Eleni N. Gage

This amusing article, by travel journalist Andrew Eames, describes his visit to Lia, my penchant for inappropriate footwear and the villagers' reactions to my book.

The Wall Street Journal Europe ran an article about visiting Lia in their Personal Journal section. Journalist Jennifer Howze, who worked with me at Allure magazine back in the day, came to visit the village. Thanks to her food expertise, charming disposition and photos of her adorable baby Lilly, Jen was a huge hit with all my friends. I almost got jealous. (Unfortunately, the article is only accessible online to members of the WSJ site.)

Due to my sad inability to read Dutch, I am reserving this space for English language reviews so that I can be sure the reviewers are keeping it clean--this is a family website!

North of Ithaka was released in Holland in March 2004, and the U.K. in July 2004. Next came Australia (September 2004), New Zealand, South Africa and the U.S. (May 2005). It should now be at a bookstore near you!

THE REVIEWS

The first review was a very positive one that appeared in The Observer in the UK as part of a roundup of new travel memoirs. (See link to the left.)

The second ran in the London Sunday Times, and included photos from the book and by journalist Andrew Eames who visited Lia. (Photos soon to be uploaded.) Unfortunately, you can't link to the review in The Sunday Times website unless you are a member of the site. But I can quote the last line of the review by Anthony Sattin, which reads, "Through this moving family memoir, Gage allows us to be present at her rite of passage across that 'psychic barrier' from American to Greek, at the exorcism of a tragic past and at the blessing of her reborn family house."

Also not available online are the July 10 review in th Dorset Echo, which called North of Ithaka "a fascinating portrait of a part of Greece seldom seen by tourists" and the August 27th, 2004 edition of the Times Literary Supplement. The TLS contained an amusingly biased review by Sofka Zinoveff, who strongly objected to the book Eleni, written by my father, Nicholas Gage. The piece focuses more on political debate than on my book, but Zinoveff does describe North of Ithaka as being "sensitive to the powerful pull that Greece exerts on so many diaspora Greeks," a "quiet" book, "imbued with forgiveness, with the rebuilding of lives and houses, and moving on from tragedy". She closes the review by writing, "In coming full circle, [Gage] has help[ed] to soothe the pain of a traumatized family."

The book was published in Australia in September, and reviews have appeared in publications including the Weekend Australian, which called North of Ithaka, "a tale far removed from those popular villa-restoration comedies and abounds with setbacks, superstitions, love and the often suffocating bonds of heritage." To read the complete review, click on the link at left.

Publisher's Weekly was one of the first reviews in the US. It's a nice review that concludes: "Reconstruction of the original Gatzoyiannis home is overshadowed by the story's real meat: the building of a bridge between an American and her tough-as-nails roots." It's not available online, but is reprinted in its entirety ain the North of Ithaka description at www.amazon.com.

Other US coverage included a fun lifestyle article on expatriates in Elle magazine, which featured photos of me lounging in Lia; a "From our Staff" mention in People magazine, where I work as the beauty editor; and reviews in Travel+Leisure (see link at left), The New York Sun (see link at left), and The Wall Street Journal (not available online).

If you'd prefer the Cliff Notes version, The New York Sun review ends "A tale of homecoming and reconciliation, "North of Ithaka" proves the regenerative powers of home. And it reminds that no matter what happens, when you're Greek there's always family nearby."

The Travel+Leisure write-up concludes: "Gage's vivid personal account captures the seasonal rhythms and everyday dramas of Greek life beyond the familiar resort islands, revealing a place that is, in the most traditional sense, old-world".

And the Wall Street Journal opines, "Ms. Gage writes of her adventures in pleasantly honest, often amusing prose. As an earnest 27-year-old, she treats tradition with respect and history with steady realism: "I knew I couldn't change my family's past, but at least I could reshape my relationship to the village where it took place."

Those are all the reviews that have come to my attention so far, so if you see one I don't seem to know about, please email and notify me.