Chrysalis

by Richard Romanus

Chrysalis tells the story of seventeen year old Maria Christina Triantafyllou, who lives in Metsovo, a small mountain village in Greece, where women are judged according to their physical strength. Tall, thin, gangly, and extremely myopic, Maria Christina lives in the shadow of her sister, who is considered a goddess in the village. Less evident is Maria Christina’s adoration for her sister’s husband, the handsome and accomplished village doctor.

Fate intervenes when Maria Christina’s dull life is abruptly interrupted by the onslaught of the Second World War and the overlapping Greek Civil War. Being the only western gate into the country, her village becomes a strategic location in both wars, which forces her to emerge from her cocoon and into the center of the turmoil. The crisis affects the fate of three generations, all of whom experience the peril of those years in different ways, changing not only the community and Maria Christina’s destiny, but also redefining the role of women in society.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Greece

310 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 12, 2011

About the author

Born in Vermont and raised in Vermont and Connecticut, Richard Romanus (1943) attended Xavier University and received a BS in Philosophy. He then attended the University of Connecticut Law School for a year, after which he left school to pursue a career as an actor. He studied at the famous Actor’s Studio with Lee Strassberg and his first major role came as the character “Michael” in Martin Scorcese’s classic film Mean Streets. In the years that followed Richard Romanus performed in numerous stage productions, films and television shows. In addition to his acting, Richard Romanus is credited as the composer on several films. Together with his wife, Anthea Sylbert, he also wrote and produced Giving Up the Ghost in 1998 and If You Believe in 1999, for which they were nominated for a Writers Guild of America award for Best Original Screenplay. Since the end of 2001 Richard and Anthea have been living in Skiathos, Greece.

Reviews

[Jenee Rager · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, heartbreaking, and at times confusing, those are the words I would use to describe Chrysalis. The story is flawless, and the author made you feel as if the characters were your own family, friends, and neighbors. I admittedly did not know anything about the Greek civil war so I found this book informative as well. The parts that were confusing were mainly because of my lack of knowledge. Author Romanus does a great job of using true Greek names and words and at times I had trouble keeping characters straight because of the similarity of their names and my lack of knowledge about the Greek naming process. Overall it was a great book that I look forward to passing on to the next reader.

[Miriam Pirolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely fascinating! The storyline is very elaborated and realistic, plus it narrates an amazing love story! The reader gets to know a lot about life during the years of World War II and the Greek Civil War. Through the eyes of Maria Christina, the heroine of the novel, we get to know what it meant to be a woman, during those turbulent years.
Definitely a must read!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, thought-provoking story. I got lost in the pages and didn't want the story to end. I did not know about the Greek civil war before reading this book so I learned a lot about it, and Greek customs as well. I won this book on goodreads and it will be added to my most favorite book shelf.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me this may be the best book I have read in 2012. A very easy read full of emotion.The story about World war II and Greece civil war draws you into the family love hate relationship. The author build small incidents through out the book and always bring these to completion. The thing I liked most about the book was I felt connected to the characters and therefore if it was a sad moment as a reader I would be sad and funny times would make me smile as if I was even there.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking. A well-written story about love and family torn apart by war in Greece. The characters were great to get to know, although the author doesn't elaborate much about the deeper inner conflicts going on in them. He describes what happens on the surface or what the character presents to others, and leaves the rest to the imagination of the reader. There were twists I wasn't expecting because this started out like a really typical war and love story.

[Cleopatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is so well written. The chronicle of this family is a interwined web. I was sad at some points but the story itself is about a period that talks about war and civil war.

If you want to learn some about Greece in WW2 this is a book you will enjoy. I have to warn you though that it will break your heart at some points. So be prepared.

[Armida Publications · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked Corelli's Mandolin, you'll love this book. Romanus manages to create a heroine that is larger than life. A book that touches on the hardships brought on by a conquering army, on the devastation brought on by civil war, on social taboos and preconceptions. And amidst all these, the heroine, a modern day Antigone, shines through. A spellbinding love story that will leave you mesmerized! Clear your weekend for this one!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking story set in World War II and the Greek Civil War. A tender love story with realistic characters that draw you completely into their lives. A plot that makes you want to keep reading. All of these things and more make this a novel to remember.
A lot of novels exist about the WWII era but some give a fresh view of the time period. Unless you are of Greek descent or a history buff this one may not be well known.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wonderful story of a young women who was led to believe that she was not worthy ,but proved to be. The tale drags a little near the end, however the surprise ending seems entirely fitting.
Very telling of the village culture and superstitions and the circumstances during the second world war and civil war in Greece.

[Hollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and will definitely read it again at some point.

[Alison]

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