"Homer is blissfully addictive." Reader review "An expat book of the year, 2015." The Displaced Nation, expat site.
Homer's Where the Heart Is continues the story where the best-selling memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta, left off. Two journalists and their crazy terrier Wallace are into the second year of an amazing adventure, living in the wild Mani, southern Greece. They share an olive grove with their new Greek landlords as the country veers towards bankruptcy and social upheaval.
They are soon pulled into the chaos of the economic crisis with some of the original village characters from Marjory's first memoir. This candid story also the story of the author’s passion for Greece. Woven into the narrative is Marjory’s gripping back story from another dark time while she was working in Athens, during the military dictatorship of the 1970s. It will reveal haunting parallels between this period of history and the current crisis and will highlight as much about Greece as it does about her own personal journey at a young age.
Homer also takes the reader on a memorable journey around the Mani, including an exclusive tour of the late Patrick Leigh Fermor's unique home in Kardamyli, just after he died in 2011, and a trip to the island of Kythera. This edition also features some of the author's own photographs of Greece.
REVIEWS
"Marjory is a skilled wordsmith who has combined her journalistic expertise and story-telling flair to create a highly laudable sequel to Things Can Only Get Feta. Informative and entertaining." - Peter Kerr, best-selling author of Snowball Oranges.
"Beautifully written, at times funny and always insightful, it entertains and at the same time gives us a unique perspective on an indomitable country coping with crisis. What more could you ask for?" - Richard Clark, author of the Greek Notebook series.
"Through her stories, sentiments and humor, we see and feel her love for Greece. Put this at the top of your summer reading list." - Maria A. Karamitsos, founder and editor of WindyCity Greek, in Chicago.
"Marjory takes us on an odyssey with mind, heart and great skill. I loved reading this book." - Pamela Jane Rogers, author of Greekscapes.
"Another wonderful book by Marjory McGinn. The ending tugged at my heart." - Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas, author of Greek memoir, The Nifi.
"Marjory writes at a level that sits with the best of the travelogue genre. Her depth of characterisation and turns of phrase are outstanding." - Amazon reviewer.
"Beautifully written. Her historic insight gives this book a gravitas far beyond its genre without taking anything away from a charming read." - Anthony Hooper, author of The Glass Lie.
"A fascinating and heart-warming memoir. I absolutely loved this book and had a huge lump in my throat at the end of it." - Valerie Poore, author of Watery Ways.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Marjory McGinn is a Scottish-born journalist who has worked as a feature writer for major newspapers in the UK, and in Australia, including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Times, The Daily Mail and The Scotsman. Based in the UK, she regularly spends time in Greece. In 2010 she moved to southern Greece with her husband Jim and famously mad terrier Wallace, during the economic crisis, which became the basis for her four travel memoirs, the Peloponnese Series. memoirs.
Marjory McGinn is a Scottish-born journalist who has worked on newspapers in the UK, and Australia where she spent some of her childhood.
In 2010, she set off for an adventure in the rural Mani, Greece, with her husband and their famously mad Jack Russell dog, Wallace. The adventure lasted four years and is the basis for her 4 travel memoirs: Things Can Only Get Feta, Homer's Where the Heart Is, A Scorpion In The Lemon Tree, A Donkey On The Catwalk. She has also published two novels also set in Greece: A Saint For The Summer and How Greek Is Your Love? in a 2-book series.
Her latest book is a humorous travel memoir with various locations, Wake Me Up For The Elephants.
Marjory writes a blog with a Greek theme on her website www.bigfatgreekodyssey.com/blog. She likes sea swimming, improving her Greek, crazy terriers and photography.
I have fallen in love with Marjory McGinn's travel memoirs set in Greece. After 'Things Can Only Get Feta", I couldn't wait to read this one. It didn't disappoint. This continuation of Marjory and her partner, Jim's, life in a Greek village gives a deeper understanding of Marjory's love of Greece. She also tells of the hardships the Greeks face as the economic crisis worsens, and of the philosophical elements and stoicism of the Greek character to deal with this. Marjory is witty and observant, yet there is also a poignancy in some of her stories. And as usual, the ever- vivacious Wallace often steals the show and we follow his antics with a mixture of amusement and trepidation. A wonderful read and I look forward to the next memoir.
