Greek Fiction Books

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Author: Lena Manta

Mother and daughter... Like enemies... Like strangers... Like in war.

Frantzeska, my heroine... Athena, my mother... A life in war, her life...

Her story, her journey, her choices, our relationship,...

Mother and daughter... Like enemies... Like strangers... Like in war.

Frantzeska, my heroine... Athena, my mother... A life in war, her life...

Her story, her journey, her choices, our relationship, and the nineteen years I spent with her. At war with everyone, my mother. With me, with her friends, with her own family, with life itself in the end...

Together...

See Description & Specifications See Description & Specifications
  • Release 5/2024
  • Pages Pages 512
  • Cover Cover Soft
  • Publisher Publisher PSychogios
Genre: Prose

Reviews (10)

Reviews

  1. 6
  2. 2
  3. 2
  4. 2 stars
    0
  5. 1 star
    0
Review this product
  • Was it easy to read?
  • Was it interesting enough?
  • I liked the writing style
  • I would read a book by the same author
  • I would recommend it for reading
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Like a classic book by Manta. Nothing more and nothing less than what you expect to read from this particular one. As for the story, what can you judge when it comes to real people?

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • tania75

    Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    Wonderful book... everyone will find a "piece" of themselves in it.. common scenes and with our own mother.. redemption for the author.. well done

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    I often heard people talking about Lena Manta, saying the best things about both her book and herself. I even had the joy of seeing her up close several years ago at a presentation in my city. However, I was never tempted to read any of her works. My mistake!

    The very next day after the presentation of her new book "Life in War," I started reading it. Looking at the cover, one is impressed and feels a wave of emotions overwhelming them. Both the beautiful image of a mother and daughter facing each other and the beautiful landscape of Istanbul behind them make you think.

    "Life in War" is the title. And somewhere here, after observing the cover for several minutes, you wonder which war the author is referring to. However, reading the book's summary, you understand that it is a metaphor (probably).

    From the first lines, I loved it. The narration of Lena Manta's childhood, the conflicts in her family, evoked a plethora of emotions in me. The beautiful images and descriptions transported me to another time, to another place. To Istanbul. In a period of deportations where the Turks prohibit the stay of Greeks in Turkey because they are considered a threat, the family of the author's mother is separated. Frantzeska (the mother of Lena Manta) falls in love with Stelios (Lena Manta's father), and somewhere there the reader realizes the ideals of the time and the model of hasty marriage without the possibility of a meaningful acquaintance of the couple. Then, the author's childhood and teenage years are presented. Everything is written simply and vividly, giving the reader the impression that they are watching a well-directed movie.

    Although a sad feeling dominates the book's plot, the reference to love, affection, and the joy of life, beautifully presented by Mrs. Manta, is not omitted. Mother and daughter fall in love at the same time, they rejoice, cry, laugh, get angry, but they do all these things together! And this is one of the most beautiful lessons of this book. The fact that no matter how much suffering they go through, the mother and daughter do not separate.

    The book "Life in War" by Lena Manta is one of my favorite books. It was the reason for me to read more books by Mrs. Manta. Next in line is "The Revenge of the Angels."

    Rating: 10/10 stars

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Really amazing book

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    quite good

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Nice book, relatively good plot.

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • 5
    2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
    This review is about the book: True History

    Once again, Lena Manta is captivating...!!!!

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    • Was it easy to read?
    • Was it interesting enough?
    • I liked the writing style
    • I would read a book by the same author
    • I would recommend it for reading
  • This review is about the book: True History

  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

  • Like a classic book by Manta. Nothing more and nothing less than what you expect to read from this particular one. As for the story, what can you judge when it comes to real people?

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • Wonderful book... everyone will find a "piece" of themselves in it.. common scenes and with our own mother.. redemption for the author.. well done

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • I often heard people talking about Lena Manta, saying the best things about both her book and herself. I even had the joy of seeing her up close several years ago at a presentation in my city. However, I was never tempted to read any of her works. My mistake!

    The very next day after the presentation of her new book "Life in War," I started reading it. Looking at the cover, one is impressed and feels a wave of emotions overwhelming them. Both the beautiful image of a mother and daughter facing each other and the beautiful landscape of Istanbul behind them make you think.

    "Life in War" is the title. And somewhere here, after observing the cover for several minutes, you wonder which war the author is referring to. However, reading the book's summary, you understand that it is a metaphor (probably).

