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The House On Paradise Street. Sofka Zinovieff (2012)

by Sofka Zinovieff(Favorite Author)

3.88 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

1780720912 (ISBN13: 9781780720913)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Short Books

review 1: What an amusing and interesting read...a fantastic effort by Zinovieff. The house on Paradise street is a gripping tale of the Perofinni family in Greece, torn apart in the aftermath of war and civil unrest. We are all but puppets of detiny, controlled a little by our thoughts and emotions and the choices we make. The house in Paradise street personifies just that. the effect of war on everyday life is exemplified beautifully by the strong characters of the story. However, the weaving of Greece's cultural and social life into the political backdrop of the story is most fantastic and admirable, potraying Greece and its people in the most understandable way. Keeping in mind that this is not a crime triller, the twist in the tale and the tying in of the characters and the st... moreory was very well addressed as well. It is admirable that the author keeps in mind that not all her readers will be well acquainted or interested in Greek history and avoids excessive reference to the hard historical facts. When ever related, history has been narrated by the way of common people, thus making the story even more absorbing. In all, a must read for all fans of human drama literature based on factual history
review 2: The author has taken episodes from 60 years of Modern Greek history, beginning with the Nazi occupation of Greece during World War II, and crafts an interesting and well-written novel. Two women narrate their stories, each taking turns. First to narrate is expatriate English women Maud, divorced wife of flamboyant Greek husband Nikitas Perifanis. He dies in an auto accident and from there the story unfolds. Maude narrates her life living with Nikitas in the family's three-story compound on Paradise Street in Athens, shared with her upper-class Greek in-laws. Antigone, Nikitas' estranged mother, returns to the house on Paradise Street after years of living in exile in Russia, to attend her son's funeral. Antigone and her younger brother lived and fought in the mountains during the Greek Civil War, siding with the communists. She was raped and had a son, Nikitas. When the war ended, she was sentenced to jail where her son was born and resided with her until he was two years old. Antigone was forced to abandon Nikitas and moved to Russia for her safety. Her older sister Alexandra and her husband raised the boy and never forgave Antigone, unbeknown of her circumstances. Upon her return to Greece, Antigone must reconcile her differences with her large family. Author Sophia Zinovieff cleverly weaves historical facts with fictional characters and a family torn apart by love and hate, wars and foreign occupiers, into a believable and exciting read. One can learn Modern Greek history by reading this novel.The English born author obviously understands the Greek psyche and the suffering they have endured with foreign invaders throughout their long history. Peppering her writing with Greek phrases adds familiarity with the characters she created. An exciting read. less

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