From the mountains of Crete to the dreams of postwar Australia From the mountains of Crete to the dreams of postwar Australia It is 1941 and Vic Stockton has missed the evacuation from Crete. Behind him lie the bodies of his dead comrades. Ahead lie days hiding from the Germans and a search for safety. Hungry and exhausted, he eventually stumbles upon a monastery whose abbot offers him shelter in an abandoned hut. As he waits and recovers his strength, supplies are brought to him by Kalliope Venakis - a young woman with the beauty and spirit of Crete in her bones, who yet longs for something more than the confining traditions of her village. But in the crucible of war, when all is tested and everything is at stake, bonds can be formed that resonate down a lifetime. As Vic and Kalliope pursue their postwar lives, it becomes clear that what is in the heart cannot always be expressed. 'achingly beautiful' the Australian 'hard to resist' Michael McGirr, Sydney Morning Herald 'Loukakis has crafted three novels in one: a brilliant war and occupation narrative; a dissection of domestic disquiet in Australia in the 50s and 60s; finally, a story of ambiguous homecoming' the Bulletin 'lyrical ... engrossing' Australian Bookseller And Publisher
