An Aegean Odyssey - A Memoir

From USA TODAY Bestselling author Kathryn Gaucicomes a vivid memoir of her life and travels across the ancient and spectacular islands of Greece."I would be like Odysseus, wandering in search of adventure. How it would turn out, I had no idea:I would leave that to fate."After more than thirty years as a successful carpet and textile designer, Kathryn decided it was time for a change: she wanted to become an author, and the first place she turned for inspiration was Greece, where she had worked as a carpet designer in Athens in the 1970s. With no idea of what she would write about, she took two months off and returned in 2005 in search of a new adventure. All she knew was that she wanted to find the old Greece that was quickly disappearing through modernization and tourism. It was a great leap of faith to make this change in mid-life, yet not being one to miss an opportunity, she packed her bags and set out alone, hoping to discover the beauty and rich tapestry of characters that had inspired such great writers of the past - Nikos Kazantzakis, Lord Byron, Henry Miller, Patrick Leigh Fermor, Odysseus Elytis, and Homer himself.Follow along with Kathryn's journey as she explores the centuries-old mastic villages of Chios; the island of Lesbos, with its vast landscapes of olive groves and purveyors of the world's finest ouzo; Karpathos, with its stunning beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters; and finally, the majestic mountains and gorges of Crete, home of the God Zeus, the legend of the Minotaur, and that famous Cretan spirit of Zorba - the same spirit that fought against the Ottomans and the Germans in World War II.Staying in unspoiled villages and mountain retreats, she also discovers the mouth-watering regional food cooked in the age-old tradition. Along the way, she finds her own story - and discovers that a part of Greece will always be embedded in her psyche."I sip my ouzo, cloudy with ice and accompanied by a small plate of mezedes, at a table along a sidewalk filled with pink oleander."Somehow, I feel different. I can sense a peacefulness I don't think I've had for years. I have begun to let go and really relax, and I wasn't even aware it was happening."Surrounded by nature and inspired by the courage of the Greeks with their turbulent past; sometimes glorious, sometimes bloody, I too have learnt to live with the rhythm of life."

Über den Autor / die Autorin

Kathryn Gauci is a critically acclaimed international, bestselling, author who produces strong, colourful, characters and riveting storylines. She is the recipient of numerous major international awards for her works of historical fiction.Kathryn was born in Leicestershire, England, and studied textile design at Loughborough College of Art and later at Kidderminster College of Art and Design where she specialised in carpet design and technology. After graduating, she spent a year in Vienna, Austria, before moving to Greece to work as carpet designer in Athens for six years. There followed another brief period in New Zealand before eventually settling in Melbourne, Australia.Before turning to writing full-time, Kathryn ran her own textile design studio in Melbourne for over fifteen years, work which she enjoyed tremendously as it allowed her the luxury of travelling worldwide, often taking her off the beaten track and exploring other cultures. The Embroiderer is her first novel; a culmination of those wonderful years of design and travel, and especially of those glorious years in her youth living and working in Greece. It has since been followed by more novels set in both Greece and Turkey.

Produktdetails

• Autoren: Kathryn Gauci
• Verlag: Ebony Publishing
• Sprache: Englisch
• Produktform: Taschenbuch
• Erschienen: 08.09.2025
• EAN: 9780648714491
• ISBN: 978-0-6487144-9-1
• Seiten: 364
• Abmessung: 152 mm x 229 mm x 21 mm
• Gewicht: 591 g
• Thema: Reise > Reiseführer > Welt, Arktis, Antarktis