Everything I knew about Corfu, the Greek island in the Ionian Sea, I learned from watching the heartwarming PBS show The Durrells. That bit of knowledge and a stunning cover led me to believe that Where the Wandering Ends by Yvette Manessis Corporon would be a warm and sunny visit to an exotic locale. That's not what I found, but it's not what this novel intends to be.
This is a sweeping saga in time (from 1947 through the end of the 20th century) and place (from Corfu to New York City) that uses a large cast of characters to trace Greek history from World War II to the recent past. The story includes Greek mythology and the Greek royal family, which was interesting, but the overall tone is so pervasively sad. I struggled to track the many characters, especially when large segments of time were skipped. The pacing was quite uneven, plodding along in some sections, especially at the beginning, and then racing in others.
Most interesting were the mentions of Prince Phillip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and reference to Queen Elizabeth's coronation, as the crowning of King Charles took place while I was reading this novel.
I highly recommend the audiobook beautifully narrated by Myrto Stylou whose authentic pronunciations firmly set me in this place and culture.
Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this novel.
This is a sweeping saga in time (from 1947 through the end of the 20th century) and place (from Corfu to New York City) that uses a large cast of characters to trace Greek history from World War II to the recent past. The story includes Greek mythology and the Greek royal family, which was interesting, but the overall tone is so pervasively sad. I struggled to track the many characters, especially when large segments of time were skipped. The pacing was quite uneven, plodding along in some sections, especially at the beginning, and then racing in others.
Most interesting were the mentions of Prince Phillip, the late Duke of Edinburgh and reference to Queen Elizabeth's coronation, as the crowning of King Charles took place while I was reading this novel.
I highly recommend the audiobook beautifully narrated by Myrto Stylou whose authentic pronunciations firmly set me in this place and culture.
Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing a review copy of this novel.
