One hundred years ago, Thessaloniki was a rich tapestry of cultures, bustling with commerce and ringing with the sounds of many languages. But the devastating fire of 1917, two world wars, civil unrest, the forced relocations of Jews and Muslims and, finally, a huge earthquake shook the city to its ancient foundations--all of which Victoria Hislop recounts in The Thread.
Hislop also tells the story of Dimitri Komninos, the son of a wealthy fabric importer, and Katerina Sarafoglou, a refugee from Smyrna, who spend their childhoods in the crowded, colorful, multiethnic neighborhood of Irini Street. Their paths later diverge as Dimitri heads to the university and Katerina begins a career as a skilled seamstress. But through the turbulence of war and natural disaster, their lives are bound together by a thread as fine and strong as the stitching Katerina does for her prosperous clients.
Hislop (The Island; The Return) writes in rich, vivid detail about the city by the sea, bringing its diverse population to life. She draws sharp contrasts between the lives of the wealthy and the poor, while making clear that catastrophe has no respect for social standing. Readers will appreciate the Greek perspective on the Second World War and the account of Greece's complicated struggle with communism, but even more appealing are the close-knit families of Irini Street and the intertwined stories of Dimitri and Katerina.
Sweeping in scope yet intimate in detail, The Island is a love letter to Greece and a testament to the courage and adaptability of its people. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams