Willow Tree and Olive

by Irini Savvides

Enough waterwave taffeta for a lifetime of weddings, always in apricot, with matching shoes and a sugared almond under your pillow so you can dream of the man you love. Olive always seems to be at weddings, christenings or some other family celebrations.
She laughs wildly and counts the restaurant's Wedgewood plates as they hit the wall. But she can't hide her desperate struggle to piece together a shattered sense of trust. Because the family that sings and draws her into the dance failed to protect her once when she needed them.

Half the time Olive is embarrassed by her culture and even hates being Greek. But as her skip friend Kerry tells her, the other half of the time she goes on as if the Greeks invented everything.

Her parents decide that a change of scene will help Olive through her inability to handle school, family, growing up-the whole bit. So they send her on a holiday to Greece. And it's the Greeks' determination to survive, along with their love of poetry and myth, that finally encourage Olive to step out of a past she can no longer face, and take on the future.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Greece

260 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off really well but then dragged towards the end

[Kikkra Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books stick with you for a life time. I first read this book over 20 years ago, and still it manages to leave an imprint on me with every read.

Olive is a vibrant young woman, about to start her HSC year, when suddenly, and what seems like out of nowhere, her world comes crashing down around her. Suddenly Olive is struggling to comprehend the trauma she endured at a young age.

This is a deeply moving story of healing and hope. Of faith and love and determination. It shows Olive as a relatable human, full of passions and promises. We see her torn down and stripped bare to her very soul and then walk with her on her journey to self acceptance and healing.

Savvides uses a wide range of story telling techniques. Apart from the regular narrative form she engages in poems and letters to help up really understand her characters. This is a tale that does not tarnish with age. It is a story that should always be told and shared.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my fourth read through. I absolutely LOVE this book. The story is beautiful and while being very deep it's easy to read. Not only is the plot and language excellent, but the actual style of it really draws the reader in. The occasional piece of poetry, the different fonts, the change of formats to reflect where she's at, what she's doing and her state of mental deterioration, these all give incredibly powerful effects on the way the reader takes the book in, not to mention making it very interesting.

Having never been to Greece myself, nor knowing much about the culture, this book gave me a very romantic insight to it, and I do not mean romantic in a lovers way, but more a softer more sentimental way.

I would recommend this book to anyone who understands beauty and depth. And once again revel in just how easy it was to read, despite revolving such a heavy and horrific topic.

[Alec Aiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favourite books when I was in High School and still has a very special place in my heart. Olive's quirky endearing and strong sense of self appealed to me as a 17 year old and I identified strongly with her love of drama and Greece, and even more so with the feeling of not quite fitting in. This book is so beautifully and hauntingly written, so beautifully fragmented. Seeing Olive break and then rebuild herself is heartbreaking and powerfully uplifting. Honestly, I cannot recommend this book more, it's what made me want to study counselling and support people through rough times.

[Discoverylover]

The beginning of this book reminded me of Private Peaceful, that slow build up to tension, but not knowing what's going to happen. And when "it" did happen, it was horrifying, and I felt like I should cry but couldn't.

I guess extremely gripping would be a good way to describe it, and the end was fantastic and really makes me want to go to Greece!

[Rosie M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book... wow! I've really gotten into what I call wog lit, not because I'm racist, it's just books about people who are Italian/Greek/Spanish (I know I wish I was). I really liked this. The style was good, and the plot was brilliant!

[Louisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great story written in a great style. I especially liked Olive's healing journey in Greece. Her sense of feeling fractured and not properly belonging to either her Australian or Greek worlds really resonated with me.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really moving and inspirational story.

[Bridget Ivanovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

1st half a bit slow but once the focus point is revealed it gets better and the main character (olive )shines .

[Thea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh gosh I was obsessed with this book in my teens and a decade on I still adore the main character. The subject matter may be a bit intense for younger YA readers but it's not explicit