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Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece
A story of shelter, generosity and welcome. A story of searching for home in the mountains and lakes of northern Greece.
In the summer of 2000, Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia found themselves disillusioned with city life. Overwhelmed by long commutes, they stumbled upon a book about Prespa, Greece – a remote corner of Europe filled with stone villages, snow-capped mountains and wildlife. What began as curiosity soon transformed into a life-changing decision: to make Prespa their home.
Prespa is a crossroads. Where three countries come together around two huge lakes, where limestone collides with granite and heat-pulsing Mediterranean ecosystems meet their colder, Balkan relatives. Here, languages, wartime histories and rivers converge, and pelicans, bears and people leave their footprints on the water’s edge – next to unexploded bombs.
Lifelines is not only the tale of a courageous leap into a new life, but of seasons punctuated by unforgettable encounters, from a stare-down with a bear surrounded by Spring wildflowers to a deep-winter meeting with fourteen wrens sheltering above a frozen doorway. And into this place encircled by mountains, Julian seamlessly weaves an intricate web of stories – of conflict and possibility; of refuge lost and found; of the wild lifelines that connect us all as we move through the world seeking a home.
‘Julian Hoffman’s writing is knockout beautiful, perceptive, sensitive, thoughtful, beguiling, deeply smart, full of humanity, and a lifeline in itself.’ Keggie Carew, author of Dadland
In the summer of 2000, Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia found themselves disillusioned with city life. Overwhelmed by long commutes, they stumbled upon a book about Prespa, Greece – a remote corner of Europe filled with stone villages, snow-capped mountains and wildlife. What began as curiosity soon transformed into a life-changing decision: to make Prespa their home.
Prespa is a crossroads. Where three countries come together around two huge lakes, where limestone collides with granite and heat-pulsing Mediterranean ecosystems meet their colder, Balkan relatives. Here, languages, wartime histories and rivers converge, and pelicans, bears and people leave their footprints on the water’s edge – next to unexploded bombs.
Lifelines is not only the tale of a courageous leap into a new life, but of seasons punctuated by unforgettable encounters, from a stare-down with a bear surrounded by Spring wildflowers to a deep-winter meeting with fourteen wrens sheltering above a frozen doorway. And into this place encircled by mountains, Julian seamlessly weaves an intricate web of stories – of conflict and possibility; of refuge lost and found; of the wild lifelines that connect us all as we move through the world seeking a home.
‘Julian Hoffman’s writing is knockout beautiful, perceptive, sensitive, thoughtful, beguiling, deeply smart, full of humanity, and a lifeline in itself.’ Keggie Carew, author of Dadland
301 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2025
11 people are currently reading
272 people want to read
About the author
Julian Hoffman
9 books48 followersJulian Hoffman lives beside the Prespa lakes in northern Greece. His writing explores the relationships between humans and the natural world, alongside the cultures and communities of place, and is a lyrical blend of nature, travel, history and landscape. His upcoming book, LIFELINES, will be published in May 2025 and is set around the borderland region of Prespa where he and his wife moved in the year 2000 with little idea of what would come next on their journey. His previous book, IRREPLACEABLE, was the Highly Commended Finalist for the 2020 Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation and a Royal Geographical Society 'Book of the Year'. His first book, THE SMALL HEART OF THINGS, won a 2014 National Outdoor Book Award and was selected by Terry Tempest Williams as the winner of the AWP Award for Creative Nonfiction, described by her as a "tapestry of embodied stories...a book of faith in the natural histories of community."
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 23, 2025
"Prespa: Three Countries, Two Lakes, One Future"
Nestled between Albania, North Macedonia and Greece is a unique world- detached from the madness of cities; the insanity of commercialism and full of a diversity in wildlife- flora and fauna - that can only be found in this little pocket off the planet.
Including three national parks and two lakes -The Great and The Small Prespa, Julian Hoffman and his partner Julia arrived in this "remote " area in the late 1990s and decided to make a life and home there.
Lifelines is a beautiful, moving and powerful read. This isn't a regular travelogue ( move to a new country and the trials and tribulations ); this book is much more profound- a deep exploration into the connections we make whether it be with other people; the connections we build with other living creatures ; the connections we make with the surrounding environment and the understanding as to how these are all interrelated - having an impact on each other.
Julian Hoffman takes the reader on a journey of deep reflection and consideration. Divided into three sections- Grounding; Shifting and The Shared World' we are challenged to consider and broaden our understanding of :
The impact of borders( locally and globally ; The shift within the planet of climate and biodiversity crises; The need for all stories to be heard; The erosion of languages; The power and destruction of multinationals and the impact of the climate ; The need for solidarity and not to distant ourselves from the living world; The recognition of co-existence.
Weaving the themes above within the context of the Prespa area and looking at global situations - environmental tragedies and a rapidly changing planet,Julian Hoffmann has written a necessary/vital book that should be widely read. This is a book that you will need to talk about with friends or will quote certain facts.
The stories of life in the region are wonderfully recounted - the local community , the "wildlife/ local birds, fish, animals", events that take place- but the changes that have occurred in Richard and Julia's life over twenty five years shine a bright light on what is happening not just locally but on a global scale. We isolate our thinking to "the self" with dire consequences.
Ultimately, this a love story to what life should be - a deep held respect for all the living elements that are part of a community, country, continent and planet- a unified call to arms to stop the path that is happening and respect that the "human" is part of a bigger picture that in its destruction of wider environments and greed with just focussing on economic growth will lead to its downfall and diminish all lifelines
Thank you Julian Hoffman for superb read - gripped from the start to the end .
One of the essential reads of 2025
Nestled between Albania, North Macedonia and Greece is a unique world- detached from the madness of cities; the insanity of commercialism and full of a diversity in wildlife- flora and fauna - that can only be found in this little pocket off the planet.
