YANNIS (Cretan Saga Book 1) (98 page)
John had been reading the notebooks left by his Old Uncle Yannis. In them he discovers that one man planned his escape from Spinalonga carefully. Convinced that he was not suffering from leprosy Tassos sailed across to the mainland in his bath tub.
Old Uncle Yannis never mentions him again and John is determined to find out the fate of the man. Despite having to help with the organisation of a large family party for his grandmother and twin daughters he refuses to give up his search for Tassos.
It is by pure chance that he finally discovers where the old man is living and hears the story of his life before, during and after the war.
Ronnie decides to return to Elounda and work as an artist, selling her water colours in Saffron’s shop.
Intrigued by the techniques of painting on enamel Ronnie visits England during the winter to learn the art. She becomes friendly with her tutor’s son, Geoff, and he arranges to visit her in Elounda the following year.
Returning to New Orleans for the winter she examines the photographs her uncle has unearthed dating back to when he was a boy in Crete. A surprising family secret is uncovered and Ronnie enlists John’s help to uncover the truth.
Geoff’s visit to Elounda does not go according to plan when he decides he prefers to spend his time with, Caro, a friend Ronnie made whilst travelling back on the ’plane. His long term plans are dashed when Ronnie breaks some unwelcome news to him.
John’s research uncovers some unpleasant family history for Ronnie, but provides an additional incentive for her to remain in Crete for the foreseeable future.
Ronnie has asked John and Nicola to translate and make a typewritten copy of the diaries left behind by Maria when she and her family left Crete for America.
Events that Maria considered important are recorded by her as a way to improve her reading and writing skills. Maria describes the mundane life of her and her sister growing up in the village as innocent young girls, learning how to cook, sew and weave ready for when she marries.
Despite her innocence, Maria becomes determined to marry the man of her choice and uses all her guile to ensure she has her own way, despite a result she had not anticipated.
When tragedy strikes her sister the situation is covered up by lies to preserve the good name of the family. It is only later, when rumours circulate about Maria’s adopted daughter and the news from Europe is disconcerting that arrangements are made to go to America.
That is when the family’s finances are laid bare and a very unpleasant secret is revealed.
Nicola and John are investigating further into Ronnie’s family. They visit Kassianae, an old lady living in Kastelli. Both her mother and grandmother worked for the family who lived in the big house in the village.
Kassianae draws on her memories of the events and gossip related to her over the years and describes the life of Sofia and that of some of the other villagers.
Sofia is forced into an arranged marriage to the tax collector due to his ingenious scheme for making money whilst collecting the tax due to the government.
The tragic death of both of her parents, the illness and subsequent separation from her younger daughter are born with fortitude. Finally the disclosure of the secret that her husband has hidden from the village and his family for years is revealed.
Manolis is content with his life as a fisherman. His trips to Spinalonga, delivering supplies to the occupants, give him the opportunity to fall in love and make some extra money. When the Germans invade Crete, Manolis is asked to take a message to a neighbouring village. A seemingly simple task. It results in him sailing half way around Crete in the company of an Englishman until they reach Preveli. Manolis finds himself inexorably caught up with the resistance. Cut off from news of their families the men finally return to their homes at the end of the war, one to happiness, and the other to heartbreak.
Cathy considers herself to be a very ordinary person and no one is more surprised than her when she is asked to model for a photographer and is immediately successful. She begins to achieve fame and fortune until disaster strikes her.
Confined to a wheelchair, she visits Crete and a local man falls in love with her. Whilst escorting her and her friend to visit a War Memorial he realises that he could actually be her brother. He sets out on a search for the identity of his parents, finally contacting Cathy's father for help.
Vasi’s dream is to be an airline pilot. When this is impossible his father makes him the manager of a large hotel in Heraklion that was previously owned by Yannis Andronicatis.
Later Vasi buys his own hotel in Hersonissos, but the manager, Stelios, has his own scheme for making money.
When he was at school Vasi made an implacable enemy in Alecos; even as an adult Alecos takes every opportunity to humiliate and embarrass Vasi.
Vasi contemplates purchasing another hotel in Elounda and Alecos seizes the opportunity to thwart his ambitions. Alecos takes a financial risk that rebounds and leaves him in dire trouble, whilst Vasi finds himself in trouble with the police.
The Heraklion police are convinced Vasi caused Alecos’s accident. The police in Aghios Nikolaos are not so sure and investigate another suspicious car in the area that is brought to their attention, causing tension between the two forces.
When Vasilis tries to raise the money for Vasi’s bail discrepancies come to light on the hotel accounts.
Dimitra, Alecos’s girl friend, visits the hospital and decides that a doctor is a better marriage proposition than a bank manager. Teasing the doctor seductively she finds to her cost that the doctor loses patience.
Vasi thinks up an ambitious scheme to help his friend, Yiorgo, and buys Manolis’s fishing boat. He also considers the ideas Saffron puts forward for the use of his father’s house.
Due to Alecos’s crafty manipulation of events, Vasi is forced to make a purchase he had not intended as the only way to clear his name.
“A remarkable series of books. I have read each book three times.”
J. Evans
“One of the best family sagas I have ever read. Please keep writing about this family.”
G. Newman
“The characters are so real that I feel I know them.”
D. Mason
“I become so involved in the plot of each book that I await the outcome as anxiously as if the fictitious characters were my own family.”
G. King
“Each time I finish a book by Beryl Darby I am eagerly anticipating the next. Please write many more about this family.”
J. Wilson
“This series of books is the best I have read in thirty years.”
C. Taylor
“These characters have become part of our family. We talk about them as if they were real.”
G. Hiscox
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R. Shepherd