The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the sea air in this captivating novel

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As well as studying the Greek language (it is her ultimate ambition to read everything and anything without the presence of a dictionary by her side), she spends her spare time reading, swimming, playing tennis and, these days, dancing (having been a contestant in Greece’s version of “Strictly” in 2021). A beautiful, moving and thought provoking story, The Figurine is a stunning read . . . her love and passion for Greece comes through loud and clear with every word she writes’ Real Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Figurine shares the story of Helena, who is part Greek and part Scottish. As a young child, she spends her holidays with her mother’s parents in Athens. Her annual visits continue until the political turmoil of Greece in the 1970s and her grandparents passing. When emptying their lavish apartment, she finds evidence of her grandfather’s nefarious past. A past that’s shrouded in violence, corruption, looting, theft and illegal acquisition of Greek treasures. Helena’s attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather’s actions will take her on a journey that will captivate the reader. Victoria Hislop studied English Literature at Oxford University and afterwards worked in book publishing, PR and journalism. During her time as a journalist, she wrote on education and travel for national newspapers and magazines and was sent on assignments around the world.

Feel the sun on your face and the sand of the Aegean islands beneath your feet as you uncover the fate of the Bronze Age figurines in the heart-pounding new novel from the No 1 bestselling author.* Helena’s desire to find answers dovetails with a growing fascination for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth – and to understand the origins of her grandfather’s collection. So when I saw Victoria’s latest book I was interested to see if I would enjoy just as much, given I normally don’t read books of this genre. So thank you for giving me the chance to this ARCToday, I’m a show-off at any party where there’s a chance to dance, and I’ve embraced a new fitness regime which includes boxing. It demands the greater level of fitness I managed to achieve and the footwork is reminiscent of dancing. Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors – and looters – alike. Victoria Hislop's books are classics. Well written, and which take you to other places and times and bring them vividly to life. This book is no exception and again shows why Ms Hislop is a master of her craft. Her grief was all too apparent. ‘It’s been a terrible, terrible time,’ said Annabel Croft recently, reflecting on the five months that have passed since the death of her beloved husband, Mel Coleman, aged 60, just weeks after being diagnosed with stomach cancer. Her love for Greece shines through and transports readers to a brilliantly drawn world' Independent

I found the novel very long for what it was, throughout you are teased something bad is going to happen but it never really does. At the writing is flat and the characters did not come to life for me, in the same way Greece does, with clear ‘baddies’ and ‘goodies’ and not much in between which left the writing feel quite childish. Which was a shame given the important point I believe the author was trying to make. There is no doubting Victoria Hislop is an incredible storyteller who has opened up the history of Greece to a wider contemporary world; her attention to detail and the creation of warm and sympathetic characters instantly grabs readers' Real Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Indeed, the night I danced the Salsa (without doing the splits) and ended up near the top of the leaderboard, I was on the ceiling.

In her third novel, The Thread, Victoria returned to Greece to tell the extraordinary and turbulent tale of Thessaloniki and its people across the 20 th century. Published in 2011 to widespread acclaim, it confirmed her reputation as an inspirational storyteller and was shortlisted for a British Book Award. The Thread is currently in development with a British TV production company.Ladies and gentleman, we have a new rival. The Figurine is up there with it. Like with all Hislop's books, they are set in Greece, and you can see the love Hislop has for the country. The way she describes the richly detailed scenes, the language she uses and the Greek words she inserts into the dialogue (but always followed with the English so you can understand easily), gives the book real authenticity and readers will feel like they are there. I love Greece, and have spent so many wonderful holidays of many of the Greek islands. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also steeped in history and it is this history that Victoria Hislop recreates in her novels. In 2020, came the sequel to The Island, One August Night, which was adapted for Greek state television in 2022.

This was the sting in the tail of a year none of us will ever forget. After all, Covid stole months from our lives and, for many of us, loved ones, too. I had lost my mother at the beginning of the pandemic. Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. WARNING THIS BOOK SHOULD ONLY BE READ WHIST ON HOLIDAY IN GREECE- You will crave all the food, sun, sounds and smells the writer brings Greece alive in your mind so well that if you are not there in real life you will be gutted no matter where else you are in the world. In 2019, Victoria was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield, and in 2020 she was given Honorary Citizenship by the Greek President for her promotion of Greece. A beautifully told story with fabulous characters and a vivid scenery that makes you believe you are in Greece' Real Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Hislop’s love for Greece shines and transports readers through space and time to a brilliantly drawn world” The other professionals and their plus-ones, all Greek, were much younger than me: Olympic athletes (one a gymnast), a recent Eurovision entrant, Greece’s Top Model, a recent winner of Master Chef, a famous actor, popular musicians, gorgeous TV presenters, a well-known rapper, a blogger and an influencer among them. Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. We are experiencing delays with deliveries to many countries, but in most cases local services have now resumed. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.