My Greek Books
Welcome back to My Greek Books! This month, travel with me to Zakynthos in the early 1800s, South Africa as apartheid is ending, and to Thessaloniki in the 20th century. Keep going to find out what I’ve been reading.
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The Book of Katerina by Auguste Corteau
Parthian Books (December 3, 2021)
About the author
Born Petros Hatzopoulos in 1979 in Thessaloniki, the author writes under the pen name Auguste Corteau. He is the author of 14 novels as well as novella, short stories, and plays. He is a recipient of the Greek National Book Award for Children’s Literature. Corteau has also translated more than 30 works of literature into Greek, including Nakobov’s Lolita and Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men.
Originally published in Greek in 2013, The Book of Katerina was a finalist for the 2022 EBRD Prize for Literature. A popular state adaptation of the novel, by Yorgos Nanouris, won critical acclaim. It was presented in the UK in 2016, starring Lena Papaligoura with live music by Lolek. Corteau lives in Athens.
About the translator
Born in Athens in 1963, Claire Papamichail studied Sociology and has worked as a freelance literary translator for more than forty years. Among the authors she has translated from English to Greek are Maeve Binchy, Marian Keys, Graham Greene, Sebastian Faulks, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Charles Dickens, Madeleine Miller, Alex Michaelides, Olivia Manning, and Damon Galgut. She has also translated The Saga of the Century by Rebecca West and The Promise by Damon Galgut, which won the Booker Prize 2021, as well as The Bee Sting by Paul Murray, shortlisted for the Booker Prize 2023. Moret recent translations include: The Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens, Anthem by Ayn Rand and Malafrena by Ursula Le Guin.
With the exception of some attempts at poetry as a favor to friends, The Book of Katerina is the first book she translated from Greek to English. Papamichail lives in Athens.
About the book
Following his mother’s death, Auguste Corteau wrote this book to make sense of her life and her struggle with bipolar disorder. The novel opens as Katerina’s son Petros finds her dead from suicide. Throughout the book, Corteau imagines his own mother’s inner life, and the saga of her extended family’s ups and downs in the city of Thessaloniki over three generations.
We learn about Katerina’s lifelong torments and experiences with mental illness. From the poverty of the early years through to affluence and aspirations of grandeur, Katerina drags her husband and son into the chaos of her life: sicknesses are hidden, siblings fight for love and attention, while feckless husbands and unwanted children are riven through the family story.
My Greek Books review
The Book of Katerina is a sad but captivating tale. August Corteau channels his mother’s signature humor to tell the tale with a mixture of sadness and sarcasm. He brings Katerina to life in a splendid way, juggling through illness, family secrets, and misconceptions, giving her a voice to recount her troubled life. Claire Papamichail did a skillful job translating this book. It’s a quick and enticing read. Pick up a copy.
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Under an African Sky by Elene Catrakilis
Belvedere House (March 10, 2026)
About the author
Born in South Africa to Greek-Cypriot parents, Elene Catrakilis is a former lawyer turned writer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as a postgraduate Honors Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of South Africa.
She is a graduate of The Creativity Workshop of New York, the Yale Writer’s Conference & Workshop, and the Krouna Writing Workshop of Greece. In 2019, she received first prize in the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition for her personal essay, “God’s Tablecloth”. Under an African Sky is her first novel.
About the book
In 1989, South Africa was a deeply divided country on the brink of change. There, two women from vastly different backgrounds share an unlikely friendship. Sofia Levantis, a Greek-Cypriot immigrant, longs to keep her family close, but when her children want to leave South Africa, the future she’s imagined begins to slip away. Meanwhile, Grace Molepe, Sofia’s housekeeper and trusted friend, pins her hopes on her son’s education and a future where he’ll no longer be treated like a foreigner in his own country.
