The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the Aegean-scented air in the engrossing novel from the much-loved author

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The Figurine is her latest novel which aims to provide the reader with Greek history, language, culture and description wrapped up in a story with interesting characters. The Island is one of my favourite books of all time and I highly recommend to anyone wanting to try out the historical fiction genre. Beneath the surface is a very passionate view I have that we shouldn't half inch things from other countries and then put them in our museums and say, ‘aren't we marvellous?

Victoria Hislop – The Number One Bestselling Author Victoria Hislop – The Number One Bestselling Author

When Helena inherits her grandparents’ apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child in the 1960s.At the group's centre are Ivan, a dancer turned aspiring banker who dabbles in amateur pornography; Fatima, whose independence and work ethic complicate her relationships with friends and a trusted mentor; and Noah, who 'didn't seek sex out so much as it came up to him like an anxious dog in need of affection. Eating, sleeping, working-all were just an annoyance keeping me away from Helena's adventures in Athens. Several years later, Helena is living in her late grandparents apartment and is meeting young people and is slowly becoming aware of the politics that have recently caused great change to the country. There is a lot of talk about greek architecture and truthfully these parts didn’t keep my interest and went over my head at times.

The Figurine | Victoria Hislop | 9781472263933 | NetGalley The Figurine | Victoria Hislop | 9781472263933 | NetGalley

Victoria’s first book for children, Maria’s Island (listed by Waterstones as one of the best children’s books of the year) was also published in 2020 – and is an adaptation of The Island for a younger audience .The characters were all well rounded, particularly Helena and her family and of course her Greek friends. Helena at times seemed very young and naive, though given her age and background it wasn’t that surprising.

The Figurine – Victoria Hislop

This cookie is set by WPML WordPress plugin and is used to test if cookies are enabled on the browser.As I started reading I was a bit like 'is this going to be for me' however, I was soon engrossed in the storyline. Victoria Hislop's One August Night was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback in the first week of August 2021; T hose Who Are Loved was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback for four weeks in August and September 2020. But I haven't practiced for about seven or eight years, my violin sits in my study and it's a beautiful violin. Her descriptions are so rich it takes little imagination to conjure up the sights, smells, people, culture and history of Athens and the Greek islands.

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop Scala Radio Book Club: The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

The theft of cultural treasures and the falsification of provenance diminishes our understanding of civilisation. Sadly I was disappointed with this new Victoria Hislop novel I have always given 5 stars and glowing reviews for her previous novels. She has had to acknowledge her own family’s role in events and wants to, in her own way, put things right and it became almost a heist towards the end as the figurine came up for auction in London. Her own relationship with her Grandfather is strained, he's an oppressive, stern and angry man who often lashes out. Alcohol wasn’t allowed before performing, so I resorted to the calming Bach’s Natural Remedy with its flower extracts and grape spirit, spraying it discreetly into my mouth in the Green Room.Helena finds out more about Greek civilisation and heritage during this time but also discovers the way her mother's homeland has been looted of ancient artifacts.