{"id":35881,"date":"2025-07-03T17:40:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T17:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35881\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T17:40:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T17:40:12","slug":"read-jordyn-taylors-the-rebel-girls-of-rome-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/35881\/","title":{"rendered":"Read Jordyn Taylor’s \u2018The Rebel Girls of Rome\u2019 Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it our own family legacy or the history of the world, there has never been a more important time to remember the truth of what really happened. Jordyn Taylor<\/a> already did it once with The Paper Girls of Paris<\/a> and now she has us heading us over to Rome to uncover more of what happened in World War II in another sweeping read. <\/p>\n

Cosmopolitan has an exclusive look at The Rebel Girls of Rome <\/a>by Jordyn Taylor<\/a>, which is set to be released July 8, 2025. The novel follows Lilah who is desperate to reconnect with her family’s history after the death of her mother. When she receives a letter from another student, suddenly she finds herself in Rome and one step closer to the truth that her grandfather has been keeping from her all along. Here’s some more info from our friends at HarperCollins<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Part historical mystery, part sweeping romance, The Rebel Girls of Rome brings the stories of two young women to brilliant life: Lilah, a college student looking to understand her grandfather\u2019s mysterious past, and Bruna, a queer Jewish woman who joins the resistance during World War II.<\/strong>From Jordyn Taylor, author of The Paper Girl of Paris, this dual-contemporary and historical tale<\/strong>\u2014where heartbreak, hope, and finding light in times of darkness are inevitably intertwined<\/strong>\u2014is perfect for readers of Ruta Sepetys and Monica Hesse.<\/strong>Now:<\/p>\n

Grieving the loss of her mother, college student Lilah is hoping to reconnect with a grandfather who refuses to talk about his past. Then she receives a mysterious letter from a fellow student, Tommaso, claiming he\u2019s found a lost family heirloom, and her world is upended.<\/p>\n

Soon Lilah finds herself in Rome, trying to unlock her grandfather\u2019s history as a Holocaust survivor once and for all. But as she and Tommaso get closer to the truth\u2014and their relationship begins to deepen into something sweeter\u2014Lilah realizes that some secrets may be too painful to unbury\u2026<\/p>\n

Then:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 1943, and nineteen-year-old Bruna and her family are doing their best to survive in Rome\u2019s Jewish quarter under Nazi occupation. Until the dreaded knock comes early one morning, and Bruna is irrevocably separated from the rest of her family.<\/p>\n

Overcome with guilt at escaping her family\u2019s fate in the camps, she joins the underground rebellion. When her missions bring her back to her childhood crush, Elsa, Bruna must decide how much she\u2019s willing to risk\u2014when fully embracing herself is her greatest act of resistance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Read the exclusive excerpt below to discover more about Lilah’s family. Don’t forget to pre-order <\/a>The Rebel Girls of Rome<\/a> and check out Jordyn’s other books<\/a> as well!<\/p>\n

An Excerpt From The Rebel Girls of Rome
By Jordyn Taylor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chapter 3
<\/strong>Bruna1943<\/p>\n

Daniela and I are almost at the front of the bread line when our neighbor, Signora Leoni, comes running as fast as she can, her slippers pounding up the cobblestone street. She says we all must get to the synagogue, for the rabbi has an announcement to make.<\/p>\n

Fear courses through me. \u201cAbout what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Germans,\u201d Signora Leoni replies. \u201cI\u2019ve been told it\u2019s an emergency.\u201d Breathing heavily, she continues her trek up the street.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll be all right,\u201d Daniela says, as much to herself as to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cMm-hmm.\u201d Instead of telling my younger sister how I really feel, I squeeze the locket that hangs from my neck, channeling my terror into the golden pendant.<\/p>\n

The first emergency we must handle is the aching emp- tiness in our stomachs. Inside the bakery, we hand over the ration cards that grant us each two hundred grams\u2014one loaf\u2014of pane unico. Our precious brown bread in hand, we leave the shop, where we each break off a corner to stuff in our mouths before tucking the rest in our pockets for later.<\/p>\n

Daniela closes her eyes, savors the morsel of dry bread. I chew with military-like efficiency, getting it over with. My stomach spasms as we make our way to the synagogue. When you\u2019re this hungry, food is a blessing and a curse, because nothing goes down easily.<\/p>\n

