The plot was captivating and the writing excellent. The first half of the book is dominated by the mysteries of whether a decades-silent nun in a monastery in northern Greece is the long-thought-dead sister of the central character, Nicky, a New York psychiatrist who was raised, along with his sister, as a devout Jew in Greece. Weaved in and out of the book are the harrowing experiences of the central character as a freedom fighter against the Nazis (and gangs of Greek sympathizers) during World War II. Without giving away the plot, I will say only that the last half of the book resolves the mysteries of how an observant Jewish young girl survived the Holocaust and became a gifted, yet silent, nun for decades thereafter and, of course, whether she is related to Nicky.The book is intelligently written, dealing with such complex issues as the meaning of faith, the challenges that mental illness presents for a family, the emotional strains and conflicts of living through the Holocaust, and new love for a couple in their 60’s. Through it all, I was “on the edge of my seat,” anxious to learn how the various mysteries would be resolved. And, perhaps most rewarding, some were left open for resolution by the reader’s imagination.All in all, an incredible first book by the author. I can’t wait for the second!