Including three national parks and two lakes -The Great and The Small Prespa, Julian Hoffman and his partner Julia arrived in this "remote " area in the late 1990s and decided to make a life and home there.
Lifelines is a beautiful, moving and powerful read. This isn't a regular travelogue ( move to a new country and the trials and tribulations ); this book is much more profound- a deep exploration into the connections we make whether it be with other people; the connections we build with other living creatures ; the connections we make with the surrounding environment and the understanding as to how these are all interrelated - having an impact on each other.
Julian Hoffman takes the reader on a journey of deep reflection and consideration. Divided into three sections- Grounding; Shifting and The Shared World' we are challenged to consider and broaden our understanding of :
The impact of borders( locally and globally ; The shift within the planet of climate and biodiversity crises; The need for all stories to be heard; The erosion of languages; The power and destruction of multinationals and the impact of the climate ; The need for solidarity and not to distant ourselves from the living world; The recognition of co-existence.
Weaving the themes above within the context of the Prespa area and looking at global situations - environmental tragedies and a rapidly changing planet,Julian Hoffmann has written a necessary/vital book that should be widely read. This is a book that you will need to talk about with friends or will quote certain facts.
The stories of life in the region are wonderfully recounted - the local community , the "wildlife/ local birds, fish, animals", events that take place- but the changes that have occurred in Richard and Julia's life over twenty five years shine a bright light on what is happening not just locally but on a global scale. We isolate our thinking to "the self" with dire consequences.
Ultimately, this a love story to what life should be - a deep held respect for all the living elements that are part of a community, country, continent and planet- a unified call to arms to stop the path that is happening and respect that the "human" is part of a bigger picture that in its destruction of wider environments and greed with just focussing on economic growth will lead to its downfall and diminish all lifelines
Thank you Julian Hoffman for superb read - gripped from the start to the end .
One of the essential reads of 2025
October 15, 2025
A wren is normally a very difficult bird to see, but you know they are there because of the noise that they can make. How a bird that tiny can have such a loud song is surreal. Hoffman is lucky enough to see one wren one day, and then he sees another, and another. They are all heading towards an abandoned swallow’s nest, probably to keep warm in the approaching winter storm that is about to hit Prespa.
How Julian Hoffman and his wife ended up in this part of Greece is quite a story, but it began with a book by Giorgos Catsadorakis called Prespa: A Story of Man and Nature. Hoffman and his wife managed to read the entire book as well as polish off two bottles of wine, and not only did they want to visit the place, but they had decided that they wanted to leave London and move there.
It would be a huge, but exciting step into the unknown.
They arrived at a guest house in the village of Agios Germanos a little while after. The proprietor of the establishment asked them how long they were thinking of staying, and they told him they intended to move there for good. Vassilis took on the task of finding them a permanent place to live. It took a while, but he succeeded. They piled their scant belongings in the corner of the house and began their new life.
The village that he lives in is shaped by the mountains and the lakes. They are known as ancient lakes, and there are only a few that are this old around the world. The great age means that the diversity of plants and other life is huge. It is something that he comes to appreciate as he walks through past ancient junipers and into an oak forest. But it is also a reminder that the old ecosystems are equally reliant on human presence and that the absence of people can cause other pressures.
They slowly met the village residents, and Germano finally got to use the one English phrase that he had learnt on them! He was one of those who, after WWII, had been forced to go into exile. When he returned to Greece a while later, he was interred and then tortured for being on the other side ideologically, all accused with scant evidence. Even though the residents are Greek, they don’t necessarily feel a strong allegiance to the home country; rather, they have an empathy with people who are just across the border from them, as they know they are all in it together.
Hoffman delves into his past, explaining how he went from liking to natural world to loving it. It happened on a trip to India, and he can pinpoint the exact moment to when he saw some Sarus cranes. It was a moment that he knew changed his life and new him a new purpose and direction.
The village that they reside in, is described as remote. However, back in the 1990s, it was also restricted; permits needed to be applied for and approved before you could travel there because it shares borders with Albania and Macedonia. These restrictions have eased, but there are still times when people need to take a madcap route to get from one place to another rather than being able to cross the border directly.
Their first years in Prespa, they grew their own vegetables organically and even made a business from it. It was tough work, though and a very steep learning curve. However, working the land this way connected them to the place on a deeper level. They would find traces of the past in their ground, too; coins and bullet cases would regularly come up as they dug the soil over.
This part of Greece gets very cold; not only do they have to put up with snow most winters, but if they are not careful, they can get frozen pipes that can take a month to thaw out. Water is a precious resource up there; they used the local river to irrigate their land and closely followed the local rules for equality. They would find that some would take more than their fair share and it would cause all manner of issues, and is kind of a reflection of what is happening elsewhere in the world.
Getting to know the residents of the village is the key that unlocks the history of the place. Stories of the first road being built and learning about the way that the water levels in the lake have risen and fallen over time taught them so much. They were helped out at one particular incident by their neighbours and were left shaken and grateful for all the assistance they received.
One of things that always surprises me about the pictures that Hoffman posts on his social media channels is just how much snow he gets there. He lives in a Mediterranean country (albeit at altitude) and gets loads, and I live in Dorset, and we get almost no snow here now. When they first moved, the summers used to be wonderful there, but with climate change, it is becoming far more dangerous with higher temperatures and numerous wildfires in the region, as well as droughts, floods and intense hail. Events that used to occur once a lifetime are now becoming more frequent. Scientist can predict that the frequency of these events will increase; what they can’t predict is how many there will be or their intensity.
