The House on Paradise Street - Tapa blanda

"A beautifully written and timely book that brings into dramatic focus the tragedy of Greece's recent history" John Humphreys "A fiercely absorbing, passionate novel" Guardian "I can't remember when I was so totally absorbed by a book... Enthralling, moving and wise." Cressida Connolly "A captivating novel that embraces the last turbulent 70 years of Greek history" Mariella Frostrup "Zinovieff's portrayal of Greece is beautiful and believable, engaging all the senses" Spectator "An engrossing saga of a family riven by ideological conflict and fractured by war" Observer "A broad and enriching story of the early 20th century in Greece... An expansive historical framework governs the action of this impressive debut, but it is Zinovieff's scrupulous eye for cultural curiosity which gives the story its sinew and underlying humility." The Independent "An arresting, finely woven first novel." The Economist "That rare thing: a beautifully written novel which is a great read. It is also a compelling guide to the last sixty years of Greek history at this very troubled time for Europe and for all of us" Vesna Goldsworthy, Author of Chernobyl Strawberries

Athens, 1942 - two sisters divided by politics and tragedy...In 2008 Antigone Perifanis returns to her old family home in Athens after 60 years in exile. She has come to attend the funeral of her only son, Nikitas, who was born in prison, and whom she has not seen since she left him as a baby. Nikitas had been distressed in the days before his death and, curious to find out why, his English widow Maud starts to investigate his complicated past. In so doing, she finds herself reigniting a bitter family feud, discovering a heartbreaking story of a young mother caught up in the political tides of the Greek Civil War and forced to make a terrible decision that would blight not only her life but that of future generations...The House on Paradise Street is an epic tale of love and loss, which takes readers from the war-torn streets of Nazi-occupied Athens through the military junta years and on into the troubled city of recent times - and shows what happens when ideology threatens to subsume our sense of humanity.