Enchanted Islands
A Mediterranean Odyssey – A Memoir of Travels through Love, Grief and Mythology
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Enchanted Islands
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Narrated by:
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Laura Coffey
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By:
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Laura Coffey
About this listen
"A magical and hugely captivating journey - filled with such beauty, wonder and surprise. A simply marvellous read, hugely recommended" - Stephen Fry
A real-life journey through the fantastical world of The Odyssey
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.
"If you love memoir and Greek mythology, this is a delight. A spellbinding book about growing up, grieving and the gods." - Clare Pollard, author of Delphi
Critic reviews
'This book forces you to look at life - and what it means to be human - in a brand new way. Add in a dash of mythology and you have a dazzling tale of how stories have the capacity to heal our lives. An utterly glorious achievement!' (Jasmine Elmer, author of Goddess with A Thousand Faces)
'This is travel writing at its finest. Local colour, history, memoir, and an emotional journey through grief and joy weave together beautifully. It is literary without pretension, informative while entertaining, moving and heartfelt while also being sharply funny. The best travel writing inspires us to journey ourselves, and this book made me long for warm Mediterranean islands. A triumph of a first book from an enchanting author.' (Noah Charney, bestselling author and BBC presenter)
'So engrossing - I was right there with Laura on her travels and in her grief. Enchanted Islands is mesmerising and moving, a feast for the senses and the soul.' (Joanne Mallon, career coach and author of Change Your Life in 5 Minutes a Day)
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