In one part of the narrative, Hoffman writes about the COVID pandemic. How surreal the various lockdowns and restrictions that were imposed on populations by governments and health professionals as we tried to get a grip on the virus. It reminds him of the stories that his great-grandfather told him about being interred during World War 1, not because of anything that he had done, but because of where he had happened to come from. He posed no threat, but the authorities at the time decided not to take a chance with him and many others.
In their second year growing organic food, they had a massive shock when their biggest customer said that they didn’t need anything over the summer. So, they started preserving food and sales of these would become the bulk of their income in time. Sadly, even that came to an end as the financial crisis of 2008 bit.
Unsure about what to do next, they considered emigrating to Canada, but dithered over the decision. That dithering was a blessing in disguise, as an opportunity to do conservation work and ornithological surveys arose. They now had a more secure future and could stay in their village. His wife ended up managing a bear diet study, which meant collecting lots of bear scat (ye,s they do crap in the woods and lots of other places too). Living near bears and wolves has its own pressures, and Hoffman has a couple of really close encounters. Local farmers see them as a threat, and unless compensation schemes are quick to pay for losses, farmers tend to take matters into their own hands, with inevitable, tragic endings.
Brexit (sigh) adds another layer of complexity to them living in Greece. They and many others had the right to live in the country until we took the stupid decision to leave. To stay, they need to undertake citizenship, and whilst waiting at the hotel near where this takes place, they are distracted by the number of kestrels whizzing by.
It would be a back injury that would spell the end of their small holding, and Hoffman needs a trip to the local hospital for medical intervention. While in the hospital, he was given a pen and a pad, and he began his writing journey, starting with a story about pelicans, and ending up with this, his third book, and this doesn’t feel like this is the end of his writing journey.
Giorgos Catsadorakis’ book was what inspired them to make this journey to Prespa, and he was passionate about the pelicans of the lake, too. So much so that Catsadorakis persuaded the fishermen to be proud of them and not see them as a threat to their livelihood. It worked, though sadly, the pelicans now have multiple threats from climate change, HN51 and the lake water levels that are causing havoc.
People raise their voices against things; we rarely raise them for.
This is a lovely book about the path that Hoffman took to find a place to live in the world. Prespa is his anchor point, and it gives him the strength to move around the world, knowing that he still has that Lifeline attached. It is very well written, too. Having heard him speak at a book event, he is very knowledgeable about all sorts of things, and that same well of information comes across in this book. If I were to have one minor gripe about the book, it didn’t follow a linear timeline, which is my personal preference; it is wide-ranging and jumps around a fair amount. If you are looking for a book that combines a heady blend of travel, natural history and environmental concerns, then this should be on your reading list.
How Julian Hoffman and his wife ended up in this part of Greece is quite a story, but it began with a book by Giorgos Catsadorakis called Prespa: A Story of Man and Nature. Hoffman and his wife managed to read the entire book as well as polish off two bottles of wine, and not only did they want to visit the place, but they had decided that they wanted to leave London and move there.
It would be a huge, but exciting step into the unknown.
They arrived at a guest house in the village of Agios Germanos a little while after. The proprietor of the establishment asked them how long they were thinking of staying, and they told him they intended to move there for good. Vassilis took on the task of finding them a permanent place to live. It took a while, but he succeeded. They piled their scant belongings in the corner of the house and began their new life.
The village that he lives in is shaped by the mountains and the lakes. They are known as ancient lakes, and there are only a few that are this old around the world. The great age means that the diversity of plants and other life is huge. It is something that he comes to appreciate as he walks through past ancient junipers and into an oak forest. But it is also a reminder that the old ecosystems are equally reliant on human presence and that the absence of people can cause other pressures.
They slowly met the village residents, and Germano finally got to use the one English phrase that he had learnt on them! He was one of those who, after WWII, had been forced to go into exile. When he returned to Greece a while later, he was interred and then tortured for being on the other side ideologically, all accused with scant evidence. Even though the residents are Greek, they don’t necessarily feel a strong allegiance to the home country; rather, they have an empathy with people who are just across the border from them, as they know they are all in it together.
Hoffman delves into his past, explaining how he went from liking to natural world to loving it. It happened on a trip to India, and he can pinpoint the exact moment to when he saw some Sarus cranes. It was a moment that he knew changed his life and new him a new purpose and direction.
The village that they reside in, is described as remote. However, back in the 1990s, it was also restricted; permits needed to be applied for and approved before you could travel there because it shares borders with Albania and Macedonia. These restrictions have eased, but there are still times when people need to take a madcap route to get from one place to another rather than being able to cross the border directly.
Their first years in Prespa, they grew their own vegetables organically and even made a business from it. It was tough work, though and a very steep learning curve. However, working the land this way connected them to the place on a deeper level. They would find traces of the past in their ground, too; coins and bullet cases would regularly come up as they dug the soil over.
This part of Greece gets very cold; not only do they have to put up with snow most winters, but if they are not careful, they can get frozen pipes that can take a month to thaw out. Water is a precious resource up there; they used the local river to irrigate their land and closely followed the local rules for equality. They would find that some would take more than their fair share and it would cause all manner of issues, and is kind of a reflection of what is happening elsewhere in the world.
Getting to know the residents of the village is the key that unlocks the history of the place. Stories of the first road being built and learning about the way that the water levels in the lake have risen and fallen over time taught them so much. They were helped out at one particular incident by their neighbours and were left shaken and grateful for all the assistance they received.
One of things that always surprises me about the pictures that Hoffman posts on his social media channels is just how much snow he gets there. He lives in a Mediterranean country (albeit at altitude) and gets loads, and I live in Dorset, and we get almost no snow here now. When they first moved, the summers used to be wonderful there, but with climate change, it is becoming far more dangerous with higher temperatures and numerous wildfires in the region, as well as droughts, floods and intense hail. Events that used to occur once a lifetime are now becoming more frequent. Scientist can predict that the frequency of these events will increase; what they can’t predict is how many there will be or their intensity.
