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A Saint For The Summer
"Superb narrative, engaging characters and fast-paced dialogue.""This author can write! This book goes on my madly-in-love-with bookshelf. Highly recommended."
A powerful contemporary novel from the author of the Amazon best-selling Greek memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta. In this romantic suspense novel, Bronte McKnight is summoned to a hillside village in the wild and beautiful Mani region of Greece by her expat father Angus. She must help him solve a family mystery from the Second World War when her grandfather disappeared in the Mani during the disastrous Battle of Kalamata, known as ‘the Greek Dunkirk’.
With the country gripped by economic crisis, and the clock ticking against them, their near-impossible quest takes them from Kalamata to a remote mountain village where its inhabitants are bound by old traditions and secrecy. As tensions rise, the pair are helped in their search by unforgettable characters, especially charismatic doctor Leonidas Papachristou. He has a pivotal role, not least in challenging Bronte’s assumption that she hasn’t the time or the courage to fall in love in Greece.
The secrets unearthed by Angus and Bronte will be painful and astonishing and the heart-warming conclusion is one you'll never forget.
Why readers love A Saint For The Summer
Marjory McGinn is a very gifted author.” Peter Kerr, Times best-selling writer
"This author can write! This is an engaging story filled with a literary feast. Highly recommended." Linda Katsiotas, author of The Nifi
Marjory is a skilful writer, creating relatable characters you feel are your friends. This story will renew your faith in mankind." Maria Karamitsos, author and journalist.
"Immerse yourself in Greek life and culture, expressed in prose that is at times quite exquisite and enjoy a novel that left this reviewer hoping there will be many more to come." Alan Hill, journalist and reviewer.An excellent book. I was hooked from the first page.
"When I read this author's books, I walk the journeys and with this book, I am Bronte."
"I loved the characters and found it all so moving."
"A brilliant read … there is closure, reconciliation and the hope of new life."
"Marjory is a wonderful author, very funny and entertaining."
"Superb narrative, engaging characters, witty and fast paced."
"Lovely, heartwarming read. Now I need to find my own Leonidas!"
A powerful contemporary novel from the author of the Amazon best-selling Greek memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta. In this romantic suspense novel, Bronte McKnight is summoned to a hillside village in the wild and beautiful Mani region of Greece by her expat father Angus. She must help him solve a family mystery from the Second World War when her grandfather disappeared in the Mani during the disastrous Battle of Kalamata, known as ‘the Greek Dunkirk’.
With the country gripped by economic crisis, and the clock ticking against them, their near-impossible quest takes them from Kalamata to a remote mountain village where its inhabitants are bound by old traditions and secrecy. As tensions rise, the pair are helped in their search by unforgettable characters, especially charismatic doctor Leonidas Papachristou. He has a pivotal role, not least in challenging Bronte’s assumption that she hasn’t the time or the courage to fall in love in Greece.
The secrets unearthed by Angus and Bronte will be painful and astonishing and the heart-warming conclusion is one you'll never forget.
Why readers love A Saint For The Summer
Marjory McGinn is a very gifted author.” Peter Kerr, Times best-selling writer
"This author can write! This is an engaging story filled with a literary feast. Highly recommended." Linda Katsiotas, author of The Nifi
Marjory is a skilful writer, creating relatable characters you feel are your friends. This story will renew your faith in mankind." Maria Karamitsos, author and journalist.
"Immerse yourself in Greek life and culture, expressed in prose that is at times quite exquisite and enjoy a novel that left this reviewer hoping there will be many more to come." Alan Hill, journalist and reviewer.An excellent book. I was hooked from the first page.
"When I read this author's books, I walk the journeys and with this book, I am Bronte."
"I loved the characters and found it all so moving."
"A brilliant read … there is closure, reconciliation and the hope of new life."
"Marjory is a wonderful author, very funny and entertaining."
"Superb narrative, engaging characters, witty and fast paced."
"Lovely, heartwarming read. Now I need to find my own Leonidas!"
- GenresGreeceHistorical Fiction
332 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 19, 2018
About the author
Marjory McGinn
8 books56 followersMarjory 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 28, 2018
Few first-time novelists have hit the ground running as sure-footedly as Marjory McGinn. Perhaps readers should not be surprised by this. McGinn is a vastly experienced journalist, a gifted writer with an equally vast store of life experience to draw from, as evidenced by her travel memoirs Things Can Only Get Feta, Homer’s Where The Heart Is, and A Scorpion In The Lemon Tree, all set in Greece.
Here, she takes the bold leap into fiction, for which we can be truly grateful. Told in the first person by lead character Bronte McKnight, a feature writer for a struggling Scottish newspaper, A Saint For The Summer gets you in from the first page and never lets go.
Bronte has flown out to Greece to be with her estranged father, Angus, a long-term expatriate Scot based in the Southern Peloponnese region. Ostensibly the reason for her visit is to help Angus, aged 71, deal with his health issues in an economically crippled country unable to provide the best of care. But it soon becomes obvious that Angus is on a mission of his own, a mission with its roots in the little-known Battle of Kalamata in World War II, when defeated British and allied troops desperately tried to evade capture by the Germans.
That’s enough plot details. Read the book for yourself, immerse yourself in McGinn’s own immersion in Greek life and culture, expressed in prose that is at times quite exquisite, and enjoy what is not just a superior first novel but a novel that left this reviewer hoping there will be many more to come.
Here, she takes the bold leap into fiction, for which we can be truly grateful. Told in the first person by lead character Bronte McKnight, a feature writer for a struggling Scottish newspaper, A Saint For The Summer gets you in from the first page and never lets go.
Bronte has flown out to Greece to be with her estranged father, Angus, a long-term expatriate Scot based in the Southern Peloponnese region. Ostensibly the reason for her visit is to help Angus, aged 71, deal with his health issues in an economically crippled country unable to provide the best of care. But it soon becomes obvious that Angus is on a mission of his own, a mission with its roots in the little-known Battle of Kalamata in World War II, when defeated British and allied troops desperately tried to evade capture by the Germans.
That’s enough plot details. Read the book for yourself, immerse yourself in McGinn’s own immersion in Greek life and culture, expressed in prose that is at times quite exquisite, and enjoy what is not just a superior first novel but a novel that left this reviewer hoping there will be many more to come.
March 19, 2018
I received an ARC copy of this book for a fair and honest review. As the cover states, A Saint for the Summer is a heart-warming novel that will leave the reader deeply touched. The heroine of the story, Bronte, is a complex character. At first, it seems her trip to Greece help her estranged father, Angus, deal with some health problems is grudgingly accepted and throughout much of the book, there is a bite to her attitude to him that speaks of pent up frustrations and resentment. Nevertheless, in their search for a relative who was lost in the area during the war, the magic of Greece, its people and a certain handsome doctor, Leonidas, gradually work their way into Bronte's psyche as she learns how to put the past in its place. Without spoiling the story, this book touched me on many levels. There is a wealth of historical fact in it that gave me extra sympathy for the Greek situation today; there are the evocative descriptions of Greece and its people, which make me long to go there; and there are the poignant stories of a daughter's reunion with her father and just enough romance to encourage thoughts of happy endings. A lovely story and memorable first novel from Marjory McGinn.
March 1, 2020
This author can write! I enjoyed her previous memoir-travel books regarding Greece but how does an author transition from nonfiction to fiction? Well, in my opinion, fiction is Marjory McGinn’s real home! She tells an engaging story that is filled with a literary feast. “It seemed to me that anyone’s life could take a squinty turn, the way a river in spate can overflow and carve off into a new direction, with no hope of it ever recovering its original course.” The author subtly positions a bit of philosophical wisdom with the extra flavor of some British expressions. Squinty turn? Never heard of it, but I get it and it adds to the charm as do other similar expressions: to “have a rammy,” or “this is not the time to spear the donkey’s arse.” The content in which they’re used makes the meaning clear. And they’re fun.
The characters are well developed with realistic dialogue, facial expressions and body language. The story moves within the backdrop of historical accuracy and geographic imagery. All of this puts the reader front and center standing next to the protagonist.
There are also colorful literary morsels such as, “She gave me a long analytical stare. It felt like emotional dermabrasion” or “The sky was the dirty grey colour of wet newspaper.” Brilliant! McGinn also skillfully captures the Greek villagers’ spirit with observations such as “scrutinizing my face closely as only a Greek woman can, looking me up and down, all but taking my temperature,” which I think only someone who has lived it can truly understand. Furthermore, simply placed statements such as, “in Greece, nothing was ever really illegal” also shows the author’s ability to capture the overall Greek spirit.
I especially appreciate Ms. McGinn’s obvious talent for writing in this era of self publishing where anyone can be an author -- and no, not everyone should be -- as I very much want to support independent authors.
This book goes on my madly-in-love-with shelf and I highly recommend it!
The characters are well developed with realistic dialogue, facial expressions and body language. The story moves within the backdrop of historical accuracy and geographic imagery. All of this puts the reader front and center standing next to the protagonist.
There are also colorful literary morsels such as, “She gave me a long analytical stare. It felt like emotional dermabrasion” or “The sky was the dirty grey colour of wet newspaper.” Brilliant! McGinn also skillfully captures the Greek villagers’ spirit with observations such as “scrutinizing my face closely as only a Greek woman can, looking me up and down, all but taking my temperature,” which I think only someone who has lived it can truly understand. Furthermore, simply placed statements such as, “in Greece, nothing was ever really illegal” also shows the author’s ability to capture the overall Greek spirit.
I especially appreciate Ms. McGinn’s obvious talent for writing in this era of self publishing where anyone can be an author -- and no, not everyone should be -- as I very much want to support independent authors.
This book goes on my madly-in-love-with shelf and I highly recommend it!
May 25, 2020
The sights, sounds and smells of Greece really come alive in this tale of family reconnections and mystery solving challenges. The characters are well developed and it’s easy to get drawn into their daily lives while hoping they will find the closure they seek through each chapter.
The precise descriptions of Kalamata and the Mani region link the two timelines running through the story and make it easy to understand how the characters are treading the same paths used for decades under very different circumstances.
The Battle of Kalamata and its repercussions are explored thoroughly, adding urgency and tension to the story without overpowering it while still giving the reader a greater understanding of the characters’ desire for answers.
A truly Greek story, combining traditional lifestyles with a contemporary feel.
The precise descriptions of Kalamata and the Mani region link the two timelines running through the story and make it easy to understand how the characters are treading the same paths used for decades under very different circumstances.
The Battle of Kalamata and its repercussions are explored thoroughly, adding urgency and tension to the story without overpowering it while still giving the reader a greater understanding of the characters’ desire for answers.
A truly Greek story, combining traditional lifestyles with a contemporary feel.
April 2, 2018
Fantastic Debut Novel
I thoroughly enjoyed Marjory's trilogy of travel memoirs. Her debut novel, 'A Saint for the Summer', set in her beloved Greece, is equally entertaining. I very much look forward to her next book.
I thoroughly enjoyed Marjory's trilogy of travel memoirs. Her debut novel, 'A Saint for the Summer', set in her beloved Greece, is equally entertaining. I very much look forward to her next book.
September 26, 2018
Hard to put down
Loved this. The setting was described beautifully, the characters were realistic and the story moved at a fast pace. Was sorry to finish the book!
Loved this. The setting was described beautifully, the characters were realistic and the story moved at a fast pace. Was sorry to finish the book!
April 4, 2018
I was unable to focus on any books for the last few months but as I thoroughly enjoyed Marjory McGinn's other books I thought, maybe her debut novel may hold my attention. I am glad to report it did ! It kept me hooked throughout and transported me to the Greek hillside where I followed her tale with a renewed energy. I enjoyed the historic details and how it was brought to life by the main characters. Thanks Marjory I await your next creation.
July 22, 2018
A Saint for Summer by Marjory McGinn is a compelling story with a cast of characters who all seem to be searching for something. Bronte, the main character, arrives in Greece to reconnect with her ailing, wayward father. She has questions. Her father has his own mystery to solve, one that has haunted him for years. Delving into his unresolved issues, draws the storyline back to the past during the Battle of Kalamata in World War II.
McGinn does an excellent portrayal of Greek villagers protecting their own, capturing their spirit and honoring their traditions. It’s evident she understands the essence of these people and is well researched in the history, as well as the current crisis events.
This story has a touch of several elements – humor, tragedy, mystery, history, tradition, religion, family drama, and even a little romance.
McGinn does an excellent portrayal of Greek villagers protecting their own, capturing their spirit and honoring their traditions. It’s evident she understands the essence of these people and is well researched in the history, as well as the current crisis events.
This story has a touch of several elements – humor, tragedy, mystery, history, tradition, religion, family drama, and even a little romance.
May 17, 2018
Marjory McGinn has done it again, but this time with fiction! This is a brilliant story of historical mystery, family estrangement, redemption, and romance. McGinn creates a quirky cast of complex and relatable characters, and her brilliant descriptions of the setting provide the next best thing to actually travelling to southern Greece. The historical elements of the WWII battle of Kalamata and the current economic crisis provide a fascinating twist that make this a truly unique novel; moreover, it gives readers an appreciation for Greece's tumultuous history and the strength of the Greek people during times of crisis. Finally, I love how the story arcs in this novel, starting off slowly as the protagonist, Bronte, questions why she came to Greece in the first place, and steadily building as various plot lines converge. Especially during the last third of the book, you won't be able to put it down. Highly recommended!
August 1, 2018
I was expecting to enjoy this and I did, so much so I found it hard to put down continuing to read way past my bed time and into the wee hours most nights. I love Marjory's writing style, and the way she brings the people and scenery to life. Her ability to move the story along at a steady pace, keeping it interesting, thought provoking but unforced is a real talent. The story made me laugh, made me think and I confess, made me cry a little. I hope this is not the last novel from this warm and sensitive author - I'm looking forward to the next one already!
February 19, 2019
Having read all the books in the author's Peloponnese series and loved them, I was thrilled to see her transition to fiction. Not a beat was missed. An intimate knowledge of Greece, overlain with well researched history of the Battle of Kalamata offers up a setting for a father and daughter to unearth precious details of a family member lost in the horror of World War II. I lived a hot summer near the little village of Marathousa and loved every page of it!
April 8, 2018
Marjory McGinn's love for the Southern Peloponnese in Greece shines through in this, her first novel.
It is a brilliantly written story about discovery and reconciliation.
I enjoyed it so much, I didn't want it to end.
It is a brilliantly written story about discovery and reconciliation.
I enjoyed it so much, I didn't want it to end.
May 10, 2022
Bronte is a 37 yo journalist who goes to Kalamata on holidays to support her father through some health problems. She doesn’t really like Greece and blames her father for having abandoned her 10 years prior (when she was 27??) when he moved to Greece. While in Kalamata she discovers that her father has become obsessed in finding out what happened to his own father, who had come to Greece during 2nd World War but never returned to Scotland. There is also some romance thrown in for good measure.
I’ve found this to be a very weak novel, despite the interesting premise regarding the Scottish lad who never made it back home. But none of the characters acted like real people, the romance was only described, it was like there were no feelings at all.
And I am giving it an extra star for taking place in Greece.
However, I might consider reading Marjory’s non fiction taking place in Greece.
I’ve found this to be a very weak novel, despite the interesting premise regarding the Scottish lad who never made it back home. But none of the characters acted like real people, the romance was only described, it was like there were no feelings at all.
And I am giving it an extra star for taking place in Greece.
However, I might consider reading Marjory’s non fiction taking place in Greece.
May 8, 2018
loved this book. It was a well-written story with great characters. Bronte has to go to help her father Angus in Greece where he has lived since abandoning his Scotish family ten years previously. Their realtionship gradually heals and Bronte finds a new way of life in the sun. This very brief summary does not do justice to the complexities of the plot but I don't want to give too much away. The author takes the reader on a page-turning journey through the politics, tastes and sights of modern Greece and also explores the traumatic history of the area during the second world war with the authenticity of someone who really knows and loves the place and people.
June 2, 2020
I enjoyed it. Initially I thought it a work of fiction, as it came across that well. Captured a spirit and that under-the-hood feel of Greece. Story can seem a bit twee at times, but bloody hell that's welcome in a time of societal turbulence.
June 23, 2021
Enjoyable but nothing spectacular. The story about the grandfather is the best part of the book. I might read the sequel.
November 7, 2020
This is so much more than a romantic love story set in Greece. It had me hooked from the start. Bronte, a Scottish journalist goes to visit her estranged father Angus as he is suffering from health problems and needs her help. It’s a prickly relationship as old resentments rear their head. What I liked was the genuine Scottish dialogue between the two as this is rare to find and it made me warm to the characters. It transpires that Angus is trying to discover what happened to his father after the Battle of Kalamata in WW2.
The author has clearly done so much research as the historical details and descriptions of what happened are exactly right. I found it a very emotional read as so many young men never returned from the fighting in Greece. This touched me on a personal level and moved me to tears. These stories resonate across the years and have left their mark on the land.
However with the help of the local doctor Leonidas, Bronte and Angus finally uncover the truth about what happened to Angus’s father Kieran. The setting in the wild Mani area of Greece is described beautifully as is the warmth and generosity of the Greek characters. It’s a terrific novel
The author has clearly done so much research as the historical details and descriptions of what happened are exactly right. I found it a very emotional read as so many young men never returned from the fighting in Greece. This touched me on a personal level and moved me to tears. These stories resonate across the years and have left their mark on the land.
However with the help of the local doctor Leonidas, Bronte and Angus finally uncover the truth about what happened to Angus’s father Kieran. The setting in the wild Mani area of Greece is described beautifully as is the warmth and generosity of the Greek characters. It’s a terrific novel
July 6, 2023
Bronte thinks she is visiting her estranged father, Angus in Marathousa, Greece to assist him during a health crisis, but soon discovers he has something else on the agenda. He wants to find out what happened to his soldier-grandfather who was from the Allied Forces and hiding out in the mountains of Greece during World War II. She keeps extending her leave from her journalism job in Scotland as mystery, intrigue and romance become parts of the jigsaw puzzle. As answers roll out after many circuitous turns, shock and shame also become a part of the tapestry. Pick up a copy of Marjory McGinn's A Saint for the Summer and become fixated.in your seat for the entire journey!
July 6, 2021
Sto Kalo - go to the good
This is the first novel I have read from this author and will be starting the sequel ‘How Greek is your love’ as soon as I can ! This heartwarming story set in the Peloponnese area of Greece ticked all the boxes for me - family connections to the Uk, wartime history and beautiful, and sometimes menacing descriptions of the area near Kalamatta. The plot was expertly narrated by Bronte, a young Scottish journalist who is sent for by her estranged father who has been living there for 10 years in search of his own father. I won’t give any more detail of the plot as you won’t be disappointed. A true pleasure to read .
This is the first novel I have read from this author and will be starting the sequel ‘How Greek is your love’ as soon as I can ! This heartwarming story set in the Peloponnese area of Greece ticked all the boxes for me - family connections to the Uk, wartime history and beautiful, and sometimes menacing descriptions of the area near Kalamatta. The plot was expertly narrated by Bronte, a young Scottish journalist who is sent for by her estranged father who has been living there for 10 years in search of his own father. I won’t give any more detail of the plot as you won’t be disappointed. A true pleasure to read .
November 29, 2021
Moving Story of loss love and redemption
I really enjoyed this.book. It had everything. For anyone who loves all things Greek and history as well. It made me sad then happy.. The characters were so well written that I was sad when I finished reading it.
I really enjoyed this.book. It had everything. For anyone who loves all things Greek and history as well. It made me sad then happy.. The characters were so well written that I was sad when I finished reading it.
February 13, 2021
Interesting history
The most interesting part of the story to me was the mystery of the grandfather who went missing in Greece during World War II.
The most interesting part of the story to me was the mystery of the grandfather who went missing in Greece during World War II.
March 26, 2022
great novel
Highly recommend this book. Great story from the heart. Loved the descriptions of the Greek countryside and the colourful characters. An honest book
Highly recommend this book. Great story from the heart. Loved the descriptions of the Greek countryside and the colourful characters. An honest book
April 25, 2025
I want to go to Greece
Took me a little bit to get into this but I enjoyed it in the end and I still need to visit Greece.
Took me a little bit to get into this but I enjoyed it in the end and I still need to visit Greece.
June 9, 2025
As enjoyable as her Greek travel memoirs. I need to read the sequel!
September 3, 2020
I have had a problem on concentrating on reading these last months. Because I love Greece so much, I read this and was enthralled by the story based around a search for a missing Scottish soldier after the disastrous Kalamata campaign of 1941. I was doubly enthralled as a close friend has been re- discovering the true story of her own father who was captured on Crete and sent to an officers’ POW camp outside of Berlin. So the parallels, though not exact, blew my mind.
Have another of this author’s books to read. Looking forward.
Have another of this author’s books to read. Looking forward.
April 7, 2018
This is a stunning debut novel by former journalist Marjory McGinn, and I could not put it down. The story is expertly constructed, with well-drawn characters and lively dialogue. The wartime back story is fascinating, and it fits perfectly with the modern-day tale of a family mystery set in the Peloponnese region of Greece. I look forward to McGinn’s next novel, and I also plan to dip into her previous non-fiction work of three Greek travel memoirs. Highly recommended.
August 30, 2019
Wonderful Story : I loved this story, especially as it has brought attention to the “Greek Dunkirk” and “The Battle of Kalamata” which I’d never heard of until I read all these books (which includes the Mani travel memoirs).
Loved re-reading this and now looking forward to reading the new book.
Loved re-reading this and now looking forward to reading the new book.
August 12, 2018
Really enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews