Book clubs in Oxfordshire

Beautifully descriptive prose, but a surprising end, despite the title!

I think it is so simple that particular plants and animals that happened to be in certain places helped civilisation flourish.

The depth of the characters, the powerful writing and the detailed historical context informed by careful research that follows the protagonist, Calliope, through the turbulence of Greece’s years during the Second World War and beyond. I loved Calliope’s sharp intelligence, dry wit and the depth of her inner life that we’re privy to. She feels injustice keenly and we warm to her because she is human; she errs because she has such a big heart, which guides her actions, not always for the best. This is the sort of book she don’t want to end.