The Girl Under the Olive Tree
'A moving and compelling story' Rachel Hore
-
- £4.99
-
- £4.99
Publisher Description
FROM THE ACCLAIMED AUTHOR OF THE LAST PEARL AND DANCING AT THE VICTORY CAFE, this is a beautiful novel about family secrets, wartime betrayals and redemption.
May 1941 and the island of Crete is invaded by paratroopers from the air. After a lengthy fight, thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers are forced to take to the hills or become escaping PoWs, sheltered by the Cretan villagers.
Sixty years later, Lois West and her young son, Alex, invite feisty Great Aunt Pen to a special eighty-fifth birthday celebration on Crete, knowing she has not been back there since the war.
Penelope George - formerly Giorgidiou - is reluctant to go but is persuaded by the fact it is the 60th anniversary of the Battle. It is time for her to return and make the journey she never thought she'd dare to. On the outward voyage from Athens, she relives her experiences in the city from her early years as a trainee nurse to those last dark days stranded on the island, the last female foreigner.
When word spreads of her visit, and old Cretan friends and family come to greet her, Lois and Alex are caught up in her epic pilgrimage and the journey which leads her to a reunion with the friend she thought she had lost forever - and the truth behind a secret buried deep in the past...
Praise for Leah Fleming
'I enjoyed it enormously.It's a moving and compelling story about a lifetime's journey in search of the truth' RACHEL HORE
'A born storyteller' KATE ATKINSON
Customer Reviews
The Girl under the Olive Tree.
An excellent read about a part of the world that played a vital part during the Second World War that I had not known much about. A wonderful story about two girls from different backgrounds and the part they played.Could not put it down,well worth reading.
Wonderful book
A great well written story.
Characters so believable and the time in history so well portrayed.
I couldn’t put the book down.
Addictive reading
I thought this was one of the best reads ever.The constant flashbacks ,the story which you know is based on fact made it difficult for me to put down although tinged with sadness as well as immense bravery.Brilliant read loved the ending .