Finding change and hope among WWII's Olive Groves
I've just added another great book to my to-read list: Among the Olive Groves, by Chrissie Parker. And it's coming out today. The author is touring the blogosphere to celebrate, and I'm delighted to welcome her here. But first, here's some information about the book:
AMONG THE OLIVE GROVES
Nineteen
year old Elena Petrakis adores living on Zakynthos. When World War Two
looms, her way of life is threatened by forces that she can't control.
Left with no choice she becomes Partisan joining the island's
resistance to fight for what she believes in; her family, her home, and
her freedom. Decades later, thousands of miles away in the Cornish town
of Newquay, a young Kate Fisher prepares to celebrate her twenty-first
birthday, but her joy is fleeting when she learns that she is adopted.
Kate abandons Cornwall, her parents and her best friend Fletch, to live
in Bristol, but her past continues to haunt her. Fleeing to Zakynthos,
she is forced to acknowledge a life that she has struggled to come to
terms with, one that will change her future forever. From the beautiful
crystal turquoise seas of the Ionian Islands to the rugged shores of the
Cornish coast, 'Among the Olive Groves' is a moving story of love,
bravery and sacrifice
With my European background, my love for Cornwall (where we've had many an amazing vacation with our kids), and a still unfulfilled longing to visit the Greek islands, I'm sure you can see why this novel has piqued my interest. And, since Chrissie and I have both Oregon and England in common (two very different places) you can probably see why was interested in learning her view of how changes--both planned and accidental--mold our lives, our self-image, and, maybe,our fiction.So, over to you Chrissie, and thank you for visiting my blog.
Change, by Chrissie Parker
Throughout
our lives we go through numerous changes. Some of those changes are of our own making,
others are forced upon us.
When
they are of our own making we feel euphoria and excitement. We look forward to the new chapter in our
life, wondering where it will lead us, and what fulfilling experiences we will
gain from it. When change is forced upon
us by an unknown or unexpected entity however it can bring on a host of
emotions; panic fear and stress.
Writing
Among the Olive Groves was a huge challenge for me, as the entire book is about
change and characters searching for their identities. Elena Petrakis, one
of the main characters in the book, lives a quiet and peaceful existence on a
beautiful Greek island called Zakynthos. It is the only home she has ever known, and it
is a laid back idyll in the middle of the sea.
The real world seems like a lifetime away and her life is normal and
uncomplicated. Elena see’s wonder in
everything, be it the dawning of a new day, the blossoming of flowers or the
ripening of olives. Suddenly world war
two hits and her life changes, and she and her family are forced into
situations she never dreamed possible.
In
the process of writing this book I did a lot of research to try and understand
what she would have gone through. I read
books about world war two, the Greek Resistance, and what women in particular
went through during the war. Nothing
could have prepared me for what I learned.
I was amazed at how many women joined the resistance, to do their bit
and fight against their oppressors. It
was one of the few ways they could. Many
of them put their lives and those of their families on the line, and not all of
them survived.
Nowadays
we tend, as a society, to take life for granted. Most of us can do what we want when we want. We have endless amounts of technology at our
fingertips to help us out with everything from instant communication, to buying
food, to getting around. Life is easy,
food, on the whole, is plentiful, and most of the time we control change. In comparison to those who lived during the second
world war we have it incredibly easy.
So
how would it feel for the world you know to suddenly crumble around you? For your way of life to completely change. To lose your identity, be made a prisoner of
your own town/village/island. To be put under curfew, to have your food and
consumables rationed to the point of almost being non-existent. To feel desperately hungry all the time. To fear for your life, and those you love.
I
have no idea how I would react, I do not think many people do, but in some
small way I would like to think I would be a little like my character Elena. I would hope that I would find the strength as
she did, to fight for myself, to fight for my family and for my beliefs,
despite the consequences.
So
when we go through life day by day, getting up, going to work, visiting our
family popping to the pub with friends, we should remember those people who had
their lives completely overturned by change.
We should think of those people who sacrificed their lives and showed
incredible bravery so that we can live life the way we do nowadays. We should also remember that change can happen
at any time. We have to hope that if it does,
we will have the freedom to manage it and live through it.
How very true. Our lives may seem so safe and secure, but uncertainties do creep in around the edges. Then we worry, but maybe a novel can remind us, there's a strength we might aspire to that will bring us through. I'm really looking forward to reading this.
About the Author
Chrissie lives in London with her husband and is a freelance
Production Coordinator working in the TV, documentary and film industry.
Chrissie is also an Author.
Her thriller Integrate was
released in October 2013. Chrissie is
currently working on two sequels to Integrate
called Temperance and Retribution. Both will be released in 2015.
Other written work includes factual articles for the Bristolian newspaper and guest articles
for the charities Epilepsy Awareness Squad
and Epilepsy Literary Heritage Foundation. Chrissie has also written a book of short
stories and poems, one of which was performed at the 100
poems by 100 women event at the Bath International Literary Festival in
2013.
Chrissie is passionate about Ancient History, Archaeology and
Travel, and has completed two six-month Archaeology and Egyptology courses with
Exeter University. She also likes to read, collect books, make
bracelets and listens to music. To find out more about Chrissie visit her
website www.chrissieparker.com
Other links:
Twitter - @Chrissie_author
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/ChrissieAuthor/
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