The figurine

£9.99

Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors – and looters – alike. When Helena inherits her grandparents’ apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime’s generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them? Her desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island.

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Description

THE GRIPPING NEW PAGE-TURNER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE ADORED, MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER , THE ISLAND

‘A beautiful, moving and thought provoking story, The Figurine is a stunning read . . . her love and passion for Greece comes through loud and clear with every word she writes’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

‘Her love for Greece shines through and transports readers to a brilliantly drawn world’ Independent

‘Family turmoil, unanswered questions, romance and betrayal, all served up against the backdrop of Greece and its enchanting history’ Daily Express

An unputdownable read with a family’s dark history giving a unique glimpse into Greece’s troubled past. Athens sparkles in Victoria Hislop’s imagination. *

Concealed beneath the dust sheets in the Athens apartment she has inherited from her grandparents, Helena McCloud discovers a hidden hoard of rare antiquities, amassed during a dark period in Greek history when the city and its people were gripped by a brutal military dictatorship.

Helena’s fascination for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent on a dig on an Aegean island, tells her that she must return these precious artefacts to their rightful place. Only then will she be able to allay the darkness of the past and find the true meaning of home – for cultural treasures and for herself.

Number One Sunday Times bestseller Victoria Hislop’s powerful new novel shines a light on the questionable acquisition of antiquities and the price people will pay to possess them.

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Victoria Hislop is back with another compulsive page-turner. Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop’s books …

‘A tightly wrought excavation of family history’ Mail on Sunday

‘Searing and powerful’ Daily Express

‘Glorious Greek setting and rich historical detail’ Woman & Home

‘Hislop’s thyme-scented, Aegean-lapped fictional Greece’ The Sunday Times

‘Victoria Hislop has done it again! A truly captivating story . . . I wish I could give it more than 5*’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

‘There is no doubting Victoria Hislop is an incredible storyteller who has opened up the history of Greece to a wider contemporary world; her attention to detail and the creation of warm and sympathetic characters instantly grabs readers’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

‘This is the best novel I have read in a long time’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

‘A beautifully told story with fabulous characters and a vivid scenery that makes you believe you are in Greece’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

‘This was a wonderful read . . . a vivid picture of Greece and the people who live there’ Real Reader Review, ? ? ? ? ?

*Victoria Hislop’s One August Night was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback in the first week of August 2021; Those Who Are Loved was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller in paperback for four weeks in August and September 2020.

Additional information

Weight 460 g
Dimensions 196 × 128 × 44 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

514

Language

English

Edition

1st paperback ed

Dewey

823.92 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K