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Pauline Hager's Giorgi’s Greek Tragedy Reviewed By June Maffin of Bookpleasures.com
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June Maffin

Reviewer June Maffin:Living on an island in British Columbia, Canada, Dr. Maffin is a neophyte organic gardener, eclectic reader, ordained minister (Anglican/Episcopal priest) and creative spirituality writer/photographer with a deep zest for life. Previously, she has been grief counselor, broadcaster, teacher, journalist, television host, chaplain and spiritual director with an earned doctorate in Pastoral Care (medical ethics i.e. euthanasia focus). Presently an educator, freelance editor, blogger, and published author of three books, her most recent (Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture your Spirituality) has been published in e-book as well as paperback format and a preview can be viewed on YouTube videos. Founder of Soulistry™ she continues to lead a variety of workshops and retreats connecting spirituality with creativity and delights in a spirituality of play. You can find out more about June by clicking on her Web Site.






 
By June Maffin
Published on April 17, 2011
 

Author:  Pauline Hager

Publisher: Infinity Publishing

ISBN: 0-7414-6034-3






Author:  Pauline Hager

Publisher: Infinity Publishing

ISBN: 0-7414-6034-3


  Click Here To Purchase Giorgi's Greek Tragedy


 
Historical novels – you either love them or hate them.  In this instance, if you’re homeschooling or are a teacher of Middle School students, (particularly boys), you’ll find this book to be an excellent resource for history, geography and English literature lessons.  It will take students on a journey with two young Greek boys, Giorgi and Yianni at a time when Greece fought for its independence from the Ottoman Turks – a period in history that ravaged Greece for four centuries.
 
In the book, Hager introduces the reader to Greek village life in 1790 including wedding customs, the importance and consequences of “tradition” in all aspects of village life, the impact of Turkish tax collectors on law-abiding citizens, and the horrific “child gathering” trips by the Janissary Corps who kidnapped boys for duty as fighters for the Sultan and girls for the Sultan’s harem.
 
Returning from playing in their secret hideout one day, brothers Giorgi and Yianni Papakalos discover their parents are brutally murdered, their older brother is kidnapped by the Turks, and their eldest sister is taken to a harem.  As the boys seek to avenge this family tragedy, they join the kleftes (rebels) in the mountains (hoping to connect with Kapetan Zaharias Barbitsiotis, the leader of the rebels) and help in the fight for freedom from the Turks.  Giorgi and Yianni quickly discover the harsh living conditions of the rebels and while the two boys are very different (Giorgi relishes killing Turks; Yianni’s disdain for bloodletting finds solace in reading and writing poetry), they become dedicated rebel fighters.
 
History lessons abound in this narrative and as the two boys grow to manhood and fight for their country’s freedom, the historical facts become interwoven in their life stories as over several decades, Giorgi continues to be a rebel, fighting against the Turkish occupiers and through an unexpected twist in the story, Yianni becomes a priest. The loving concern of one for the other is a theme throughout the book and the author’s ability to introduce themes of struggle and survival is exemplary. 
 
The list of characters at the beginning of the book is a helpful way to keep track of “who’s who” in this multi-generational narrative.  In the beginning, the sub-sections of each of the seven chapters was invasive and often the titles gave hints as to what would happen next.  However, if the intentional readership of this book is young readers, particularly those within a classroom setting, then the division is more than appropriate as the sections provide natural places to stop, reflect, discuss and encourage easy-to-remember places to return to the story.
 
Penelope the mule and Eleni (Giorgi and Yianni’s niece) are surprise memorable characters in the story.  Middle School students will find in this book, an appealing introduction to a world, a time, a country and a history that comes alive in ways that ordinary textbooks cannot.  Author Hager has a gift when it comes to writing historical novels for the younger reader and hopefully this is just the first of many.



  Click Here To Purchase Giorgi's Greek Tragedy