Really enjoyed the second book detailing Marjory's stay in the Peloponnese. Once again we meet old favourites such as Fotini and of course some new characters too. This book has really made me want to explore a region that I barely know.Now looking forward to reading the final part in the series.
I have enjoyed immensely the first travel memoir by Marjory McGinn, Things Can Only Get Feta, so when I was offered a free copy of the sequel in return for an honest review, I jumped at the chance. I had been looking forward to hearing how life has been away from the author’s beloved village of Megali Mantineia, and also, how the adorable pet, Wallace, got along with the fierce big dog in the new house. Last, I yearned to devour further details from the author’s interaction with the quirky locals, and especially Foteini, who is very close to my heart. Where it came to these expectations, the book delivered one hundred per cent. However, the feel of this book is entirely different. There isn’t much lightheartedness, plus it seemed to concentrate a lot on the crisis, containing accounts of political developments which I felt were in too much detail at times.
In this book, I was intrigued to find a second timeline too, about the experiences of the author as a young girl in Athens in the 70s during the dreary junta. These accounts were very interesting, but also serious at times, so readers should be aware this is not your average lighthearted travel book. The author is very talented and has relayed the happenings in both timelines in a wonderful, highly descriptive way, and it has all been very interesting to read. However, for the reasons explained, I am giving this book 4-stars and not top marks, otherwise I feel I’d be unfair to the first volume that was an utter delight to read.
I would recommend to any readers who haven’t read ‘Things Can Only Get Feta’, to read that first, and only then to try this volume.
I have enjoyed both books in equal measure. My only regret is that I now have just one outstanding read left . Thank you Marjory for the exceptional writing that has meant that I have found it difficult to put your book down.
Another wonderful book by Marjory McGinn! I finished reading this one while I was sitting in a café in Greece. The ending tugged at my heart so much that I had to conjure up enough self-control not to cry. McGinn does a beautiful job of portraying small village life in Greece and it does not matter one bit where that village is. The characters are endearing and so recognizable. In particular, there is one character—an old goat herder named Foteini—who encapsulates the old Greek world trying to deal with the new. There is a very humorous scene when McGinn takes Foteini into the new supermarket and Foteini comes across baguettes and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.
In addition to McGinn’s life in her adopted homeland of the Peloponnese, she also poignantly captures different political climates in Greece. My favorite chapters were those that flashed back to the 1970s when McGinn was a 20-something-year-old in Athens during the dictatorship. However, the general spirit of the Greek people—that which McGinn calls the “national sport of living in the minute,”—is relevant throughout the book, regardless of the location, the time period or the government in power. This book is a must-read to anyone who has any kind of connection to Greece or for anyone who is interested in trying to understand the “Greek spirit.”
Not a bad sequel at all. The couple has settled in at a nearby location, so there's not as much local interaction. Instead, the author gives alternating chapters of background of her first time living in Greece (1970's Athens), which at first seemed a bit like padding to get in extra material, but in the end worked out okay.
This is the sequel to "Things Can Only Get Feta," which I received as a Goodreads First Read. I absolutely loved that book, and remarked in my review that I would love to read a sequel someday. Well, Marjory McGinn has now written it, and it does not disappoint! While the first book does address the Greek economic crisis, it was still much more lighthearted than this book, as the crisis has intensified in just a short time. However, the same wit and humor I came to love about the first book comes shining through in many anecdotes in this book. (The bit about Foteini and the petrogazi cooker cracked me up!) Many of the characters, including Foteini and Wallace the dog, are familiar from the first book, and we are introduced to some new friends as well. McGinn has a real gift for painting a portrait of her characters with her words, inviting readers to feel as though they know them and are part of this Greek village community.
