The new non-fiction work:
Moving Islands
Kindle & Paperback editions now available.
John's seventh non-fiction book, Moving Islands is about exactly that - moving house from one island to another.
When John and his wife Yvonne arrived on Rhodes in 2005, they thought that their move from the UK would be the biggest single life project they'd ever undertake. Bu they hadn't bargained for the need developing fourteen years later to find a new home within Greece.
When circumstances conspired to bring them to the major decision to move house, not just on Rhodes, but to another island altogether, they took on what was arguably a more complicated project than even the move to Greece from the UK.
Moving Islands charts the process from when they first learned that they were to lose their home of fourteen years on a hillside on Rhodes until they finally, after a long series of anxieties and worries, arrived in their very own house in a small unspoilt corner of South Eastern Crete.
This book will make you chuckle, raise your eyebrows, swear never to have to do such a thing yourself, yes, but it'll also inform, demonstrate how resilience in the face of initially seemingly unsolvable problems can win through, and also show how once again the Greek people come through as hospitable, willing to give of their hearts, and also to do you out of a few Euro if they can get away with it.
Moving Islands will grip you, educate you and leave you feeling grateful that they had to go through it, and you didn't!
But then, who knows what's around the next bend, eh?
The front cover for the memoir book.
Click for a larger view.
Amazon UK reviews:
★★★★
"TI have read all of John's books, both fiction and personal reflections.
This book is a story which impressively reflects how much the author knows about Greek culture, characteristics and bureaucracy and the determination he had to overcome the challenges moving from one island to another. It is laced with humour, whilst being informative and a must read for anyone with a love of Greece."
★★★★★
"I have previously read some of John's books and enjoyed them. I had wondered about the circumstances of his move to Crete and this provided the answers. Not only that, the tale is told by the use of many amusing anecdotes. I suffered the stress of moving 7 years ago but all I can say is that I am glad it was only 3 miles down the road! An easy and relaxing read."
Above: Mayhem as the lounge on Rhodes fills up with 'stuff' to be either sold, or loaded onto a pallet to be sent via the moving company.
The front cover image shows John and Yvonne in front of the pallets, loaded and ready for collection by the moving company. This one shows their good friend Vagelis nearing the completion of the loading and wrapping.
Vagelis gets to grips with loading the second pallet.