The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the Aegean-scented air in the engrossing novel from the much-loved author

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Underpinning this is her determination to protect these precious fragments recovered from the earth and make reparation for her grandfather’s crimes. Her incredible passion for the country shines through in her writing, her descriptions of the people, the customs, the food and the music are wonderful. Udodi's death was the beginning of the raging storm but at that moment we thought that the worst had already happened and that life would treat us with more kindness. The story itself is told through the eyes and life of Helena - a Greek / Scot -where at the age of eight she goes to stay with her mother’s parents in Athens. Victoria Hislop read English at Oxford, and worked in publishing, PR and as a journalist before becoming a novelist.

The Figurine: The brand NEW novel from the author of The Island

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME LAUGH I always feel guilty that I don’t read every issue of Private Eye from cover to cover (my husband, Ian, is the editor), but I always catch up with the Private Eye Annual, which has the very best of the year’s jokes.This cookie is set by WPML WordPress plugin and is used to test if cookies are enabled on the browser. In the following weeks, I became addicted to the energy and joy of the Jive, Cha Cha and the Quickstep.

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop Scala Radio Book Club: The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

Once again Hislop's descriptions of Greece, both city and country, were wonderful and she injected a great deal of Greek history into the tale. THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME I read War And Peace by Leo Tolstoy during lockdown, along with my son. After university she travels to Athens to try and find out more about her mother’s culture and her grandfather’s legacy.A chauffeur meets her and takes her to their flat where she meets her grandmother, Eleni Papagiannis and her husband the intimidating General. Her first novel, The Island, held the number one slot in the Sunday Times paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth - and to understand the origins of her grandfather's collection. Overall an engaging story but perhaps a bit too light and romantic for the seriousness of some of its content.

Victoria Hislop Books | Waterstones Victoria Hislop Books | Waterstones

Her remote, cruel grandfather was a general in the brutal military dictatorship and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. I absolutely looked forward to Tuesdays, because that was when I was going to see my lovely violin teacher. The Figurine starts in 1968 as eight year old Helena McCloud travels alone to Athens to spend the school summer holidays with her maternal grandparents. It provides plenty information about Greek history and culture during this period while powerfully evoking its landscape and the lives of its peoples. She tells us of the ancient and misunderstood disease of leprosy, exploring the themes of stigma, shame and the treatment of those who are different, which are as relevant for children as adults.Helena's attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather's actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of 'home', both in relation to looted objects of antiquity . Victoria divides her time between England and Greece and, in 2020, was granted honorary citizenship by the President of Greece. It is a great idea for a book about where artefacts belong and the complex history that can surround them. Told through the eyes and life of Helena - a Greek / Scot -where at the age of eight she goes to stay with her mother’s parents in Athens.