I also enjoyed a new style element McGinn used in this book, interspersing flashbacks of her first trip to Greece with the story of her current travels. Learning of her experiences as a visitor to Greece during the military dictatorship of the 1970's gives readers historical perspective on Greek life during times of crisis, and it also gives us a fuller picture of the author's perspective as she travels there today. After reading this book, I not only better comprehend the current economic crisis, but I definitely understand the author's love for Greece and its people, even, or perhaps especially, in times of crisis. I highly recommend both books!
"Homer's Where the Heart Is” is the second book in a series by a talented author who adds humor to her descriptions of their years in Greece. I read the first book by McGinn, "Things Can Only Get Feta", where she describes their first two years in Greece, when she and her husband rented a house in a small village in southern Greece. They chose to become friends with the Greek people and not so much with other expats. "Homer's Where the Heart Is" has a great chapter on Patrick Leigh Fermor (one of the world's great adventure writers who lived near their village for 40 years until his death at about 90) and another chapter on a young Greek Orthodox priest they got to know plus plenty of funny antics by their Jack Russell terrier, and great and not so great times bonding with their Greek friends and improving their Greek. Their friend Foteini is in both books, as she leads an eccentric old fashioned life with her donkey and goats and cheese making. McGinn ranges back and forth from her first time living in Greece in the turbulent 1970s under martial law there, and living there during the current economic tribulations. The Greeks cope with the financial disasters and continue to celebrate life.
I absolutely loved every minute of reading this book! It's chock full with the author's experiences and admiration for the Greek people. There are very funny and heartwarming anecdotes of meetings with strangers along the way, unusual friends made, and rather atypical situations encountered by herself, her partner Jim and their Jack Russell Terrier. There is not a dull moment in Homer's Where the Heart Is - nor for the 2 other books in the trilogy, which I have now read also. I highly recommend this book (as well as #1, Things Can only get Feta, and #3, A Scorpion in the Lemon Tree) to readers who enjoy excellent literature. Read it for the fun, the adventure, and to learn and glean further understanding about life in Greece.
Love it ! An enjoyable read which consists of a collection of stories expertly woven together. I never tire of hearing about Foteina, a remarkable woman who we were introduced to in the first book " Things can only get feta" .The reader also gets an insight into the author's life in Athens in the early 70s which is very interesting and gives you an idea of how she fell in love with Greece. Wallace the Jack Russell's exploits are hilarious but also tinged with some sadnesss. This book sums up the Greek personality and all I can say is I hope she is writing book number three now !
Story is told in descriptive way that covers two stays in Greece that are years apart. The people of Greece come alive with all their warmth, zaniness and troubles. Well told and well worth reading.
Beautifully written. Marjory McGinn has a unique way of sharing the history, culture, the economic crisis, and blend it with a description of a beautiful country with colorful characters. This is one of those memoirs that you just don't want to end.
Having just read Things Can Only Get Feta by Marjory McGinn and absolutely loving it I must confess that this second book in the series seriously tugged at my heartstrings! This book finds Marjory, Jim and the lovable pooch Wallace having moved to a larger house not far from their first home in a rural Greek village. This time we learn about the author’s time living in Athens during the Military Junta as well as her marvellous descriptions of their present life in Greece. It was lovely to see that the friendship with the villagers developed and grew. It was good to see Foteini and others still feature! There’s plenty to make you smile, or even laugh aloud. I’m thinking of the beach escapade with Wallace and Foteini at the supermarket as a couple of examples. Sadly, the Greek economy at this time was in trouble and Marjory describes the deepening crisis and the impact it has on her Greek friends with a great deal of sympathy and admiration for their stoical outlook on life. I love the historical information and throughout her love of Greece and its people are evident. Unfortunately, family problems mean they have to leave Greece and return to the UK. I have to confess the poignant chapter describing their departure brought a tear to my eye. Wonderful writing and I’m so happy to discover there’s another book in the series.
