Those Who Are Loved is the story of the German occupation of Greece, subsequently followed by civil war and military dictatorship. This book focuses on Themis, the youngest child in a family divided by politics. She eventually decides to fight for the Communists. The book spans forty years and thigh she is haunted by some of her actions, Themis is proud of what she achieved. Now with grandchildren of her own, she relives her last for them.

This book covers some very delicate subjects but it’s beautifully written and gives you a great insight into Greece’s past featuring a strong and heroic woman.

I’ve loved all of the author’s previous work and this is no exception. Thank you to NetGalley, Headline and the author for the chance to review.

An epic novel covering Greece and its history. I devoured it with joy, sadness and pleasure. It enlightened me as to the history of Greece and to war and dictatorships with many parallels to today.

Highly recommended for those readers who loved The Nightingale by Kristen Hannah.

This is a cosy, gentle read. One of those where you curl up in an armchair with a cup of tea as you turn the pages. It's slow but interesting, covering a period in history I knew little about, from the point of view of a family and friends. Not brilliantly written but soft and comfy.

This begins with a Grandmother telling her family history to 2 of her Grandchildren after the celebration of her 90th Birthday. It’s a fascinating tale of 2nd World War and post-war Greece – which so deserves to be known and told. Despite Hislop’s sometimes ‘simplified’ phrasing (which I wonder if she employs to reach a larger reading audience to her fascinating subject matter) this is a highly informative and ultimately uplifting book.

Themis is married to Giorgos (who now suffers from dementia). She relates her life from her childhood in the 1930s in a grand, derelict house and the breakdown in her parents’ marriage leading to being brought up by their Great Grandmother. She has 3 siblings, who are divided by their political beliefs; how this plays out in the forthcoming years is disturbing and upsetting. There are extreme political situations I never realised were going on in Greece when I was growing up – through to the 1980s.

I did feel the political situation described was too ‘black and white’ – ‘Communist or Nazi collaborator’, with nothing in between; as we all know there are numerous shades of grey in between and not all people who were not Communists were working with the Nazis; however, it does keep the narrative easy to follow. Despite this simplification I feel this is a ‘must read’ for anyone who holidays there, or has an interest in Greece. I would consider it compelling holiday reading (but may be a bit on the depressing side if you’re used to a lighter content!) A very easy way, with compelling, lovely characters especially Themis herself, to learn about how British and US interference, with their fear of Communist influence, set Greece off to a terrible start at the end of the Second World War and beyond.

A very well written and researched book, full of details about the history of Greece from before the second world war. I learnt a great number of things that I didn't know. The story itself was also very interesting and at times a positive page turner. The one fault, for me, was that I felt it was a little long and there was one large section in the middle, that I felt was the cause of this and I felt myself starting to loose interest. It soon picked up pace, however, and then kept me absorbed until the end.

Unputdownable. Victoria Hislop’s family epic of twentieth century Greece grips from first page to the last. Timely history, superb storytelling and characters that live on beyond the page make this essential summer reading.

This isn't my usual genre but having heard good things about the author's previous work I was interested in reading her new novel.
This book takes place in Greece from the 1930s through to the present, telling the story of Themis and her family as they deal with internal and external conflict, fascism and communism and how this impacts their family and country.
Despite dealing with tough and often depressing situations this was a captivating read. Well written, and hard to put down, with interesting and complex characters and a story that lingers with you long after finishing.

Well written about a period of history which we know much about but not necessarily from the point of view of those living in Greece and the Eastern Med. I found it historically interesting but rather slow paced for my taste in reading. Lots of characterisation which will suit many readers especially as you feel that you really get to know the main cast, especially Themis.

An amazing story set within the German occupation of Greece and the subsequent civil war. The trials and tribulations of the central characters make them wholly relateable and are a salutary lesson in how we shaped by our environment. This is how history should be taught - both an education and moving story in one. Victoria Hislop at her best.

The book starts in Athens in 2016 where Themis an old lady is surrounded by her family for a birthday gathering. Her last gift to her family is her life story which she starts to tell.

We then go back to the 1930’s where Thesis is growing up with her siblings Thanasis, Panos and Margarita. The family is divided over their beliefs of the war and the communists ruling Greece. Thesis finds it hard to put her point of view across over her head strong brothers who are always arguing!!

Themis joins the communists fighters but ends up as a prisoner enduring physical violence and hard labour. When she is released she later marries and has a family, but what happened to her is always like a black cloud hanging over her.

This book is well researched, it’s characters are well formed especially Thesis who you can’t help but love.

Even if you are not into history this book is a delightful read which is totally engrossing.

