The Thread
'Storytelling at its best' from million-copy bestseller Victoria Hislop
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4.2 • 272 Ratings
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- £5.49
Publisher Description
'Victoria weaves an effortless tale that draws you in and makes you forget the world outside exists. She has the ability to make you step into the pages, to transport you to Thessaloniki as you live the story yourself. She writes in such a beautiful way and her characters have depth and credibility . . . Exceptional' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Dimitri Komninos is born as fire devastates Thessaloniki, where Christians, Jews and Muslims live side by side. Five years later, Katerina Sarafoglou loses her mother when their home is destroyed by the Turkish army. She flees across the sea, alone, to Thessaloniki. When she and Dimitri meet, their lives entwine with one another - and the city itself - even as war, fear and persecution divide its people.
Ninety years later, a young Anglo-Greek hears his grandparents' life story for the first time. Should he become the custodian of their legacy and make this city his home, keeping alive the memories of those who were forced to leave?
Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop's books . . .
'A sweeping, magnificently detailed and ambitious saga' The Sunday Times
'Hislop does her research and is very good at interweaving the lives of individuals into the backcloth of great events, giving the reader a history lesson that doesn't feel like one ' Daily Mail
'Hislop's fast-paced narrative and utterly convincing sense of place make her novel a rare treat' Guardian
'This is storytelling at its best and just like a tapestry, when each thread is sewn into place, so emerge the layers and history of relationships past and present' Sunday Express
'Meticulously researched and compellingly told' Woman & Home
'Oh what a tangled web she weaves! Hislop has done well to tell a story as diverse and tempestuous as Thessaloniki's with such lightness of touch' Spectator
'A magnificent setting for this poignant tale . . .Victoria Hislop has a talent of bringing history alive on the printed page' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I wanted this one to last forever' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A beautifully written book that kept me reading late into the night . . . a fascinating glimpse into the not so distant past' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A spell-binding story' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Thessaloniki is much more than a setting for this all-embracing historical saga . . . this many layered story which has been beautifully threaded together' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
*Victoria Hislop's most recent novel, THE FIGURINE, is out now.*
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Turkish troops force the people of Smyrna from their homes in 1922, a young girl named Katerina becomes separated from her mother amid the chaos. Taken in by a fellow refugee with two daughters of her own, Katerina and her surrogate family make a new life together in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. Katerina soon meets Dimitri, the young son of a wealthy businessman, who is living nearby while his mother remodels their mansion on the sea. The novel takes place over the course of their lifetimes, and tracks the crossing of their paths as they struggle to survive and nurture a love indifferent to dogma and national conflict in a city beleaguered by political, social, and emotional turbulence, including Nazi occupation, Communist backlash, civil war, and poverty. . Hislop (The Island) is a clever storyteller who deftly manages to flesh out Katerina and Dimitri's personal lives, while never abandoning the collective for the sake of the individual 20th-century Greece and her citizens are brought vividly to life. Striking an excellent balance between historicity and impassioned drama, Hislop's newest should not be missed.
Customer Reviews
Another great book from Victoria Hislop
I have read The Return and The Island and loved them and fell in love with the places and characters - The Thread was no different. She brings everything to life! You find yourself wanting to visit and googling the history of these places to find out even more...brilliant!
Good, but brilliant if you like this type of book!
The threads which are woven and that connect our friends and family together cannot always be seen or are not immediately identifiable. Memories & remembering to take time to feel & to listen are important.
It took a while to immerse myself in the story and get to know the characters, but I enjoyed reading 'The Thread'. It was historical, has a strong written narrative and the characters are clearly defined and well formed - especially Katerina & Eugenia. But, the character I liked most was Leonidas, this is because he subtly touched the lives of so many people in his short life.
Admittedly, I only read this book as it was selected by my book group as book of the month. 'The Thread' is not a book I would have usually chosen to read. I prefer novels which tend to be more quick in tempo, witty & imaginative to read. However, I have no regrets! I read something otherwise I would not of read and enjoyed it & this is the reason I chose to join a book group! If you read 'The Thread', I hope you enjoy it too?
The Thread
Yet another thought provoking, challenging read. Having read this book twice, it occurred to me that it is probably a fair reflection of life in Greece now! Thank you Victoria.