The Figurine: Escape to Athens and breathe in the sea air in this captivating novel
£11.90£23.80 (-50%)
‘A beautiful, moving and thought provoking story, The Figurine is a stunning read . . . her love and passion for Greece comes through loud and clear with every word she writes’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘Her love for Greece shines through and transports readers to a brilliantly drawn world’ Independent
‘Family turmoil, unanswered questions, romance and betrayal, all served up against the backdrop of Greece and its enchanting history’ Daily Express
Feel the sun on your face and the sand of the Aegean islands beneath your feet as you uncover the fate of the Bronze Age figurines in the heart-pounding new novel from the No 1 bestselling author.*
When Helena inherits her grandparents’ apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child in the 1960s. Her remote, cruel grandfather was a general in the brutal military dictatorship and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?
Helena’s desire to find answers dovetails with a growing fascination for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth – and to understand the origins of her grandfather’s collection.
Along the way, she falls in love with the narrow streets of Athens and the city’s big-hearted residents, who show her the murky underbelly of the antiques world – and help her understand the meaning of home. But can she finally make amends for her grandfather’s actions? And what price should be paid for the return of such ancient and beautiful artefacts?
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Victoria Hislop is back with another compulsive page-turner. Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop’s books …
‘A tightly wrought excavation of family history’ Mail on Sunday
‘Searing and powerful’ Daily Express
‘Glorious Greek setting and rich historical detail’ Woman & Home
‘Hislop’s thyme-scented, Aegean-lapped fictional Greece’ The Sunday Times
‘Victoria Hislop has done it again! A truly captivating story . . . I wish I could give it more than 5*’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘There is no doubting Victoria Hislop is an incredible storyteller who has opened up the history of Greece to a wider contemporary world; her attention to detail and the creation of warm and sympathetic characters instantly grabs readers’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘This is the best novel I have read in a long time’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘A beautifully told story with fabulous characters and a vivid scenery that makes you believe you are in Greece’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘This was a wonderful read . . . a vivid picture of Greece and the people who live there’ Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
*Victoria Hislop’s One August Night was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback in the first week of August 2021; Those Who Are Loved was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback for four weeks in August and September 2020.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Headline Review (28 Sept. 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 528 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1472263936 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1472263933 |
| Dimensions | 15.8 x 5 x 23.6 cm |
by Mary Adams
Easy to read and if you have the imagination – you are there in the Med with sunshine and hot sun – good story that you want a next instalment
by valtaebo
Loved this book, found it very interesting as well.
by Devon Silver Top
If you love Greece this is a brilliant book.Full of interesting people,enjoyed learning about the archeological finds and a great story that had me interested from start to finish.Love this author.
by Amazon Customer
This book was a gift to my wife who always looks forward to Victoia Hislops next publication. She is an excellent writer.
by Amazon Customer
I read this as part of my book club so proceeded to the end but it was a bit of a slog. Very little characterisation yet much depth about history. Very, very slow build up and only slightly got going at 60%. A whole chapter dedicated to the cleaning of an apartment. m It could have been half the length with no loss. Sometimes I think authors just have a word count to write to and this felt very much like it. But if you like a slow, gentle read, this may be for you.
by val auckland
Text good size. I enjoy reading full size hard cover books. This did not disappoint
by Little Bear
Well researched and atmospheric about Greek history and places. A good page turner, one of her best books so far I think, it had me gripped until the last page.
by Jan LB
Starting with a gentle build up of childhood memories and observations of Athens during the military junta. Spilling out into student life in Oxford and bohemian west London, interspersed with archeological digs in the Greek Cycladic islands … then a pacy trail to uncover and convict those responsible for theft of antiquities from Ancient Greece and elsewhere. The villains get what’s due to them and the goodies find contentment. The world is set to rights and the reader is left with much to think about.