Those Who Are Loved

Athens, 1941. Nazi forces occupy Greece ... and a nation falls apart.

After decades of political uncertainty, Greece is polarised between Right- and Left-wing views when the Germans invade.

Fifteen-year-old Themis comes from a family divided by these political differences. The Nazi occupation deepens the fault-lines between those she loves just as it reduces Greece to destitution. She watches friends die in the ensuing famine and is moved to commit acts of resistance.

In the civil war that follows the end of the occupation, Themis joins the Communist army, where she experiences the extremes of love and hatred and the paradoxes presented by a war in which Greek fights Greek.

Eventually imprisoned on the infamous islands of exile, Makronisos and then Trikeri, Themis encounters another prisoner whose life will entwine with her own in ways neither can foresee, and finds she must weigh her principles against her desire to escape and live.

As she looks back on her life, Themis realises how tightly the personal and political can become entangled. While some wounds heal, others deepen.

This gripping novel from bestselling author Victoria Hislop sheds light on the complexity and trauma of Greece's past and weaves it into the epic tale of an ordinary woman compelled to live an extraordinary life.

Endorsements

'She brings Greek history to compelling life' — The Sunday Times

'Hislop has done her research and handles the great sweep of complex Greek history with skill and confidence' — Daily Mail

'A searing and powerful story full of passion, showing how one woman's ideals and beliefs shape everything that she becomes. It's both a beautifully woven love story and a spellbinding, heart-breaking depiction of a country torn apart by hatred' — Daily Express

'A glorious Greek setting and rich historical detail form the backdrop of this captivating and poignant story' — Woman & Home

'An eye-opening and moving read' — Mirror

'Anyone who reads Victoria Hislop's novels falls in love with Greece ... A moving read that sweeps you through time' — S Magazine

'A wonderfully researched and beautifully written piece of historical fiction' — CultureFly

Those Who Are Loved was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback for four weeks in August and September 2020.