Book Review by Soulla Christodoulou
Welcome to this week’s My Book Love For post… my book review for a wonderfully rich in character and story epic family saga set in post-war Greece.
The story, One More Smile, by Chrisoula Panagoulia, unfolds with poverty, a strict father and the loss of a mother. It pulled at my heart strings and continued to do so page after page as the life of Georgia unfolded.
From Greece to Australia, Georgia’s heart-breaking life is raw, it’s real and many readers, I am sure, will be able to sympathise and hold love in their hearts for Georgia and her life.
The epic tale spans many years and generations of family and is essentially a story about cultural and traditional holds on our lives just as much as it is about love, family and relationships.
Themes of hardship and poverty are at times cold and unrelenting and yet there are episodes of love and comfort in Georgia’s life which soften the cruel turns of events she has to face in her life.
In parts, Chrisoula’s love of writing is evident and there are some beautiful descriptions and moments of pure tenderness captured so perfectly well that I had to stop and wipe the tears from my eyes.
If you like family sagas set in a post-war time then this book is for you… a historical fiction novel which really does carry you through with One More Smile.
Chrisoula Panagoulia was born in Greece and at the age of five months old her family moved to Sydney, Australia.
Eleven years later they returned to Greece.
When not writing fiction, Chrisoula teaches English to Greek school students and adults, a profession she absolutely loves, “…after writing of course!!” she says.
Thank you for joining me and I hope to see you all again next week.
With much love, Soulla xxx