Will definitely look out for Victoria Hislop’s next book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

I have read a few earlier novels by Victoria Hislop and have always enjoyed her stories. The level and depth of her research continues to amaze me. Every story I have read by her involves historical events that are unknown to me. I agree with another reviewer that this novel seems more like a history lesson than a novel and whilst I really did enjoy learning about this period of Greek history I did find that the constant harrowing story that Themis lived through very hard going. I realise that there probably was no 'light relief' living through this period but my goodness it was a depressing read with very little uplifting sections and given it was a novel it would have been nice to have some moments of happiness/ good news. I am grateful to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me a preview copy. My next novel will be a bit of a lighter happier read !

A well researched book about the troubles in Greece after the wars. A history I know very little about. As usual with Victoria Hislop book,s it is well written with very believable characters. The family divide was probably a good representation of the feelings within Greek families during this period. I did feel at times that it was a little bit like a history lesson rather than a story.

Those Who Are Loved is set in two time periods in Greece. We follow the life of Themis and her family today as she is an old woman telling her life story to two of her grandchildren and her life during World War II.

I have read and enjoyed previous books by Victoria Hislop and this one is no exception. It is an extremely well researched, well written compelling read with well drawn characters and I highly recommend it!

Another fantastic book from Victoria Hislop. This story follows the extraordinary fate of Themis through the Nazi occupation and Greek civil war. Beautifully written with well developed characters that you really grow to care about.

What a fascinating and poignant story.
See through the eyes of Themis, an older lady telling her story to her grandchildren, this novel sweeps through the troubled times of Greece in the 1930s onwards.
There is so much that I was not aware of, politically or socially, and it was so interesting to fill in the gaps with this well researched book.
Thank you for a review copy.

Victoria Hislop continues her love affair with Greece in this story set in Athens and tells how opposing political views tear a family apart. Throughout the Nazi occupation and subsequent struggles between idealogies , the family is held together by 2 strong women, both of whom loved their country and their family. Hislop once again forges a compelling story from a perhaps less well known period of the second world war and the rise of communism in Greece ,

As nonagenarian Themis’ birthday celebration draws to a close, she is moved to reflect on her eventful life and decides to bequeath her life story to her two favourite grandchildren, Nikos and Panos. This is a sweeping historical saga set in Victoria Hislop’s beloved Greece.

I was gripped by the story from the moment Themis’ childhood home collapses, necessitating a daring escape by her five-year-old self. It is clear from the outset that we are to be privy to an extraordinary life. This is authentic, brilliantly crafted storytelling which immerses the reader in the life of Themis and her family - from her early childhood being raised by her matriarch grandmother, Kyria Koralis, whilst living under Nazi occupation in Athens, through to the years of civil war in the post-war years and a military coup in the 1960’s. The experiences of adult Themis are set against the backdrop of rising political tensions between communist and right-wing factions, epitomised by the opposing political viewpoints of Themis’ brothers: Panos and Thanasis, as well as the left-wing sympathies of Themis herself. This leads them all into situations which have devastating repercussions, as they fight for their individual beliefs.

Hislop brilliantly evokes a turbulent post war period in Greece's political history by revealing it through the eyes and experiences of fictional protagonist, Themis. I was previously unaware of Greece’s political history and was fascinated to learn about how this country, families and individuals were riven apart by war and conflict. The futility and brutality of war are poignantly realised with Themis’ life frequently marred by tragedy, but simultaneously elevated by the bonds of love and family ties. Throughout her long life, all of Themis’ actions are underpinned by her steadfast belief in equality and civil liberties. This was a real page-turner which I devoured. Many thanks for the ARC!

In an apartment in Athens Themis is celebrating her birthday with another eighteen people, her children and grandchildren. At the end of the day only two remain to help clear up,her granddaughter Popi who lives close by and her American grandson Nikos.
Popi talks about the crisis Greece is going through and tells her grandmother she cooks too much food and shouldn't be so wasteful.
Listening to her naive granddaughter's words Themis decides to leave both of them with a legacy, the story of her life, something she has never told anyone else. It begins with her pointing out the corner across the street where her childhood friend dropped dead of starvation.

If that's not enough to make you pick up and read this book I'll eat my hat.
Like all books by Victoria Hislop this one is a traumatic read.
Themis takes us back to her very young childhood in the 1930's. She lives through an earthquake, Italian and German occupation and civil war.
In the little apartment where her and her brothers and sister lived with their grandmother arguments were plenty with siblings supporting opposite sides in the civil war. As they each leave home to support their cause Themis finds herself being thrown from one disaster to another.

