IN HER MASTERFUL DEBUT NOVEL The Green Shore awardwinning writer NatalieBakopoulos vividly illuminates a seminal yet littleexplored moment in Greek history the 1967 military coup detat which ushered in a sevenyear period of devastating brutality and repression Through lyrical prose of wisdom and sophistication we follow the adventures of one family whose stories of love and resistance play out against the backdrop of this turbulent period Eleni a widowed doctor struggles with her lost sense of passion both personal and political in the face of this latest challenge to democracy Her brother Mihalis an eccentric poet of some renown finds himself keeping a low profile as he attempts to reconcile with his estranged wife Elenis daughter Sophie a student of French literature gets swept up in the resistance alongside her privileged leftleaning boyfriend while her youngest child pensive Anna watches events unfold with increasing anxiety As the years pass and the dictatorships oppressive rule continues unchallenged their lives unfold in surprising ways each seeking and finding love and fulfillment as they struggle to make their own peace with when to stay silent and when to act Set in Athens and Paris The Green Shore is an ambitiously told and transporting literary tour de force that delves into a momentous episode in the history of a distant country The stories of these unforgettable characters sear our hearts and make us understand not only this place but also what it means to be human in a new way