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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One month on from #thefigurine coming out, here� Victoria Hislopislop with a reading from the novel. Her grandfather is a stern, formidable man, with a cruel streak that she recognises even at such a young age. He was a general in the junta when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship and anyone who didn’t agree could be made to disappear. Her grandmother, however is kind and generous, but she never defies or criticizes her husband. I’ve been a fan of Victoria’s books for many years now – my first being The Island about the leper colony at the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete. In her irresistible new novel, Sunday Times No 1 bestselling author Victoria Hislop shines a light on the questionable acquisition of cultural treasures and the price people – and countries – will pay to cling on to them.

The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the Aegean The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the Aegean

My followers will probably know by love for Victoria Hislop's books. 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.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. The problem of the plundering of archeological artefacts was something I’d heard about but never deeply contemplated. “The Figurine” certainly brought it to the forefront of my mind. The Figurine’ opens in 1968 and continues into the 1980s. It provides plenty information about Greek history and culture during this period while powerfully evoking its landscape and the lives of its peoples. Chasing Aphrodite – The Hunt for Looted Looted Antiquities at the World’s Richest Museum – Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino Victoria continued: “I love The Figurine very much. 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? This is ours, come and have a look’, because many of the things that we have in our museums are not ours.”

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

A dramatic and moving adaptation of Victoria’s bestselling novel "The Island" with rich, full-colour illustrations by Gill Smith that will transport the reader to the timeless and beautiful Greek landscape … This was a wonderful read . . . a vivid picture of Greece and the people who live there' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐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. Many thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for a free DRC. It was a pleasure to leave my review. This was a wonderful read . . . a vivid picture of Greece and the people who live there’ Real Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ readers can’t fail to be swept up in her ongoing love affair with all things Greek and, in The Figurine, the focus turns to the country’s ancient statuettes and the looting trade that surrounds them.[…]a gripping storyline that leaves no stone unturned”