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Age
under 9 years old years
Number of pages
264
Cover
Hardcover
Year of publication
2023
Publisher
Metaichmio
IS-IT-GOOD? IS-IT-SAD? is the secret question exchanged between Melia and Myrto just before they go to sleep. Two little sisters living on an island in the Aegean in 1936 listen to their grandfather talk for endless hours about his "ancients," they look forward to meeting their friends from the shanties when summer arrives, but above all, they go crazy for the magical stories told by their cousin Nikos, a student from Athens.
The kaplani – as it is called on the island – a stuffed tiger, is locked inside the showcase of the big hall of the house, sometimes looking with its blue eye and sometimes with its black eye, depending on its mood. What happens on a hot day in August that disrupts the lives of the girls and their loved ones? Who wants to harm the kaplani?
The kaplani of the showcase is almost autobiographical and describes my childhood years in Samos. How could it not reference the dictatorship of Metaxas in 1936, which invaded our lives and intertwined with our games? This novel, even though it was my first, did not challenge me much. Nor was my main concern to talk to children about the dictatorship.
What I wrote were stories that I told every night to my children before they slept, about my sister and me, about our grandfather, and generally about our childhood years in Samos. I spoke to them with a lot of humor about our adventures, our friends, and our games, and as for the dictatorship, it emerged on its own.
THEY WROTE ABOUT THE BOOK
Alki Zei must, I think, be recognized as a literary phenomenon. The book, with its natural effortless flow – you laugh on every page – illuminates and teaches. It puts its finger on the wounds that have long oppressed and tortured Greek life. Elli Alexiou
It is an introduction to one of the most tender, most insightful, and most imaginative texts of a literature that, ultimately, because it calls forth emotion in the realm of realism, will always be an island of refuge and reading pleasure. Simplicity always has an advantage over complexity: it is accessible to all ages, in all eras. And it leaves many beautiful memories. Ilias Kanellis, The Books Journal
Type: Children's & Young Adult Literature, Novel
Atmosphere: A journey into the innocence and adventures of childhood, set against a backdrop of historical change.
Alki Zei should, I think, be hailed as a literary phenomenon. The book, with its natural, effortless flow—you laugh on every page—illuminates and teaches. It puts its finger on the wounds that have plagued and tormented Greek life for years. Ella Alexiou
It is an introduction to one of the most tender, most intelligent, and most inventive texts of a literature that, ultimately, because it evokes emotion within the realm of realism, will always be a haven and a source of reading pleasure. Simplicity always has an advantage over complexity: it is accessible to all ages, in all eras. And it leaves many beautiful memories. Ilias Kanellis, The Books Journal
Alki Zei (1923-2020) was one of the most important Greek female authors. She was born in Athens, spent her early years in Samos, and studied Philosophy and Dramatic Arts. Due to her political beliefs, she lived in exile for several years in Tashkent and Moscow, where she studied screenwriting. In 1964 she returned to Greece, but left again for Paris during the dictatorship. Her first novel, "Wildcat Under Glass", inspired by her childhood years, was a huge success and was translated into many languages. Her work includes beloved children's books, such as "Petros' Great Walk", as well as novels for adults, such as "Achilles' Fiancée". She received many honorary distinctions for her entire body of work, which was loved by thousands of readers in Greece and abroad.
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