    From the first lines, I loved it. The narration of Lena Manta's childhood, the conflicts in her family, evoked a plethora of emotions in me. The beautiful images and descriptions transported me to another time, to another place. To Istanbul. In a period of deportations where the Turks prohibit the stay of Greeks in Turkey because they are considered a threat, the family of the author's mother is separated. Frantzeska (the mother of Lena Manta) falls in love with Stelios (Lena Manta's father), and somewhere there the reader realizes the ideals of the time and the model of hasty marriage without the possibility of a meaningful acquaintance of the couple. Then, the author's childhood and teenage years are presented. Everything is written simply and vividly, giving the reader the impression that they are watching a well-directed movie.

    Although a sad feeling dominates the book's plot, the reference to love, affection, and the joy of life, beautifully presented by Mrs. Manta, is not omitted. Mother and daughter fall in love at the same time, they rejoice, cry, laugh, get angry, but they do all these things together! And this is one of the most beautiful lessons of this book. The fact that no matter how much suffering they go through, the mother and daughter do not separate.

    The book "Life in War" by Lena Manta is one of my favorite books. It was the reason for me to read more books by Mrs. Manta. Next in line is "The Revenge of the Angels."

    Rating: 10/10 stars

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • Really amazing book

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • quite good

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • See all

Description & Specifications

Mother and daughter... Like enemies... Like strangers... Like in war.

Frantzeska, my heroine... Athena, my mother... A life in war, her life...

Her story, her journey, her choices, our relationship, and the nineteen years I spent with her. At war with everyone, my mother. With me, with her friends, with her own family, with life itself in the end...

Together with her story, and my own childhood and teenage years. Words left unspoken, omissions that brought pain, actions that hurt, lost hugs and tears. All within these pages, which, besides being a biography, also became a painful journey into my own past, to my beginnings...

Read an excerpt

"Are we going to live here now?" she asked, ready to cry.

"Yes, but we will fix it up and it will become very beautiful!"

"And dad? Will he live alone?"

"Didn't I explain to you, my Kallia? Haven't we talked about it so many times? We can't live with dad anymore..."

"Because you fought! You told me! And you fight with me too, but you always forgive me! Why can't you forgive him?"

"It's not the same, my little heart! When two grown-ups keep fighting all the time, it's better for them not to live together anymore!"

"And me? Won't I see my dad again?"

"What are you saying now? What did we say? We will be together all week, and on Sundays, when you don't have school, you will go to see dad!"

"And if I don't want to?"

She opened her mouth to answer, but closed it as her mind got stuck on the child's question. "What does that mean now?" she asked for clarification, so as not to give the wrong answer.

"I'm angry with him! He didn't come to say goodbye to us and..." The child cut off his words in the middle and intertwined his fingers, a sign that he was upset.

She took her in her arms to make her feel safe so she could continue. "And?" she insisted. "What else are you angry with dad about?"

"Because he didn't keep us! He should have locked all the doors and windows so he wouldn't let us leave! If he loved us, he wouldn't have let us leave!" the little girl answered, now crying.

She held her tightly as the sobs shook the child's body. Not a word came from her lips. She sealed them stubbornly as what overflowed in her mind and soul she could not say to a child.

Manufacturer

Product Guides

Book Excerpt

Author
Lena Manta
Publisher
PSychogios
Publishers
Psychogios
Type
Prose
Subtitle
-
Cover
Soft
Number of Pages
512
Release Date
5/2024
Publication Date
2024
Dimensions
14x21 cm
ISBN-13
9786180157406

Important information

Specifications are collected from official manufacturer websites. Please verify the specifications before proceeding with your final purchase. If you notice any problem you can report it here.

Reviews (10)

  1. 6
  2. 2
  3. 2
  4. 2 stars
    0
  5. 1 star
    0
Review this product
  • Was it easy to read?
  • Was it interesting enough?
  • I liked the writing style
  • I would read a book by the same author
  • I would recommend it for reading
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Like a classic book by Manta. Nothing more and nothing less than what you expect to read from this particular one. As for the story, what can you judge when it comes to real people?

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • tania75

    Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    Wonderful book... everyone will find a "piece" of themselves in it.. common scenes and with our own mother.. redemption for the author.. well done

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    I often heard people talking about Lena Manta, saying the best things about both her book and herself. I even had the joy of seeing her up close several years ago at a presentation in my city. However, I was never tempted to read any of her works. My mistake!