In one part of the narrative, Hoffman writes about the COVID pandemic. How surreal the various lockdowns and restrictions that were imposed on populations by governments and health professionals as we tried to get a grip on the virus. It reminds him of the stories that his great-grandfather told him about being interred during World War 1, not because of anything that he had done, but because of where he had happened to come from. He posed no threat, but the authorities at the time decided not to take a chance with him and many others.
In their second year growing organic food, they had a massive shock when their biggest customer said that they didn’t need anything over the summer. So, they started preserving food and sales of these would become the bulk of their income in time. Sadly, even that came to an end as the financial crisis of 2008 bit.
Unsure about what to do next, they considered emigrating to Canada, but dithered over the decision. That dithering was a blessing in disguise, as an opportunity to do conservation work and ornithological surveys arose. They now had a more secure future and could stay in their village. His wife ended up managing a bear diet study, which meant collecting lots of bear scat (ye,s they do crap in the woods and lots of other places too). Living near bears and wolves has its own pressures, and Hoffman has a couple of really close encounters. Local farmers see them as a threat, and unless compensation schemes are quick to pay for losses, farmers tend to take matters into their own hands, with inevitable, tragic endings.
Brexit (sigh) adds another layer of complexity to them living in Greece. They and many others had the right to live in the country until we took the stupid decision to leave. To stay, they need to undertake citizenship, and whilst waiting at the hotel near where this takes place, they are distracted by the number of kestrels whizzing by.
It would be a back injury that would spell the end of their small holding, and Hoffman needs a trip to the local hospital for medical intervention. While in the hospital, he was given a pen and a pad, and he began his writing journey, starting with a story about pelicans, and ending up with this, his third book, and this doesn’t feel like this is the end of his writing journey.
Giorgos Catsadorakis’ book was what inspired them to make this journey to Prespa, and he was passionate about the pelicans of the lake, too. So much so that Catsadorakis persuaded the fishermen to be proud of them and not see them as a threat to their livelihood. It worked, though sadly, the pelicans now have multiple threats from climate change, HN51 and the lake water levels that are causing havoc.
People raise their voices against things; we rarely raise them for.
This is a lovely book about the path that Hoffman took to find a place to live in the world. Prespa is his anchor point, and it gives him the strength to move around the world, knowing that he still has that Lifeline attached. It is very well written, too. Having heard him speak at a book event, he is very knowledgeable about all sorts of things, and that same well of information comes across in this book. If I were to have one minor gripe about the book, it didn’t follow a linear timeline, which is my personal preference; it is wide-ranging and jumps around a fair amount. If you are looking for a book that combines a heady blend of travel, natural history and environmental concerns, then this should be on your reading list.
August 4, 2025
I really enjoyed this one, what I was expecting was a book about where somebody lived and then they showed off how great it was, all whilst making me green with envy (1 star review type of book), what I actually got was a well written, absorbing book about what a “Home” is, jam packed with history, nature and geography and a need to go visit Prespa…I wonder if Hoffman takes in visitors. haha!
We start off with why Hoffman and his wife move to Prespa, sick of the life in London they crave a quieter life with far more nature around them. The feeling of having found home appears very quickly with how welcoming the locals are and just how beautiful the land is, love at first sight. The book is almost laid out like a series of essays, a subject is discussed, for example bears, and Julian goes on to learn and then teach the reader everything they need to know, he discusses their history with the land and the locals and he includes personal interactions with them…the writing picks up a notch when he has a close encounter with a bear, proper on the edge of my seat moment.
I think there is something for everyone in this book, bears, birds, plants, walking, mountains, history, unexploded ordinance, bureaucracy, bone art, nature conservation…. There are moments where it can get gloomy, a species of bird losing it’s language or 1000’s dying from bird flu are both heart breaking, but Hoffman always ends on a high sharing what locals are doing to save nature from complete destruction, I’m always impressed with what some people will do to save those that need help and you see it again and again in this book.
Highly recommended book, Hoffman is great with words, he weaves an element of wonder into the retelling of his experiences that left this reader with a grin on his face.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2025...
We start off with why Hoffman and his wife move to Prespa, sick of the life in London they crave a quieter life with far more nature around them. The feeling of having found home appears very quickly with how welcoming the locals are and just how beautiful the land is, love at first sight. The book is almost laid out like a series of essays, a subject is discussed, for example bears, and Julian goes on to learn and then teach the reader everything they need to know, he discusses their history with the land and the locals and he includes personal interactions with them…the writing picks up a notch when he has a close encounter with a bear, proper on the edge of my seat moment.
I think there is something for everyone in this book, bears, birds, plants, walking, mountains, history, unexploded ordinance, bureaucracy, bone art, nature conservation…. There are moments where it can get gloomy, a species of bird losing it’s language or 1000’s dying from bird flu are both heart breaking, but Hoffman always ends on a high sharing what locals are doing to save nature from complete destruction, I’m always impressed with what some people will do to save those that need help and you see it again and again in this book.
Highly recommended book, Hoffman is great with words, he weaves an element of wonder into the retelling of his experiences that left this reader with a grin on his face.
Blog review: https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2025...
May 6, 2025
This book is clearly a labor of love from the author - love for wildlife, the health of our planet, and our sense of home wherever that might be. Julian Hoffman writes about all of these things through the lens of the Prespa Lake region which shares borders with Albania, Macedonia, and Greece.
