Synopsis

Once upon a time there was a beautiful village that held a million stories of love and loss and peace and war, and it was swallowed up by a fire that blazed up to the sky. The fire ran all the way down to the sea where it met with its reflection.

A family from two nations, England and Greece, live a simple life in a tiny Greek Irini, Tasso and their daughter, lovely, sweet Chara, whose name means joy. Their life goes up in flames in a single day when one man starts a fire out of greed and indifference. Many are killed, homes are destroyed, and the region’s natural beauty wiped out.

In the wake of the fire, Chara bears deep scars across her back and arms. Tasso is frozen in trauma, devastated that he wasn’t there when his family most needed him. And Irini is crippled by guilt at her part in the fate of the man who started the fire.

But this family has survived, and slowly green shoots of hope and renewal will grow from the smouldering ruins of devastation.

Review

What a beautiful book.

Once again Lefteri has taken a sad and serious subject, and juxtaposed it with hope, love and resilience. At times horrific and heart-breaking, the fierce determination of the characters to look forwards is extremely powerful.

Beautifully written, this book is almost poetic in its storytelling, as we follow Irini’s journey and see the devastating effect fire can have, both physically and emotionally. The world is full of sadness and violence, but we can see that it is our choices that determine how we respond to these events, and what that means for us and our family. Irini’s choices are understandable and perhaps we too would have done the same in the heat of the moment, after so much sorrow and anguish.

One thing that really stands out in this book is the sense of community, which Lefteri captures perfectly. Everyone who lives near the forest has been touched by the fire, but everyone is looking out for each other and this support is so endearing that it takes the story to another level.

Yes there is anger and pain, and a desire for revenge, but at its heart this book is about humanity and what it means to give back in times of need. The shared understanding and experiences bring the town together and in spite of the sadness, it’s wonderful to see the camaraderie and support.

Vivid, emotional and full of hope, this book is one that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

Thanks to Manilla Press for my advanced copy. Opinions my own.