Review: My Big Greek Family by Maria Constantine

If you’re looking for a book  full of hope, humor, romance and speaks on second generation cultural differences this is the book for you!

Summary:

A warm-hearted, humorous, family saga where traditions are challenged as three sisters embark on a journey of self-discovery in the quest for happiness and love.

Georgina Andreou is at a crossroad in her life; professionally she is successful, but her personal life is unfulfilled and lacking. As the family descend to celebrate her thirtieth birthday, Georgina finds it a struggle to wear the cloak of I’m-doing-just-fine. Still at home with her parents and siblings she is torn between the traditional Greek values she has been raised with and a more liberated, adventurous future. The time has finally come for Georgina to make some serious changes, if she is to lead the life she wants to lead as opposed to the life she is expected to lead. An encounter with Jake O’Sullivan finds her ready to take a chance on romance, but will she stumble at the first obstacle?

Georgina is not the only sibling in the Andreou household having to take stock of her life; Katherina is forced to face a secret she has kept buried for many years as feelings emerge for a new colleague, despite her resolve to make a go of a relationship with a suitor introduced by the family. Meanwhile, Sophia, the youngest of the sisters, and the most rebellious, discovers a new spiritual direction in her life.

A last-minute holiday to Greece strengthens the sisters’ bond as secrets unravel and hidden emotions finally surface on the veranda of their holiday retreat …

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About the Author:

Maria Constantine was born and raised in London, together with her two sisters. Her parents had emigrated from Cyprus in the 1960s and her Greek-Cypriot origins were a source of inspiration for My Big Greek Family.

She studied Law at Queen Mary University, passed the Solicitors’ Final Examination and went on to follow French and German language courses at the Institut Francais and Goethe Institut. Maria travelled and immersed herself in different cultures while working abroad for a number of years, teaching English as a foreign language. Upon her return to England, married and with children, Maria juggled family life and writing. My Big Greek Family is Maria’s debut novel and she continues to write in her suburban London home, inspired by a thriving multi-cultural environment.

Reviews

I absolutely love this book. It has broad universal appeal that I think would be of interest to adult men and women of all ages. I did not previously know anything about Greek family culture. I can see some wonderful positives to it but some negative restrictions as well. That is part of the appeal of the book…you take me into an interesting world that is foreign to my Southern California diluted German/Scottish/English/Norwegian/American roots. Your characters, dialogue, and plot are first-rate, and the story has a very wholesome feel to it but with a lot of depth to consider in the issues covered.~Bart Jahn, The High Standards of God in the End Times

This is a lovely family story made up of a strong plot, interesting characters, and good food. The imagery of the food is so good that I broke my reading up into two settings in order to go to a local Greek restaurant – wow, was that good! smile. Seriously, you do an awesome job of describing a family party: all the anticipation, tension, good times, and great food that were a part of it.

Wonderful characters in Sophia, youngest sister; Georgina, middle sister; Katherine, eldest sister; Dimitri, brother spoiled by all the women in the family, and the mother, Christina. Great imagery of many aspects of the life of this family: shared meals, “broxenia” or “the Greek version of a blind date with marriage being the expectation.” (I laughed out loud at that). Beyond the family, I enjoyed the description of Georgina’s day at school – as the teacher. It reminded me a lot of my own public school teaching days.

Marvelous story of the glorious, colorful, full-of-life, participants in a Greek family drama. I hope this finds a publisher soon. This is a delightful, charming look at a warm, loving domestic culture and customs with which most of us are unfamiliar.~Patricia A. Johnson-Laster, Break Free!

I really enjoyed reading what you have here. You are most certainly a very talented writer! What a story! Even your pitch had me!
“Alive but not living…” Wow! Just wow! That is only a sample of the MANY unique and well turned phrases that just flow throughout your work! I only WISH I had HALF the talent that flows from your pen! Highly starred.~Laura A. Diaz, They Call Me Blanca, Come What May

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The ebook is sold at all major ebook retailers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple iBookstore and many more. Below are two of the links:

http://www.amazon.com/Big-Greek-Family-Maria-Constantine-ebook/dp/B00FZ1ZLTY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384355216&sr=8-1&keywords=my+big+greek+family

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/my-big-greek-family?store=ebook&keyword=my+big+greek+family

Checkout this unique voice in Multicultural Christian women’s fiction @  http://mariaconstantine.wordpress.com

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“Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures.” RALPH WALDO EMERSON