It started with a boy, of course. Seeking solace from the pain of heartbreak and her father’s illness, Laura Coffey embarks on what was meant to be a simple holiday. But her newfound fascination with ancient Greek myths transforms her trip into a six-month odyssey, around tiny archipelagos and mystical Mediterranean islands thought to be the setting of Odysseus’s epic journey. As she chases one of the most conflicted, flawed and yet beloved heroes through his fantastical sea-kingdoms, looking for the places where geography and mythology collide, she discovers the wild beauty of the islands, and the redemptive powers of travel and nature, cold-water swimming, long hikes up mountains, and luminous star-lit skies.

But her quest to find happiness, safety and the true meaning of home is overshadowed by the deepening illness of her father. Returning as he’s dying, forced to confront the very things she was running from, Laura reflects on what she has lost, how to live between story and reality, and the way we craft our own mythologies. Slipping between the mythical realm and the real world, she finds enchantment and healing in the magic of both.

My Thoughts:

Laura has a lot on her shoulders and to try and cope with everything that is going on she decides to embark on a solo journey to help her find herself again. I assumed this would be a travel journal type of story but it is so much more than that. The descriptions of the places sound wonderful but it really feels as though you are on that journey with Laura. Everything that Laura has been through and going through there are people out there that will be able to relate to what she is going through. It is a story that you can switch off from the outside world and focus your attention to Laura and her life. I would recommend reading this great book.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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