I think I’ve read all Victoria Hislop’s novels – usually with a lot of pleasure. I admire her in-depth understanding of Greece, its culture, people, language and history. In this warmly accessible novel, published last month, she has surpassed herself.
After the second world war, when Greece was occupied by the Nazis, civil war broke out between the right wing (fascist) government and the powerful communist faction. It led to the raiding of villages and homes, wanton killing which came close to genocide and the separation of children from parents. The government wanted to teach children anti-communist values so it put them in schools for indoctrination. At the same time other children were, effectively captured by the communists and whisked away to Communist Bloc countries to be taught the regime’s values. It is a period of history about I knew almost nothing and, by telling a compelling human story about a small group of individuals, Hislop has taught me a lot.
Fotini lives in Kalolpetra in the north of Greece. There is a strong community spirt and a lot of skill but no electricity and she’s illiterate – although she masters reading and writing later. Her husband is away fighting for the government when the village is raided and she, with her hidden newborn son, is driven away to prison as a communist, leaving behind her nine year old daughter, Iliana. Then in one of several appalling prisons and prison camps, in which she somehow manages to look after her baby, she makes friends with a woman named Markella who has a son Nikos. When Nikos is taken away Fotini, now free, promises to search for him. The rest of the novel – which is full of intriguing twists and turns – is effectively a quest story over several decades as Fotini tries to find the lost children. Hislop is very good indeed at tightening the suspense as the years go by, and everyone moves on, in a novel which ranges across several countries and two continents.
Of course there’s some pretty awful cruelty but most of the people who hurt others are simply doing the job they’ve been hired to do in the interests of a political position they’ve been conditioned to. They isn’t much real evil in this novel and there is, to counterbalance the bad experiences, a delightful cast of kind people from whom Fontini receives friendship and practical help. Hislop refuses to take sides.
She also explores what we mean by family. Blood ties sometimes matter less than connections forged in other ways. You might end up with an usual mix but the bonds can be very powerful. The reader is really happy for Fontini when she eventually meets an easy going, successful taverna owner and builds something new with him.
Also discreetly tucked into this engaging novel (it’s quite long but I downed it in three days) are topics such as leprosy, classical music, ship building, adoption, Greek food, autism, cars, geography and a lot more.
Even if you’re not read Hislop before you’re in for a treat with this one. The quasi-theatrical ending made me think it might lend itself to adaptation as a stage musical too.
Next week on Susan’s Bookshelves: The Go-Between by LP Hartley.
