...this is a story for all those who run round in circles in search of themselves...
...for all those who run away to Greece and find themselves there...
...for all those who, like myself, awoke in Greece and found a beautiful day...
...and for all those who need a little Greekness in between unpacking their bags and buying the next ticket...

 

 

"...a gentle story guaranteed to bemuse and amuse you time after time, whether at home, on holiday or just searching for that special feeling of grecofilia..."

 "...I promise your heart will smile..."

 

grecofilia

 

 

 

...the tale of a lonely man who falls in love with a country and thereby finds himself... 

 

 

I have been visiting Greece every year for half my adult life filling dog-eared note books with fragments and snatches of life and gossip to keep me going through the colder months when I'm home again in Cornwall.
During the first winter in our old cottage, after a year of no travelling, I began writing a story about a young library assistant, Godfrey Ash, who arrives in Greece for the funeral of his uncle only for him to become entangled in local superstition and antiquity theft. I began with no idea as to how the story would unfold but, as in life, it began writing itself and grew into a love story between the young man and the country of his uncle.

I think the story just grew naturally, as do those feelings we Grecophiles feel whenever we open the door to Greece.


 

Godfrey Ash is a most reluctant traveller. He has all he needs in Cornwall. A sober, well-respected library assistant with predictable daily routine, he lives in his aunt's cottage in the village of Trevean. She lives in Greece with her husband, Pantelis Lambrakis. One day Aunt Agnes phones with the tragic news that Uncle Pani has died of sudden heart-attack and begs Godfrey to be at the funeral.

Godfrey arrives on the day of the funeral and just before they leave for the church, his aunt imparts some deeply disturbing information in that his uncle was in fact his biological father. Godfrey is devastated, his mind a jumbled mess. He feels betrayed and angry. Blindly, he storms around the village unable to find his way. How is this new Godfrey to be reconciled within the comfort of his everyday world back home? Dejected and unsure, he no longer knows himself. He avoids confrontation with swaggering groups of 'brick heads' that wander through his father's village; he lacks the nerve to speak his mind when he doubts the wisdom of well-meaning village expectations; but mostly he fears for the safety of all he holds dear after threats from his criminally self-consumed ex-wife who has plans of her own for the island. Initially, Godfrey chooses the easy way out and makes for the comparative cosiness of his life in the UK.

But whilst waiting for his flight, amongst the swirling tide of travellers, he comes upon a sleeping group of gypsies and their friends. Sitting wide-awake in the middle of the group is a little girl defiantly pulling faces at all she considers a threat to her group. In a flash of clarity, Godfrey sees the contrast with his own lack of conviction and realises the solution to his problems lies in a deeper involvement with himself and thereby with the village community which in turn will give him the confidence to make his own choices and eventually find himself. Godfrey's transformation is almost complete. He turns his back on the airport and returns to the village, flushed and exhilarated, ready to face the impending crisis...

 

 "In this eBook anti-hero Godfrey arrives on Greek shores in the role of a modern day Odysseus. Appointed by fate, can he (as Odysseus before him) protect the heritage of a desperate people whilst the odds seem against them? Tony's tale weaves greed, lust, mythology and crime, together with family values, honour, music and a love and eye for all that is Greek. Throw in a Cruella de Ville-type ex-partner, a backdrop of blue Aegean sky, a shared secret, ancient relics and help from the goddess Athena and watch a story that starts off at a 'siga siga' pace develop into a warp-speed crescendo as every good Greek drama should. In his first novel Tony Brown proves as ever to be a great observer of Greek life without reverting to caricature." ~ SKLesvos Reviewer for  The Greek-o-File Vol 6'

 

 

...if you would like to download a copy of my story contact me at tony@grecofilia.co.uk...

 

and for a copy in eBook format please click on:~  

http://www.bibliocracy.com/e-books/fantasy/grecofilia 

then in the left hand column click on Fantasy

 

 

grecofilia

 

 

 


 

 

 

www.grecofilia.co.uk 

 

©2011 - PERMISSION TO COPY. The content of this website is the Copyright of Tony Brown and is protected by international copyright law. You are welcome to copy it for personal or non profit, or educational purposes only and you have my permission to do so, provided it is copied and re-published in it's entirety complete with copyright notice and website address. If you wish to copy it for electronic publication on an intranet, website, blog or Newsletter you may do so provided the article is copied and re-published in it's entirety with all html, copyright information and hyperlinks intact and unaltered in any way with no redirects. If you wish to copy it for any other purpose please contact me for permission first. tony@grecofilia.co.uk