I think what made this book so readable is I felt I was reading a true story. Although this is fiction built around true events it's probably the story of so many many people living in Greece at that time. I found it quite unbearable to read how cruel ordinary everyday people can be to each other in the name of war. No one was safe. Neighbour against neighbour, brother against brother and sometimes even father against son. All fighting for what they believe in and no one winning.
Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. Lots of research has gone into this book. Victoria Hislop makes history come alive especially for those who found it boring at school. She is my favourite writer. Don't miss this book.

This will be posted on my book blog and other review sites on publication day.
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Themis lives with her grandmother, her two brothers and her sister in an apartment on the outskirts of Athens. Her mother is hospitalised and her father away from his homeland, often for ages at a time on the high seas. Her two brothers are always arguing about the politics of Greece and her sister is desperate to lead another life, as is Themis. Her life is lived through turbulent and traumatic times of fear and uncertainty, but none as terrifying as the German occupation of Greece in 1941 which becomes a flare point of what is to come. This is the story of her family and her life and what an extraordinary life it is.
Her conscience leads her to join the communist fighters in the aftermath of the dreaded Occupation and when Civil War breaks out and then the country is ruled by a military dictatorship, the frailty of the country worsens even more. Themis herself is eventually captured and imprisoned first on the dreaded island of Makronisos and then later still she is taken to Trikeri. Her life is in turmoil, Greeks fighting each other and she in mortal danger facing the enemy. When she is released and makes her way back in her family home, she returns both a secret heroine and a secret bandit, having to measure everything she does and says. Her story is about love and loss, fighting for her beliefs and of her bravery and determination. She witnesses the most appalling acts imaginable and her story tells of times when Greece stood on the very precipice of death verses life.
She marries and rears her lovely family, keeping private her political opinions to keep herself safe, until at last she reveals her amazing story to her visiting grandson Nikos and his Popi. The facts of this story are true and the events in history have been meticulously researched, but the characters are skilfully woven into the tempestuous timeframe of recent Greek history in this wonderful, intelligent and evocative novel. Victoria Hislop is an authority in all things ‘Greek’ and is passionate about her storytelling. Her novels are centred on one particular region of Greece and there her stories are woven into a vivid and authentic narrative. The complexity and explosive nature of the times are vivid and relatable, the characters deftly created and given their lives through superb and imaginative storytelling. I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Review in return for an honest review. Thank you most sincerely for my copy. I recommend it as an exciting and fast paced read full of reality and an education itself for those who love historical fiction at its very best or interesting, well informed and enjoyable family sagas.

Victoria Hislop’s novels are always well researched and concentrate on a particular period in history.
‘Those Who Are Loved’ is about Greek history and covers the time from the 1930s onwards so the reader is transported from WW2 right through the Greek Civil War and the military junta up until the present day.
I knew little about the history of modern Greece so this story truly educated me but it was not like reading a dry history book. The novel actually made me feel as if I was living in those times.
Themis is an old lady at the start of the book, living in Athens in the same flat she has inhabited all her life. She is celebrating her birthday with four generations of her family and she decides to tell her grandchildren American Nikos and Greek Popi her life story.
Themis has had an eventful life growing up when Greece was invaded by the Nazis and then when the country was thrust into a savage Civil War which set neighbour against neighbour.
Themis’ siblings shared different political views. She and her brother Panos decide to fight for the Communists whilst her other brother and sister are far more right wing and cannot understand Themis’ and Panos’s opinions. . This really splits the family and their grandmother Kyria who is bringing them up does all she can to keep the peace as the siblings constantly argue.
One would imagine that this would be common during those times with families taking different sides in the war. Politics plays such a major role in all their lives and affects them deeply, particularly as people begin to die and many are badly injured. Massacres in WW2 are described in detail and the violence continues straight after with the Civil War- a situation which is terrible to contemplate and so ironic as the Nazis are gone but now Greeks are killing their own people.
The author goes into great detail about the Civil War and Themis’ imprisonment and torture afterwards. She also mentions the constant fear she has of being rearrested, even many years later under the right wing military government.
I found this a fascinating read as I knew so little about this subject. However it was more than a history book as Victoria Hislop’s characters truly come alive and make the book a compelling read.
I really liked Themis, the strong female lead who eventually becomes a matriarch, looking after her family, avoiding any mention of her life as a soldier when she was a young woman. She fears her Communist background could come back to haunt her so tells her children nothing of her early life.
In the end it is a relief for her to reveal all to her grandchildren.
Her brother Thanasis, who starts the novel as rather unpleasant , gradually mellows as the book moves along and I ended up empathising with him by the end of the novel.
This is an enjoyable read which also educates. A great read and highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.