We get to fall in love with the birds, trees, and wetlands that Julian and his partner, Julia, encounter during their 20+ years living in the northwest corner of Greece beside Lake Prespa. The couple were looking for a new home in 2000, having exhausted their patience with the long commutes and grinding work schedules of London.
Moving to Greece and the search for home is a continuous theme in the book that applies to humans and animals alike. The couple learn the patterns of the seasons, become part of the community of people, and actively engage in ecological observation and preservation for the unique, rich wildlife of Prespa.
I finished this book with sharper eyes for the birds and small mammals that I share my corner of the world with. I highly recommend this "walk in the woods" for anyone who enjoys birds, travel, or nature conservation.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Elliott & Thompson for providing an advance reader's copy.
We get to fall in love with the birds, trees, and wetlands that Julian and his partner, Julia, encounter during their 20+ years living in the northwest corner of Greece beside Lake Prespa. The couple were looking for a new home in 2000, having exhausted their patience with the long commutes and grinding work schedules of London.
Moving to Greece and the search for home is a continuous theme in the book that applies to humans and animals alike. The couple learn the patterns of the seasons, become part of the community of people, and actively engage in ecological observation and preservation for the unique, rich wildlife of Prespa.
I finished this book with sharper eyes for the birds and small mammals that I share my corner of the world with. I highly recommend this "walk in the woods" for anyone who enjoys birds, travel, or nature conservation.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Elliott & Thompson for providing an advance reader's copy.
May 25, 2025
Enlightening. I’ve never read a book so full of life and love.
June 6, 2025
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*
"Lifelines" is a wonderful book about a place in the world where I've never been: Prespa, in Greece, but close to North Macedonia and Albania. A memoir yes, but also the story about how one can change the trajectory of one's life to get closer to nature, to help the planet. A calming nature writing book that makes me want to visit and see Prespa for myself.
"Lifelines" is a wonderful book about a place in the world where I've never been: Prespa, in Greece, but close to North Macedonia and Albania. A memoir yes, but also the story about how one can change the trajectory of one's life to get closer to nature, to help the planet. A calming nature writing book that makes me want to visit and see Prespa for myself.
July 11, 2025
Very enjoyable this one. Well written and covers some big topics in a sensitive way.
April 7, 2025
Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece by Julian Hoffman
Our author, Julian Hoffman, is distraught with everyday city life. Upon fond memories of a book read in his past, Prespa becomes a destination of interest—a place of wonder and discovery. Finding the courage to start anew, they pack their belongings and escape to this wonderful city. A community awaits them, mostly and a bit surprisingly, with open arms. Under the guidance of lifelong village members, they begin to learn the history of the land. Prespa houses people of various origins because of its proximity to Macedonia and Albania. Prespa has seen change. Of significance was a civil war within Greece, concluding in 1949. However, through these perils, wildlife continued to prosper. Bears, pelicans, and other such animals inhabited the wetlands. Up close and personal, Julian begins to witness a more prominent alteration in Prespa, its root cause being climate change.
The passion with which Hoffman writes is undeniable. Who can blame him as one who sees the changes affecting the community in which he lives firsthand? Avian flu’s devastating effects on the beloved pelicans come to the forefront. What is evident is the connection, or “lifelines,” humans have with nature and wildlife. How inconspicuously we are entwined. Eradication of landscapes pushes creatures further out of their elements, breaking down a system meant to house all life's organisms in unison, instead seeing certain groups scurrying frantically to survive. Make no mistake, there is a connection. Our decisions have slow-building consequences to the fundamental building blocks of society. The truth is, we are the decision makers. The outcome's negative impact is being felt by those who can not speak. In certain respects, this novel may be a wake-up call.
So, Orb, where do you stand with this novel? The message is strong. Greta Thunberg's speech replayed continuously throughout my readthrough. Like a hammer striking a nail, the topic repeatedly hammered itself into my mind. Although, through time, her ideas had a grating effect. Is this due to my lack of empathy? I don't believe so. I felt as if I understood this sort of emotion coming from Julian Hoffman. That inner fire burns to provoke others to open their eyes. In my exuberance, I tend to be long-winded. I emotionally unpack my facts and provide indisputable evidence, all to my family members rolling their eyes. They have heard these sentiments before and have decided to steer clear. Similarly, I began to evade the main topic within this novel, and as a result, my enjoyment slowed to a crawl. This book teetered on the edge of a precipice, where introspection is not always pleasant. In my deepest hopes, I wish Hoffman could have resided in more stories with the city folk. I felt those tender moments of a stranger meeting a stranger were fascinating. Different nationalities coming together to experience one another, under the majestic beauty of the countryside, living off the land. Alluring passages darted past my eyes as a nearby bear cub frolicked in the underbrush. Where was the cub’s mother? Inciting a sense of unease. Thus producing that visceral magic of mindfulness and being one with nature. I have often stood back in amazement at the flight of birds, and this book only reiterated that curiosity.
It's hard to score this particular book. The literary intentions of this book are admirable. The story at its foundation is polarizing, yet I walked away feeling it could have been considerably shorter and achieved the same ferocity in its delivery. I am giving this 3.45 stars and rounding down to 3 stars. Recommended reading for those interested in climate change and the complexities of human decisions on non-human inhabitants, big and small.
Many thanks to Elliot & Thomson for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
Our author, Julian Hoffman, is distraught with everyday city life. Upon fond memories of a book read in his past, Prespa becomes a destination of interest—a place of wonder and discovery. Finding the courage to start anew, they pack their belongings and escape to this wonderful city. A community awaits them, mostly and a bit surprisingly, with open arms. Under the guidance of lifelong village members, they begin to learn the history of the land. Prespa houses people of various origins because of its proximity to Macedonia and Albania. Prespa has seen change. Of significance was a civil war within Greece, concluding in 1949. However, through these perils, wildlife continued to prosper. Bears, pelicans, and other such animals inhabited the wetlands. Up close and personal, Julian begins to witness a more prominent alteration in Prespa, its root cause being climate change.
