I really wanted to like this book, I truly did.

I have a soft spot for Greece, I’m interested in its recent history (as well as ancient history) and I know some wonderful people there. I am familiar with some of the places mentioned in the first part of the book (though have visited very few of them so far), such as Larissa, where I have a special friend.

I knew from the first moment (this isn’t actually a spoiler, its crystal clear) that the book has a clear message – the simple country home in the village is better than anything else and true happiness will only be found at home. I was prepared to treat it as a Greek fable and ignore the “schmaltz”.

My strategy worked well as long as the book was about the older generation and life during (and between!) the two world wars.

However, by the time I had finished reading about the eldest daughter’s experiences after she left home, I thought I would drown in “schmaltz”.

I have no patience for this. I moved on to a new book, which is riveting!

You’ll be hearing about it!