At the giant domed building near the river, a sea of people floods up the steps. Mamma and my little brother, Raffaele, are probably out in search of food, but Daniela and I link arms and climb to the top of the steps, where we crane our necks for any sign of Pap\u00e0\u2019s weary face.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere he is.\u201d Daniela points up the street to Pap\u00e0, who drifts toward the synagogue with empty eyes, following the pull of the crowd. It\u2019s almost as though our father died five years ago, and the man we\u2019ve known since then is a ghost. He used to be so full of life, back when he owned the stationery shop, when we could actually afford the food on our ration cards. Then came the racial laws. Il Duce, who was supposed to be our protector, forced us out of school and work. Our family used to vacation at the seashore, on beaches that have since been closed to Jews. Now Pap\u00e0 is lucky to find an odd job here and there, no matter how hard he\u2019s always searching. He climbs the steps with legs that seem leaden. \u201cHi, girls.\u201d<\/p>\n

I try my best to keep my voice steady. \u201cDo you know what\u2019s happening?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pap\u00e0 shakes his head grimly. \u201cI never know what\u2019s hap- pening anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least we\u2019re together.\u201d Daniela wedges herself between us and links her other arm through Pap\u00e0\u2019s, her malnour- ished body guiding us into the synagogue. I may not share her optimism, but she\u2019s right about one thing: At least we\u2019re together. Two years ago, my friend Aronne\u2019s father, Signor Piperno, was so guilt-ridden from not being able to provide for his family that he took his own life.<\/p>\n

Inside the packed synagogue, Rabbi Zaccaria strides up onto the bimah, where he thanks the community for gather- ing on such short notice. Even from the back of the hall, his frown is visible beneath his bushy gray beard. \u201cYesterday, the German authorities summoned two of our leaders, Ugo Fo\u00e0 and Dante Almansi, to their headquarters at Via Tasso to issue a certain . . . request.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pauses.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must hand over fifty kilograms of gold, or else two hundred members of our community will be sent to labor camps in Germany.\u201d The rabbi holds up his hands to silence the murmurs. \u201cAnd we must do so in thirty-six hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

Screams and cries reverberate off the high ceiling.<\/p>\n

\u201cFifty kilos?\u201d Daniela asks, wide-eyed. \u201cHow much does gold weigh? Can we do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pap\u00e0 doesn\u2019t answer. His face is white as a sheet. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I tell my sister.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has to be possible.\u201d Despite everything we\u2019ve been through, Daniela still trusts, deep down, that the Fascists will take care of us. Or that\u2019s the way it seems. Maybe she\u2019s actually like me: hiding a knot of doubt and distrust at her core, but never making it known for fear of what happens to people who violate government rules. As I look around the room, I can\u2019t help but wonder how many other knots are growing in my neighbors\u2019 chests, even if they\u2019ll never admit it. We\u2019ve all heard the horrifying stories of what\u2019s happening to Jews in other parts of Europe.<\/p>\n

A few rows ahead of us, Aronne jumps up onto a wooden bench. He\u2019s short and burly, so even on the bench he has to wave his arms to be seen above the crowd. \u201cWe\u2019re just going to lie down and let the Germans take our gold?\u201d he shouts at Rabbi Zaccaria. \u201cWhat\u2019ll they take next?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYoung man, please \u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019m terrified for Aronne\u2019s safety. Ever since his father died, he\u2019s been dangerously vocal about his anti-Fascist sen- timents, and in the two and a half weeks since the Germans invaded, he\u2019s been open about resisting them, too. What if a neighbor reports him to the authorities? Our community may be close-knit, but still, you never know who might be side-eyeing you\u2014who might snitch on you in the hope of getting something more to eat. And then, what if he gets arrested? Our new occupiers have put up posters stating that organizers of strikes and other resisters will be \u201ctried and executed by summary judgment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aronne turns to the congregation. \u201cHow do we know the Germans won\u2019t turn around and send us to labor camps any- way? We shouldn\u2019t pay their ransom; we should take our gold and use it to buy weapons so we can fight them!\u201d<\/p>\n

A few other young men clap and cheer, but the major- ity of the room looks to the rabbi for guidance. Up on the bimah, he continues speaking in his measured voice. \u201cAs we witnessed in the streets of Rome earlier this month, fighting the Germans would involve tremendous risk of injury, and we do not want any members of our community to get hurt. If we show the Germans reason, perhaps they will be more reasonable\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Germans, reasonable?\u201d Aronne interrupts. \u201cThey\u2019re as reasonable as the Blackshirts!\u201d<\/p>\n