The passion with which Hoffman writes is undeniable. Who can blame him as one who sees the changes affecting the community in which he lives firsthand? Avian flu’s devastating effects on the beloved pelicans come to the forefront. What is evident is the connection, or “lifelines,” humans have with nature and wildlife. How inconspicuously we are entwined. Eradication of landscapes pushes creatures further out of their elements, breaking down a system meant to house all life's organisms in unison, instead seeing certain groups scurrying frantically to survive. Make no mistake, there is a connection. Our decisions have slow-building consequences to the fundamental building blocks of society. The truth is, we are the decision makers. The outcome's negative impact is being felt by those who can not speak. In certain respects, this novel may be a wake-up call.
So, Orb, where do you stand with this novel? The message is strong. Greta Thunberg's speech replayed continuously throughout my readthrough. Like a hammer striking a nail, the topic repeatedly hammered itself into my mind. Although, through time, her ideas had a grating effect. Is this due to my lack of empathy? I don't believe so. I felt as if I understood this sort of emotion coming from Julian Hoffman. That inner fire burns to provoke others to open their eyes. In my exuberance, I tend to be long-winded. I emotionally unpack my facts and provide indisputable evidence, all to my family members rolling their eyes. They have heard these sentiments before and have decided to steer clear. Similarly, I began to evade the main topic within this novel, and as a result, my enjoyment slowed to a crawl. This book teetered on the edge of a precipice, where introspection is not always pleasant. In my deepest hopes, I wish Hoffman could have resided in more stories with the city folk. I felt those tender moments of a stranger meeting a stranger were fascinating. Different nationalities coming together to experience one another, under the majestic beauty of the countryside, living off the land. Alluring passages darted past my eyes as a nearby bear cub frolicked in the underbrush. Where was the cub’s mother? Inciting a sense of unease. Thus producing that visceral magic of mindfulness and being one with nature. I have often stood back in amazement at the flight of birds, and this book only reiterated that curiosity.
It's hard to score this particular book. The literary intentions of this book are admirable. The story at its foundation is polarizing, yet I walked away feeling it could have been considerably shorter and achieved the same ferocity in its delivery. I am giving this 3.45 stars and rounding down to 3 stars. Recommended reading for those interested in climate change and the complexities of human decisions on non-human inhabitants, big and small.
Many thanks to Elliot & Thomson for the ARC through NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.
May 14, 2025
There’s an old episode of Charlie Brown, a short series called This is America, Charlie Brown, in which our eponymous hero and the rest of the gang travel to the NASA space station in one of Linus’s dreams, where calamities ensue but the day is (unsurprisingly) saved by these plucky youths. Yet, one part has always remained in my thoughts since watching that show in the 1980s, and it’s a scene towards the end where Lucy, Peppermint Patty and Sally (Charlie’s sister) are looking out of the window. Sally asks, “do you notice something from up here, looking down there?… There are no boundary lines!… Wouldn’t it be nice to have maps with no boundaries?”
I hope you’ll forgive my paraphrasing there. I didn’t have a copy of the script to use and had to rely on an out-of-sync video online. Yet, this, for me, was central to reading Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece by Julian Hoffman, which, on initial reading, reads as a telling of Julian and his (now) wife, Julia, packing up life in the uk and starting a new home in Prespa, a region of two lakes in aremote part of Northern Greece, bordering on Albania and North Macedonia. However, as with all things, life is more multifaceted, and what began as a simple take for a better life becomes a tale of new friends, discovery, awakenings and realisations.
Lifelines can mean a myriad things, but in Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece, Julian Hoffman brings to life the interconnectedness of the world in which we live. The sense of the pervading national boundaries seems very ridiculous when considering that these are boundaries that humankind has made for themselves, for which nature and wildlife have no comprehension. My imagination did run away with me as my mind drifted back to Greece’s mythology and a more comic telling of the siege of Troy, though in my telling, it’s the tale of trying to cross a land border dressed as a pantomime horse, yet I digress.
I’m often impressed (and jealous) of some of Julian’s photos, which traverse across my social media, and the land itself tells the tales that have worn through its mountainous landscape. With such tranquillity, it’s hard to believe that a civil war ensued here, yet its scars are another aspect of the interconnectedness of Lifelines, and remains as much alive in some of the residents as it did in those times, and it is here that Lifelines becomes so much more than one journey to a new life and the natural world’s resilience to human intrusion, but a new chapter to a story in a new home.
I felt there was an underlying nuance within Lifelines, in that not only are we interconnected with, not just the natural world, but with our own created world also. The communities we build are not just houses we build and live in, they are a part of the lifeblood of our world, where tales are created and passed down to our children and so on to theirs. This, for me, was another ‘lifeline’ where, if humankind is not careful, then it risks losing touch not just with the natural world, but with the very thing that makes us ‘human’.
I hope you’ll forgive my paraphrasing there. I didn’t have a copy of the script to use and had to rely on an out-of-sync video online. Yet, this, for me, was central to reading Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece by Julian Hoffman, which, on initial reading, reads as a telling of Julian and his (now) wife, Julia, packing up life in the uk and starting a new home in Prespa, a region of two lakes in aremote part of Northern Greece, bordering on Albania and North Macedonia. However, as with all things, life is more multifaceted, and what began as a simple take for a better life becomes a tale of new friends, discovery, awakenings and realisations.
