Lina’s Exercise Books

Περιγραφή

A young Greek girl’s memories of the Second World War.

Written when Abastado was fifteen, Lina’s Exercise Books is an account of her Jewish family’s miraculous survival of WWII, during which the Greek population was subjected to the armies of three foreign powers: Italy, Germany and Britain. The book conveys little-known information about the war and refers to a plethora of incidents, in many of which Lilian finds herself in great danger. Written in just ten days when these events were still very fresh in Abastado’s mind, they contain an attention to detail that makes the narrative particularly engaging. For over half a century, her exercise books remained in her attic. She had never shown them to anyone, including her own parents.

The action takes place initially in Thessaloniki as Greece is drawn into the War by the invasion of the Italian army through the Albanian border. Their situation deteriorates rapidly with the arrival of the German army, and they escape to Athens, which was still under the administration of the Italians. Over this period, the family undergoes the graphically described hardships shared by the general population – air-raids, famine, the devaluation of the drachma and violent suppression; but later, in 1943, with the Germans in charge of the city, the family has to go into hiding. The 3 heroic families who helped them – Kestekidis, Papasteriou and Paschalidis – were among the first Greeks to be honoured by the State of Israel with the title The Righteous Among the Nations. After the euphoria of liberation, the British army plunges Athens back into conflict, and as the situation unfolds, Lina has her  narrowest escape of the entire War.  

The book features a foreword by famous Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos. It also contains illustrations by Pandora Giamalidou and photographs of family members together with members of the Kestekidis, Papasteriou and Paschalidis families.