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Give Me Your Tomorrow
A compelling story set in 1969 against the background of the Apollo Moon missions and filled with sunshine, fireworks and pop music, Give Me Your Tomorrow is funny, romantic and moving. Maggie Johnson and her son Alfie arrive on the beautiful Greek island of Symos. She's aiming to save Alfie from an oppressive existence in their home city of Liverpool and to develop a holiday business in the fledgling tourism industry . A family tragedy has confined Nicos Karteras to a lonely life on the island. When Maggie rents his idyllic cottage Nico sees a possible opportunity for friendship and perhaps an end to his loneliness but a simple misunderstanding threatens to blow everything off course.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2014
About the author
John Brassey
2 books10 followersJohn Brassey was born in Heswall in 1953 and grew up in the Lancashire seaside resort of Southport where he attended King George V Grammar School. He left school after completing his A' Levels and joined one of the high street banks working in many branches and offices throughout Merseyside before moving to London as a secondee to the Department Of Trade And Industry.
After his secondment he switched careers and used his banking and DTI experience to join Instanta Ltd, his parent's catering equipment manufacturing business in Southport, which he ran initially with his brother Peter and then with his wife Marion after Peter retired. He and Marion sold the business in 2010 and recently retired to Framlingham in Suffolk.
John is an avid reader who has always enjoyed writing. He wrote a regular blog for the Instanta website and, upon retirement continued blogging in "Notes From Retirement...Where Did The Years Go?" (johnbrassey.blogspot.co.uk) in which he has charted the adventures of moving to a completely new and unknown area.
When not reading or writing he is a regular cinema and gym goer, a cyclist and he also enjoys searching local farms with his metal detector. He is also a voluntary business mentor for Suffolk Chamber Of Commerce and a volunteer for the Framlingham Hour Community.
He has two children, Sarah who is a teacher living in St Andrews and Paul a TV Producer living in Kent. Since retirement John and Marion have been blessed with three granddaughters Rose, Catherine and Melody and a lot of their time is now spent travelling to Kent and to Fife where they have bought a caravan to be close to the family.
After his secondment he switched careers and used his banking and DTI experience to join Instanta Ltd, his parent's catering equipment manufacturing business in Southport, which he ran initially with his brother Peter and then with his wife Marion after Peter retired. He and Marion sold the business in 2010 and recently retired to Framlingham in Suffolk.
John is an avid reader who has always enjoyed writing. He wrote a regular blog for the Instanta website and, upon retirement continued blogging in "Notes From Retirement...Where Did The Years Go?" (johnbrassey.blogspot.co.uk) in which he has charted the adventures of moving to a completely new and unknown area.
When not reading or writing he is a regular cinema and gym goer, a cyclist and he also enjoys searching local farms with his metal detector. He is also a voluntary business mentor for Suffolk Chamber Of Commerce and a volunteer for the Framlingham Hour Community.
He has two children, Sarah who is a teacher living in St Andrews and Paul a TV Producer living in Kent. Since retirement John and Marion have been blessed with three granddaughters Rose, Catherine and Melody and a lot of their time is now spent travelling to Kent and to Fife where they have bought a caravan to be close to the family.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 10, 2014
just found out i won this today oct 10 2014. thanks goodreads! im greek so i think this book will be great!
a girl whos religious parents did not tell her the facts of life became pregnant, she didnt even know it. she had the baby, alfie
he was constantly beat up and teased so she moved from england to a greek island. she is learning greek in the hopes of bringing tourists to the island. she met a man there, who when he was young, was on a boat with his father and brother who were gathering sponges. he had to stay on the boat as look out for them as he had tb and was not able to hold his breath. his dad got a hold of a diver suit which was very dangerous at that time. the brother got attacked by sharks, the boy thought his dad could hold his breath long enough while he got his brother out of the water but the dad didnt know to take a deep breath. they both died. the boy stayed on the island all his years to take care of his widowed mother. but when the english girl came he really liked her and she liked him. he thought her son was her brother so she let him think that, but then he found out accidentally before she could tell him. he was broken hearted. but then her parents showed up after giving up their religious ways and he lit the sky with fireworks and asked her to marry him. they had a wonderful life together and children
i really liked this book as my dad have left his greek island home when he ran away at 13 to join the navy and didnt return for 40 years until the year this book takes place. he was there in aug and watched the astronauts land on the moon, so it was a very good book to bring back all the memories for me.