Lifelines can mean a myriad things, but in Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece, Julian Hoffman brings to life the interconnectedness of the world in which we live. The sense of the pervading national boundaries seems very ridiculous when considering that these are boundaries that humankind has made for themselves, for which nature and wildlife have no comprehension. My imagination did run away with me as my mind drifted back to Greece’s mythology and a more comic telling of the siege of Troy, though in my telling, it’s the tale of trying to cross a land border dressed as a pantomime horse, yet I digress.
I’m often impressed (and jealous) of some of Julian’s photos, which traverse across my social media, and the land itself tells the tales that have worn through its mountainous landscape. With such tranquillity, it’s hard to believe that a civil war ensued here, yet its scars are another aspect of the interconnectedness of Lifelines, and remains as much alive in some of the residents as it did in those times, and it is here that Lifelines becomes so much more than one journey to a new life and the natural world’s resilience to human intrusion, but a new chapter to a story in a new home.
I felt there was an underlying nuance within Lifelines, in that not only are we interconnected with, not just the natural world, but with our own created world also. The communities we build are not just houses we build and live in, they are a part of the lifeblood of our world, where tales are created and passed down to our children and so on to theirs. This, for me, was another ‘lifeline’ where, if humankind is not careful, then it risks losing touch not just with the natural world, but with the very thing that makes us ‘human’.
November 12, 2025
Το βιβλίο έφτασε στα χέρια μου μετά την σύσταση του επιστήμονα, ιατρού και βιβλιόφιλου κου Παππά. Η αναφορά στην Πρέσπα μου κέντρισε το ενδιαφέρον. Είναι μια περιοχή που την επισκέφθηκα πρώτη φορά πριν από δέκα χρόνια και άσκησε επάνω μου μια απίστευτη έλξη, με σαγηνέψε με μια μαγνητική ομορφιά. Έκτοτε πηγαίνω τακτικά, έχω πλέον φίλους, αγαπημένα στέκια και δραστηριότητες.
Το βιβλίο του κυρίου Hoffman είναι συγκλονιστικό. Η δομή της αφήγησης του είναι μαεστρικά σχεδιασμένη πάνω στον τίτλο του "lifelines". Καταφέρνει με μοναδικό τρόπο να χτίζει την ιστορία του από μια απλή αφήγηση, με αφετηρία μια προσωπική του στιγμή, σε παράθεση φυσιοδιφικών παρατηρήσεων, ιστορικών αναδρομών, επιστημονικών αναφορών, προσθήκη προσώπων και παράλληλων αφηγήσεων, καταγραφή της αντίστοιχης επικαιρότητας, ώστε να καταλήγει με άνεση και φυσικότητα στο οικολογικό αποτύπωμα της κάθε μικρής αρχικής παρατήρησης.
Κάθε κεφάλαιο ξεκινάει από το υπέροχο βιωματικό ταξίδι του ζευγαριού και απολήγει στο δραματικό ταξίδι του κόσμου μας, του περιβάλλοντός μας, της Ζωής που μας περιβάλλει. Είναι μια αναφορά στις αόρατες "ζωτικές γραμμές" που διατρέχουν την ιστορία και τη γεωγραφία μας και κρύβουν τα μυστικά του κόσμου.
"..the real key to culture is that it flows; it passes between individuals within societies and from generation to generation through time. That's what lends culture its intricate layers of meaning - its accumulated movement. And that's how past and present, both for us and others, shapes the future to come."
"...because the second we do, the moment we begin to normalise extreme climate events psychologically, we accept there is nothing to be done about a rapidly changing climate. And in doing so, we help validate an ideological position that a degree of damage is the price to be paid to retain our overarching economical model , even if that system foreshortens or makes miserable the lives of others..."
"...Belonging isn't passive but active. It's as much about what you give to a placeand community as it is about what you gain from it"
"..our cultures and traditions aren't closed books, but just pages to be turned - lifelines still to be writen in relationship to a shifting world"
Το βιβλίο του κυρίου Hoffman είναι συγκλονιστικό. Η δομή της αφήγησης του είναι μαεστρικά σχεδιασμένη πάνω στον τίτλο του "lifelines". Καταφέρνει με μοναδικό τρόπο να χτίζει την ιστορία του από μια απλή αφήγηση, με αφετηρία μια προσωπική του στιγμή, σε παράθεση φυσιοδιφικών παρατηρήσεων, ιστορικών αναδρομών, επιστημονικών αναφορών, προσθήκη προσώπων και παράλληλων αφηγήσεων, καταγραφή της αντίστοιχης επικαιρότητας, ώστε να καταλήγει με άνεση και φυσικότητα στο οικολογικό αποτύπωμα της κάθε μικρής αρχικής παρατήρησης.
Κάθε κεφάλαιο ξεκινάει από το υπέροχο βιωματικό ταξίδι του ζευγαριού και απολήγει στο δραματικό ταξίδι του κόσμου μας, του περιβάλλοντός μας, της Ζωής που μας περιβάλλει. Είναι μια αναφορά στις αόρατες "ζωτικές γραμμές" που διατρέχουν την ιστορία και τη γεωγραφία μας και κρύβουν τα μυστικά του κόσμου.
"..the real key to culture is that it flows; it passes between individuals within societies and from generation to generation through time. That's what lends culture its intricate layers of meaning - its accumulated movement. And that's how past and present, both for us and others, shapes the future to come."
"...because the second we do, the moment we begin to normalise extreme climate events psychologically, we accept there is nothing to be done about a rapidly changing climate. And in doing so, we help validate an ideological position that a degree of damage is the price to be paid to retain our overarching economical model , even if that system foreshortens or makes miserable the lives of others..."