When their children’s lives become entangled in ways neither woman could foresee, the fallout threatens not only their dreams, but also the friendship on which they’ve come to rely. Into this turmoil, a priest from Sofia’s past arrives from a remote Greek monastery. His quiet presence steadies Grace yet unsettles Sofia, as long-buried secrets rise to the surface. But in this fractured world, where a nation and hearts are coming undone, can his prayers hold the pieces together, or will the past refuse to let go of the present?
My Greek Books review
Under an African Sky is a beautifully written story set against the important historical events of the end of apartheid: Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, and the upheaval of this watershed moment in the country’s history. Elene Catrakilis adeptly taps into that tumultuous time and drills down to the effects on two very different families and the unlikely friendship of the mothers. On a very human level, we witness two women from two different worlds who bond over their hopes and dreams for their children and a better world. I couldn’t put it down and devoured it in a day. Don’t miss it!
My Story by Elisavet Moutzan-Martinengou translated by Helen Dendrinou Kolias
University of Georgia Press (January 1, 1989)
About the author
Elisavet Moutzan-Martinengou (1801-1832) was a Greek writer from Zakynthos. Her parents were scion of two of the oldest aristocratic families on the island. She died just two weeks after the birth of her son, Elisabetio, from complications during childbirth. Elisavet wrote poetry, more than 15 theatrical plays, and works on economics and poetic theory. She also translated works of classical literature, including the Odyssey and Aeschylus’ tragedy Prometheus Bound. She is considered the first prominent female writer of modern Greek literature. Her most famous work is her autobiography, simply called My Story. When published by her son in 1881, he omitted numerous portions from her original text, along with some of her poems. Few of her works survive.
About the translator
Helen Dendrinou Kolias, PhD is a native of Kefalonia. She is a senior lecturer in the Department of Classics at Cornell University and was a research associate at SUNY-Binghamton. She is the translator of several books into English, including I Shall Sign as Loui (Northwestern University Press, 2000), by Rhea Galanaki.
About the book
In this book, Elisavet Moutzan-Martinengou chronicles her life . She grew up in a time when women were rarely allowed to leave the house let alone be educated. With the help and encouragement of three priests who were allowed to visit her at home, she fostered her interest of learning and writing. Basically, self-educated, she learned ancient Greek, Italian and French. She didn’t want to marry, preferring to join a monastery or move to one of the family’s country homes. Elisavet believed that it was the only way she could get out of the house. And it would allow her to dedicate her life to her books. Her family refused her wishes, and ultimately she did marry, soon after followed by her untimely death.
The book opens with an extensive introduction, providing historical context into the era in which Elisavet lived, including the beginnings of the movements leading to the Greek Revolution. Elisavet tells about her life, beginning at 8 years old. The book is written in a very simple style, which the translator faithfully follows. Excerpts of some of her letters, translations, and poems are included. The translator also notes that Elisavet’s son purposely omitted portions of her original work.
My Greek Books review
Upon learning that Elisavet Moutzan-Martinengou was considered the first prominent female writer of modern Greek literature, I had to read her autobiography. The translator includes historical notes providing important context and insight into the world in which Elisavet lived. I cannot imagine this time where women were discouraged from education, even from leaving the house. We can only wonder what else she could have achieved, and what her life would have been like had she lived. I’m sad that her son chose to omit portions of her story – likely due to the old edict, “What will people say?”, the very one that I’m sure led her family to keep her sequestered at home and not allow her to devote her life to writing and learning. We still have remnants of that today, but thankfully, we have progressed a great deal since that time—or you wouldn’t be reading this right now.
This fascinating story remains faithful to Elisavet’s regular vernacular, which made me feel like she was speaking directly to me. It’s a short read, and I’m almost finished. So please excuse me. Elisavet wishes to finish telling me her story. Check it out!
Used copies appear occasionally on Amazon.
My Greek Books—June 2026
Well, that’s it for this month. Add these three books to your list. Let’s meet here next month, where I’ll share more of My Greek Books. Til then, Happy Reading!
