Bow’s beautifully written tale evokes the scent of the wild thyme on the Cretian hills, the taste of a freshly picked orange, the sweetness of golden honey. Cally, like us, is seduced by it all and awakens to the possibility of a new way to live. But at the same time as we’re lulled by the warm Cretian sun on our face, we are held in suspense by the island’s cruel past and Cally’s grim family secret, which spike the idyllic landscape with page-turning tension.I loved Cally’s Way, not just the fascinating history and stunning island backdrop, but also the well-drawn, endearing characters of Cally, the beautiful but troubled Oliver and Wrecks, his dog. An engaging and compelling read.

Told in spirited, lyrical prose, the story of Callisto (Cally) Armstrong’s quest for her family’s hidden past in Greece and Crete during World War II is also the story of a young woman’s personal quest for an authentic identity and way to live. Adeptly weaving the intergenerational themes and narratives together, author Jane Bow gives readers an engaging and deeply poignant picture of the Greek and Cretan resistance under Nazi occupation, but she also gives her readers an equally engaging story of a young woman’s transformation through hard-won knowledge and love. Cally’s Way resonates deeply, moreover, with surprising connections among the violent and tragic occupations of the Second World War, the post-war anti-Communist paranoia in the West, and our current occupations and the insurgencies they engender in the Middle East. A satisfying and revelatory read.