"...Belonging isn't passive but active. It's as much about what you give to a placeand community as it is about what you gain from it"
"..our cultures and traditions aren't closed books, but just pages to be turned - lifelines still to be writen in relationship to a shifting world"
March 25, 2025
It is a memoir like no other. Hoffman weaves together personal explorations of belonging together with historical perspectives and writings about nature in a remarkably easy way. Set in the remote beauty of Prespa, Greece, where he and his wife Julia decide to relocate for a quieter life, a life closer to nature. A place with deep history, culture and vivid landscapes, this book is about the coexistence and resilience of the region. It is also about the people and wildlife that live in it. Hoffman writes in a lyrical and nearly poetic way and manages to capture the beauty of nature and human connections in a deeply intimate and personal way that still feels like it would resonate with the vast majority of us. This book is not just for nature lovers but for anyone seeking a sense of place, connection and meaning in an often fragmented world. It is a reminder that both nature and human experience and ultimate survival depend on the fragile but vital threads that bind us together.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott and Thompson publishers for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elliott and Thompson publishers for the opportunity to read this book prior to publication.
May 15, 2025
Reading Lifelines felt like I was transported to Prespa, in Northern Greece, becoming part of the village. This is my favourite type of book, where I can travel while sitting in the garden on a Sunday afternoon, or cozy'd up next to a fire on a chilly night, while at the same time exploring a part of the world that is new to me.
This is a great story of Julian's life and move to Greece, but also the changes in climate and nature that are going on all around us. For me (at least) it made me ask some questions about what is happening to nature around me.
Reading Lifelines I got to explore Northern Greece and North Macedonia, and came away with a new bucket list destination. But what surprised me was learning about wildlife, and birds in particular. I find myself noticing a lot more what is changing, and something new is that I am listening for birdsong a lot more while outdoors, and it's like a new part of the world has opened up for me.
This was a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Elliott & Thompson for providing an advance reader's copy.
This is a great story of Julian's life and move to Greece, but also the changes in climate and nature that are going on all around us. For me (at least) it made me ask some questions about what is happening to nature around me.
Reading Lifelines I got to explore Northern Greece and North Macedonia, and came away with a new bucket list destination. But what surprised me was learning about wildlife, and birds in particular. I find myself noticing a lot more what is changing, and something new is that I am listening for birdsong a lot more while outdoors, and it's like a new part of the world has opened up for me.
This was a great read.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher Elliott & Thompson for providing an advance reader's copy.
April 4, 2025
Lifelines is a beautifully written book that explores how nature survives in unexpected places. The author's writing is descriptive, quite poetic, and very thought provoking. It made me aware of things happening in my own country, far away from Prespa.
Though I did enjoy the book, Lifelines wasn’t the travel memoir I was expecting. It focuses more on nature and conservation, highlighting the resilience of wildlife in changing environments. That said, the book offers a new way of seeing the world.
If you’re interested in a gentle, reflective look at nature and how it adapts, rather than a traditional travel story, Lifelines is definitely worth reading.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
Though I did enjoy the book, Lifelines wasn’t the travel memoir I was expecting. It focuses more on nature and conservation, highlighting the resilience of wildlife in changing environments. That said, the book offers a new way of seeing the world.
If you’re interested in a gentle, reflective look at nature and how it adapts, rather than a traditional travel story, Lifelines is definitely worth reading.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.
May 15, 2025
Lifelines is a heartfelt memoir about finding home through nature and connection. Julian and Julia Hoffman’s move from the 'rat race' in London to the Prespa Lakes in northern Greece (inspired by a book) to embrace the unknown, leads to a rich new life immersed in seasonal beauty, culture, and community. The memoir combines themes of homecoming, friendship, history, and environmental conservation. It’s an inspiring story about being courageous and taking a leap of faith, and ultimately creating bonds with the places we choose to call home.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and this is my review.
I received an advanced review copy from NetGalley and this is my review.
June 23, 2025
Beautiful and lyrical, Lifelines is part-memoir, part-nature writing, part-polemic. Hoffman's stunning evocations of landscape, flora and fauna make it a gentle read, while the attention he draws to the increasing impacts of climate change and human influence on nature is both urgent and tragic. This would make a perfect holiday read for those visiting Greece or the Balkans (I'm a big fan of 'reading local' when travelling), but is more then worthwhile for those of us not lucky enough to be making a trip.
February 8, 2025
A beautiful read. Part memoir, nature watching, climate change and human observation. Based in a part of Greece bordering Albania and Macedonia. Really enjoyed the musings and nature aspects in particular. Will be seeking the author’s other works, thank you. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
December 29, 2025
What a wonderful, reflective book to end the year on. Absolutely sublime. Beautifully written stories of home, belonging and discovery. I was totally entranced from the very beginning. An urgent reminder that we have to protect this incredible planet we are blessed to live on.
July 21, 2025
I enjoyed reading this one!
July 31, 2025
Awwww! So nice. You wouldnt go wrong with this. Must-read
November 15, 2025
So beautifully written, 5 ⭐️ for writing alone, just wasn't a book for me
May 16, 2025
A travel memoir focused on the wonder of nature. Sumptuous writing by Julian Hoffman, who tells the story of how he and wife Julia decide to move to Prespa, a remote and mountainous part of Greece. Memorable moments include a stare-down with a bear surrounded by Spring wildflowers, and a deep-winter meeting with fourteen wrens sheltering above a frozen doorway. The book doesn't shy away from conflict, but always has an optimistic tone.
A book to dive into when you want to escape from the cruelty and avarice of today's world.
A book to dive into when you want to escape from the cruelty and avarice of today's world.
November 20, 2025
A beautifully written travel memoir about a couple who moved to the mountains of Greece. Scenes of nature written so well that you can feel yourself there. A rare book that just left you with good feels after reading. I'm going to get a copy of his previous book, Irreplaceable, to read also.
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