Another enjoyable read in an excellent series The adventures continue as the Scottish journalist and their dog, Wallace, move to live on an olive farm with a local family living nearby. The deepening crisis in Greece surrounds them, as this book meanders back into the past, when Marjory first worked out in Greece. The stories and travels in this second book in the series are well written and at times very funny. The local character, Foteini features again and it was lovely to find out more about her and her growing friendship with Marjory. This was another enjoyable read in an excellent series.
"Homer's Where The Heart Is" is my first Marjory McGinn memoir. Although it is the second book in a series, it reads well as a standalone. Marjory interweaves her Greek Odysseys from the 1970's when she acted as an au pair to a Greek family in Athens, with time spent in rural Greece during the recent economic crisis. There are many heartwarming moments throughout of Marjory, Jim and their Jack Russell Wallace's adventures. However, I felt incredibly sad for the Greek people who managed to survive working in jobs where there were little or no funds available to pay their salary!
Have loved this series and in some ways glad I read this one last. I could feel the sadness at the end but it was good to know there was more to come. Strangely on the news this morning and five years on Greece is still suffering the effects of the austerity cuts but I think I have a much better idea of the Greek problems after reading these three books.
The insights into the problems of the 70s was also very interesting. I spent my first holiday in Greece in 1977 in the Peloponise and had no idea of what had been going on.
I enjoyed this book very much. The interweaving of the author's experiences during the 70's when Greece was under the military junta with the present stay, when Greeks are suffering under the Troika's austerity measures is interesting and evocative.
Having read Marjory's first book, and loved it, I was eager to follow her Greek and adventures with Jim and the adorable Wallace. We find them having moved to a bigger house, not too far away from their original village. Keeping in touch with old neighbours and friends, the delightful Fonteini, it is lovely to see their friendships blossom and strengthen. Marjory intersperses her story with her time in Athens back in the 70s, as a young woman setting out in life, where she was an Au Pair to a Greek family.
The Greek economy is in dire trouble at this time, with job losses, pension, and wages cuts and in some instances, not being paid at all. Marjory portrays the deepening crisis and its impact on her friends and neighbours in a sympathetic and caring way, they all pull together in times of need.
There are plenty of laugh-aloud moments, along with sad heart pulling times, all interspersed with historical facts. I had to laugh at some of Wallace's antics, the Zina escape, the beach incident, and his time on the island, covered in ticks and trying to sneak him back into the apartment hoping the owner will not notice the spotty dog, fortunately, all ended well.
There is also sadness as Wallace falls ill, baffling everyone as his tests all come back as normal. Finally, after further extensive tests, treatments, and X-rays, diagnosed with ulcers they have to attend the Animal clinic in Athens. He is such a loveable little fellow and has a wonderful presence filled with the love of life and adventure, as long as there are no loud noises of course. Unfortunately, due to family illness, they had to cut their stay short and say a very sad goodbye to their friends and return to the UK, promising Fonteini that they would return.
Marjory writes with a deep passion and you can feel their love of Greece, this resonates throughout the book. I can highly recommend this and am looking forward to following their journey in book 3.
Delightful. Another delightful read about two journalists and a dog and their time spent living on the Mani Peninsula of the Peloponnesus of Greece. This time it covers the developments of the Greek “crisis” as well as looking back to the Author’s time in Athens in the early 70s when it was under “Military Junter” rule. It was sad they had to leave Greece and I was sad to come to the end of the book as I’d forgotten there was a third in the series ... which I’m now going to read!
My better half is a Cypriot Greek and I confess to being a grecophile. This book is adorable. The scenery is brought to life by excellent prose. And the Greeks are portrayed as we have always known them to be, kind over generous to a fault and noisy with it.
Another fantastic read by Marjory McGinn about the continuation of her Greek odyssey with Jim and the ever amusing Wallace. As a fellow Grecophile, these memoirs are an absolute delight to read, so insightful into the culture and country of Greece, particularly during the country’s financial crisis
The author sweeps you In and you never want to leave Greece and her experiences. Beautiful descriptions of the geography, the characters and complex history.