Daughters of The Labyrinth
A journey through memory and family secrets in Crete
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Little, Brown Book Group
Published:1st Jul '21
Should be back in stock very soon
In Daughters of the Labyrinth, an artist's return to her Greek roots reveals hidden family secrets and a deeper understanding of her identity.
In Daughters of the Labyrinth, the protagonist, Ri, is a successful artist who has spent her life in London. After the death of her English husband, she decides to reconnect with her Greek heritage on the island of Crete. However, her journey back to her roots reveals that the place she remembers is not as she thought. As she navigates the complexities of her identity amidst the backdrop of Brexit and Greece's socio-economic struggles, Ri uncovers a hidden history that challenges her understanding of her family and herself.
The narrative delves deep into themes of love, loss, and memory, exploring the fragile connections between parents and children. As Ri uncovers her family's past, she confronts the darker aspects of history, particularly the experiences of the forgotten Jews of Crete during the German occupation. This exploration not only transforms her understanding of her heritage but also reshapes her relationships and her art.
Lyrical and evocative, Daughters of the Labyrinth weaves together personal and historical narratives, prompting readers to consider how well we can truly know our own family and the legacies that shape us. With its rich portrayal of Crete's landscape and culture, the novel invites readers to reflect on the power of memory and the impact of the past on the present.
'Daughters of the Labyrinth is a novel about a daughter's passionate quest for the truth about what happened to her parents in Crete during the German occupation. It is also a sumptuous and sensuous evocation of Crete itself, its landscape and culture. Ruth Padel's brings a poet's eye to this world of great physical beauty and gnarled legacy' * Colm Tóibín *
'Ruth Padel brings a poet's ear for internal musical pattern, and deep and loving knowledge of the stones, light and colours of Crete, as she winds us into coils within coils of a family's dark history. She combines dramatic storytelling with moving reflectiveness, asking us to think again about whether it is better to remember or to forget?' * Marina Warner *
'Animated by keen imaginative empathy and a strong sense of place, this moving, satisfying, layered novel will transport you to the amethyst Aegean' * Daily Mail *
'A moving, superbly written exploration of a family with dark secrets. Crete itself becomes one of the main characters in the story.' * Irish Times, Best Books 2021 *
'A thought-provoking novel of identity, history and our times.' * The New European *
'A slow-burner of a novel, lyrical and psychologically astute.' * Mail on Sunday *
'An immersive novel, steeped in the history and folklore of Crete: transporting, historically informative story-telling' * Sunday Times *
'Entrancing - a wonderfully rich and absorbing novel, delightful in its evocation of Crete and its many-layered history.' * The Scotsman *
'I can't recommend this highly enough. Beautiful, moving, exquisitely layered and compelling. I absolutely loved it' * Christina Patterson (will need to ask her for permission to use) *
'Best books to read this Autumn' * Slightly Foxed *
Padel deftly sketches the complications of family as she teases away at questions of identity and home. Animated by keen imaginative empathy and a strong sense of place, this moving, satisfying, layered novel will transport you to the amethyst Aegean even as the real thing remains out of reach. -- Stephanie Cross * Daily Mail *
Daughters of the Labyrinth [is] a moving and superbly written exploration of a Cretan family with dark secrets. Crete itself becomes one of the main characters in the story. -- Martin Doyle * The Irish Times *
It is rare to come across literary fiction as satisfying as Ruth Padel's Daughters of the Labyrinth - and I can't recommend it highly enough...Padel succeeds triumphantly [in addressing the Jewish condition] and the whiff of authenticity seeps from every page. -- Jenni Frazer * Jewish Chronicle *
A contemporary story, filled with the light and colours, culture and recent history of Greece. * Choice Magazine *
'Both a moving portrait of a daughter's search for the truth, and a sensual vision of sunlit Crete, Ruth Padel's novel is a dramatic and moving read.' * Woman's Own *
- Short-listed for The Runciman Award (Anglo Hellenic Society) 2022 (UK)
ISBN: 9781472156396
Dimensions: 236mm x 158mm x 36mm
Weight: 560g
336 pages