    The very next day after the presentation of her new book "Life in War," I started reading it. Looking at the cover, one is impressed and feels a wave of emotions overwhelming them. Both the beautiful image of a mother and daughter facing each other and the beautiful landscape of Istanbul behind them make you think.

    "Life in War" is the title. And somewhere here, after observing the cover for several minutes, you wonder which war the author is referring to. However, reading the book's summary, you understand that it is a metaphor (probably).

    From the first lines, I loved it. The narration of Lena Manta's childhood, the conflicts in her family, evoked a plethora of emotions in me. The beautiful images and descriptions transported me to another time, to another place. To Istanbul. In a period of deportations where the Turks prohibit the stay of Greeks in Turkey because they are considered a threat, the family of the author's mother is separated. Frantzeska (the mother of Lena Manta) falls in love with Stelios (Lena Manta's father), and somewhere there the reader realizes the ideals of the time and the model of hasty marriage without the possibility of a meaningful acquaintance of the couple. Then, the author's childhood and teenage years are presented. Everything is written simply and vividly, giving the reader the impression that they are watching a well-directed movie.

    Although a sad feeling dominates the book's plot, the reference to love, affection, and the joy of life, beautifully presented by Mrs. Manta, is not omitted. Mother and daughter fall in love at the same time, they rejoice, cry, laugh, get angry, but they do all these things together! And this is one of the most beautiful lessons of this book. The fact that no matter how much suffering they go through, the mother and daughter do not separate.

    The book "Life in War" by Lena Manta is one of my favorite books. It was the reason for me to read more books by Mrs. Manta. Next in line is "The Revenge of the Angels."

    Rating: 10/10 stars

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Really amazing book

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    quite good

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • This review is about the book: True History

    Nice book, relatively good plot.

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • 5
    2 out of 2 members found this review helpful
    This review is about the book: True History

    Once again, Lena Manta is captivating...!!!!

    Translated from Greek ·
    Did you find this review helpful?
  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

    • Was it easy to read?
    • Was it interesting enough?
    • I liked the writing style
    • I would read a book by the same author
    • I would recommend it for reading
  • This review is about the book: True History

  • Verified purchase

    This review is about the book: True History

  • Like a classic book by Manta. Nothing more and nothing less than what you expect to read from this particular one. As for the story, what can you judge when it comes to real people?

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • Wonderful book... everyone will find a "piece" of themselves in it.. common scenes and with our own mother.. redemption for the author.. well done

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • I often heard people talking about Lena Manta, saying the best things about both her book and herself. I even had the joy of seeing her up close several years ago at a presentation in my city. However, I was never tempted to read any of her works. My mistake!

    The very next day after the presentation of her new book "Life in War," I started reading it. Looking at the cover, one is impressed and feels a wave of emotions overwhelming them. Both the beautiful image of a mother and daughter facing each other and the beautiful landscape of Istanbul behind them make you think.

    "Life in War" is the title. And somewhere here, after observing the cover for several minutes, you wonder which war the author is referring to. However, reading the book's summary, you understand that it is a metaphor (probably).

    From the first lines, I loved it. The narration of Lena Manta's childhood, the conflicts in her family, evoked a plethora of emotions in me. The beautiful images and descriptions transported me to another time, to another place. To Istanbul. In a period of deportations where the Turks prohibit the stay of Greeks in Turkey because they are considered a threat, the family of the author's mother is separated. Frantzeska (the mother of Lena Manta) falls in love with Stelios (Lena Manta's father), and somewhere there the reader realizes the ideals of the time and the model of hasty marriage without the possibility of a meaningful acquaintance of the couple. Then, the author's childhood and teenage years are presented. Everything is written simply and vividly, giving the reader the impression that they are watching a well-directed movie.

    Although a sad feeling dominates the book's plot, the reference to love, affection, and the joy of life, beautifully presented by Mrs. Manta, is not omitted. Mother and daughter fall in love at the same time, they rejoice, cry, laugh, get angry, but they do all these things together! And this is one of the most beautiful lessons of this book. The fact that no matter how much suffering they go through, the mother and daughter do not separate.

    The book "Life in War" by Lena Manta is one of my favorite books. It was the reason for me to read more books by Mrs. Manta. Next in line is "The Revenge of the Angels."

    Rating: 10/10 stars

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • Really amazing book

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • quite good

    Translated from Greek ·
    0
  • See all
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