The Blackshirts, or squadristi, are groups of brutish men devoted to enforcing Fascism by any means necessary. They\u2019re known for tying dissenters to trees and pouring pints of cas- tor oil down their throats, then sending them home covered in their own bowel movements.<\/p>\n

Aronne continues, \u201cI have a friend in Paris who says the Germans rounded up thirteen thousand Jews and locked them in a cycling stadium before shipping them\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich is why we have decided to comply with the Germans\u2019 request,\u201d the rabbi insists, cutting him off. \u201cWe pray that it ends with the gold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most of the crowd nods, Pap\u00e0 and Daniela included. I wish I were brave like Aronne, who starts to yell something else before an older man yanks him down off the bench.<\/p>\n

Instead I squeeze my locket, like always.<\/p>\n

Back at the apartment, our hunt for gold begins. We sold many of our valuables after Pap\u00e0 lost his job, but we held on to our more precious items: the gold-stemmed wineglasses my parents received as a wedding present, the gilded frames showcasing our family photographs. This time around, we can\u2019t keep anything. The week before Pap\u00e0 closed the statio- nery shop, he put a sign in the window to advertise a sale: \u201cCLEARANCE: SHOP CLOSED FOR CEASED ACTIV-<\/p>\n

ITY.\u201d That\u2019s how I feel now, as Daniela and I search through the bedroom we share with our brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved these.\u201d Pouting, Daniela plucks a pair of gold ear- rings from her jewelry box. With a sigh she sets them aside, along with a bracelet she\u2019s had since she was little.<\/p>\n

Our eyes meet in the vanity mirror. I\u2019m nineteen and she\u2019s fourteen, but our struggle to survive has made us both look older than we are. We have the same pale, thin faces, the same honey-brown eyes ringed by dark circles. She still wears her long, dark brown hair in a neat braid down her back. I wear mine loose, wild\u2014the tiniest act of defiance. Back when we still put on our uniforms to take part in Fascist Saturdays,<\/p>\n

I would have been scolded for showing up with messy hair. \u201cTurning in our gold . . . it\u2019s all for the best, isn\u2019t it,<\/p>\n

Bruna?\u201d Daniela was always more eager to put on her uni- form than I was. As far as I can tell, she isn\u2019t harboring a secret that keeps her from ever truly fitting in with the rest of the world\u2014a secret that makes her feel as though she\u2019s stranded on a remote desert island, even when she\u2019s standing on the busiest street in Rome.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d I admit. It\u2019s the same thing I told her in the synagogue. The truth is, I don\u2019t want to comply, and I never have\u2014but the alternative is just as awful. I know what Mussolini and Hitler think of people like me, and I don\u2019t just mean Jews, or women. I mean people like Giuseppe, the friendly man who owned the bookstore near Pap\u00e0\u2019s old sta- tionery shop.<\/p>\n

I turn away from Daniela so I can keep sorting through our sewing kit for gold buttons. But first I squeeze my locket.<\/p>\n

The Rebel Girls of Rome Copyright \u00a9 2025 by Jordyn Taylor. Used with the permission of HarperCollins Publishers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Rebel Girls of Rome, by Jordyn Taylor will be released on July 8, 2025. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice:<\/p>\n

AMAZON<\/a> AUDIBLE<\/a> BARNES & NOBLE<\/a> BOOKS-A-MILLION<\/a> BOOKSHOP<\/a> APPLE BOOKS<\/a> KOBO<\/a> LIBRO.FM<\/a> TARGET<\/a> WALMART<\/a> POWELL’S BOOKS<\/a> HUDSON BOOKSELLERS<\/a> GOOGLE PLAY<\/a><\/strong> EBOOKS.COM<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether it our own family legacy or the history of the world, there has never been a more…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35882,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1022,2392,29454,1201,171,3181,2875,29453,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-35881","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-content-type-feature","10":"tag-contentid-190f4443-f351-44af-9016-796d041fd000","11":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-hasproduct-true","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-shorttitle-jordyn-taylors-excerpt-doesnt-shy-away-from-history","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35881","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35881"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35881\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35881"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35881"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35881"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}