)