a girl whos religious parents did not tell her the facts of life became pregnant, she didnt even know it. she had the baby, alfie
he was constantly beat up and teased so she moved from england to a greek island. she is learning greek in the hopes of bringing tourists to the island. she met a man there, who when he was young, was on a boat with his father and brother who were gathering sponges. he had to stay on the boat as look out for them as he had tb and was not able to hold his breath. his dad got a hold of a diver suit which was very dangerous at that time. the brother got attacked by sharks, the boy thought his dad could hold his breath long enough while he got his brother out of the water but the dad didnt know to take a deep breath. they both died. the boy stayed on the island all his years to take care of his widowed mother. but when the english girl came he really liked her and she liked him. he thought her son was her brother so she let him think that, but then he found out accidentally before she could tell him. he was broken hearted. but then her parents showed up after giving up their religious ways and he lit the sky with fireworks and asked her to marry him. they had a wonderful life together and children
i really liked this book as my dad have left his greek island home when he ran away at 13 to join the navy and didnt return for 40 years until the year this book takes place. he was there in aug and watched the astronauts land on the moon, so it was a very good book to bring back all the memories for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2014
Since I don't have a frame of reference for a Greek Island back drop or a small boy raised in England this book becomes delightfully exotic. Raised in the 60's I loved how the author captured the innocence, wonder, and prejudice of the era. The characters are flawed and lovable at the same time and while the romance and relationships are a little stilted they have great heart. The history isn't meant to be true to form but does compel the reader to want to know more. I would choose this author again.
January 1, 2015
Although there's definitely calamities, it's not just a Greek tragedy
The characters were well-rounded, making mistakes, learning and growing. Of course, a quaint Greek island is a wonderful backdrop for a romance - doomed or successful, you'll have to read to find out. I loved the relationship of Alfie and his mum; it was such a contrast to Maggie's struggles with her own parents.
The characters were well-rounded, making mistakes, learning and growing. Of course, a quaint Greek island is a wonderful backdrop for a romance - doomed or successful, you'll have to read to find out. I loved the relationship of Alfie and his mum; it was such a contrast to Maggie's struggles with her own parents.
October 10, 2014
I was lucky enough to win this book through Goodreads.
It's a lovely book. One that makes you genuinely care about the characters and what happens to them. The island life portrayed is exactly as you would imagine it to be. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.
It's a lovely book. One that makes you genuinely care about the characters and what happens to them. The island life portrayed is exactly as you would imagine it to be. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.
May 27, 2017
This was a lovely book to read.
The characters are immediately likeable as is the beautiful Greek island where this story takes place.
Maggie has taken her son Alfie from Liverpool to escape from an impossible relationship with her parents and the bullying that Alfie sustains on a daily basis. They head to the Greek island of Symos and rent a cottage in a beautiful setting.
Under the guidance of their landlord Nicos, Maggie perfects her Greek language and is introduced to the lifestyle of the island and the Greek ways. Has Maggie found her little part of heaven, where she and Alfie can make a new life for themselves and could there be romance on the horizon ?
I received this book from the author, thank you and would recommend this novel.
The characters are immediately likeable as is the beautiful Greek island where this story takes place.
Maggie has taken her son Alfie from Liverpool to escape from an impossible relationship with her parents and the bullying that Alfie sustains on a daily basis. They head to the Greek island of Symos and rent a cottage in a beautiful setting.
Under the guidance of their landlord Nicos, Maggie perfects her Greek language and is introduced to the lifestyle of the island and the Greek ways. Has Maggie found her little part of heaven, where she and Alfie can make a new life for themselves and could there be romance on the horizon ?
I received this book from the author, thank you and would recommend this novel.
September 11, 2014
I received this book as part of a goodreads giveaway.
This is a very good and enjoyable book, well written with good rounded characters who are believable and likeable. Written in sections based on the viewpoints of characters allowing the book to cover the same scenario in different ways, giving a well-rounded story without alienating any of the characters and allowing their reasoning’s to be explained. The book covers the growth of the relationship between both Maggie and Nico, the turning away from the religious cult that Maggie’s parents were in.
The story involves around three main characters, Maggie, Alfie and Nico and is based on the fictional Greek island of Symia near Rhodes. Maggie, escaping the strict religious background of her parents in Liverpool during the 60s, arrives on the Greek island of Symia where she rents an out of the way picturesque cottage. Nico is the landlord of the cottage and one of the remaining Greek families for the end of the sponge diving era. Alfie is Maggie’s son and the reason for the escape.
This is a very good and enjoyable book, well written with good rounded characters who are believable and likeable. Written in sections based on the viewpoints of characters allowing the book to cover the same scenario in different ways, giving a well-rounded story without alienating any of the characters and allowing their reasoning’s to be explained. The book covers the growth of the relationship between both Maggie and Nico, the turning away from the religious cult that Maggie’s parents were in.
The story involves around three main characters, Maggie, Alfie and Nico and is based on the fictional Greek island of Symia near Rhodes. Maggie, escaping the strict religious background of her parents in Liverpool during the 60s, arrives on the Greek island of Symia where she rents an out of the way picturesque cottage. Nico is the landlord of the cottage and one of the remaining Greek families for the end of the sponge diving era. Alfie is Maggie’s son and the reason for the escape.
October 9, 2014
I won this off of Goodreads a while ago and put it aside for "someday". Well, over the holidays, "someday" finally came. I was very pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable of a read this was. It's told in the voice of all the main characters. Some of those voices have really poignant and moving chapters. I found myself trying to slow down my reading so I could stay within the book for as long as possible. Brassey did a very good job with this and I'd be very interested to see any future work of his.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews