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1944, 1984, 2000s: Inspired by a true story of resilience and strength during the war in Greece
Villa of Secrets
What you need to know before your trail
Rebecca and Naomi’s grandmother “Bubba” has suffered a stroke and so decides that this is the time to reveal something to her granddaughters she has never told them before. Bubba has had a dark and mysterious past and worked as a freedom fighter during the war. She has kept diaries which the girls pour over and the secrets come spilling out. However the diaries prove to be more fascinating and more shocking than they ever could have thought possible
During the war, the secret that affects one person can affect a whole family and infiltrate generations to come
Travel Guide
Rhodes
The author explains that this is based on a real story, woven into a fictional account, which surely makes it all the more fascinating. It’s based on the story of what happened to the real Jews of Rhodes, all made possible by the discovery of the archives at Rhodes Police HQ. Sadly, the court case in the novel is fictional as this justice has not been aforded them.
The author was inspired to write this story when she came across Sarika Yehoshua and her story of events of Rhodes in 1944. She lived on the island of Euboea in the Aegean Sea, an island which was occupied by the Germans. An important place in the war since it was used as a gateway out of mainland Europe and the war by soldiers…and Jews.
Saraika ran away to become a freedom fighter and eventually formed her own groups of 12 girls. Later on, her own cousin was murdered as a case of mistaken identity. Sarika got her revenge. She was almost arrested by the Greek resistance but was tipped off and fled the island.
She became a teacher and moved to Israel.
Streetview Maps
A) Greece - Rhodes
E) Greece - Paradissi main street
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
A fascinating read and when I knew it was inspired by a true story of resistance, then I was sold. I really think stories like this are clever, weaving fact and fiction into the mix. The words were very nicely chosen and used to evoke both the stunning landscape of Greece and Rhodes with the ugly stain on its soul.
The real strength of this novel lies in its past story of Bubba. Her resistance work, her character, her strength and sheer determination. This was where the story of the war and the chaos and dangers of that time were gripping. The author has cleaarly done her research and the novel drew me in. The present day story wasn’t as interesting as I personally didn’t feel that Rebecca’s story of IVF, heartbreaking and challenging as it was, didn’t really fit with the overall story. Having said that, the war sections and the story overall is very strong so I concentrated more on those.
Villa of Secrets was a very rich tapestry of truth and fiction, of fear and fascination about a period of history that we don’t always get to hear about. Remarkable that it was inspired by real life events. The author has really woven a rich, immersive picture!
I’ve read both Patricia’s novels now and am already looking forward to her next one. I learn a lot and have a really good escape from reality when doing it!
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Villa of Secrets
Destination : Rhodes, Paradissi, London Author/Guide: Patricia Wilson Departure Time: 1944, 1984, 2000s
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