Where the Wandering Ends: A Novel of Corfu
Corporon, the daughter of Greek immigrants, tells a compelling story spanning six decades in the lives of Greeks living on the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea. The novel opens in 1946 in an idyllic seaside village, immersing the reader in the friendship between 10-year-old Katrina and Marco. The Nazi occupation is over, but the civil war between the communists and monarchists infuses hunger, loss, fear and famine into the fabric of everyday life and leads to the eventual separation of Katarina and Marco. They vow to return to each other. The novel focuses on the joys and sorrows in women’s lives, especially mothers sacrificing for their children. The intensity is lightened by moments of tenderness and natural beauty. It is indeed a dark time. The Greek royal family has fled into exile. Rich and poor are adrift, both physically and psychologically. Marco’s grandmother worked for Princess Alice at Mon Repos, summer home of the royals, including Prince Philip. This secondary story is woven into the main story of Katarina and Marco. Corporon brings to light a little-known part of European history with her fluid prose, attention to detail, and character-driven narrative.
