Fortune Favors the Bold: A Woman's Odyssey through a Turbulent Century

Written by Theodore Modis

Narrated by Christa Lewis

She loses both her parents and is left with her younger sister to survive.

It is early twentieth-century Greece. Theodosia, a teenage girl and her younger sister, lose their parents in Constantinople and are thrown into a massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey.

They arrive at a refugee camp in Northern Greece, where their choice is to perish or to use the resources at hand in order to survive.

Despite all the difficulties they encounter, the sisters decide not to give up, and fight for a better life.

Theodosia's story carries on throughout a century of war and peace, invasions and political disputes and is peppered with horrific events, likable characters, and a great love story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Nov 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781515941736

Reviews for Fortune Favors the Bold

[sdaisy-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the dramatic true story of the Modis family in Greece from 1921 to the early 2000s. It mainly centers around Theodosia, her husband Giorgos Modis, and their children Agla and Theodore. Written by Theodore and based mainly off of his reflections and those of his family, this is a great example of the day-to-day life of an ordinary, yet extraordinary, woman who faced and overcame many trials through her amazing life. Through times of war, times of economic depression, times of pain, and times of loss, Theodosia stayed strong. This book is a tribute to her inner strength and bravery. I found the book very interesting and engaging. The short Historical Background sections scattered throughout were incredibly helpful, and the book itself was as close to first-person as you can get once one has passed away. The book taught me much about Greece throughout the 20th century, without in the least becoming boring. I highly recommend it to any history buffs, war historians, genealogists, and people interested in Greek history in general. Five shining stars!

[swampwoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this biography to be touching and interesting. Good job Mr. Modis.

[lynnb_64 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book tells the story of Theodosia Modis, from her youth to the end of her long life. She was a brave girl and woman who lived through civil wars between Greeks and Turks, forced expulsions and population swaps, wars, loss of family members and much more. She also found love and raised a family. The author, her son, intersperses brief explanations of Greek or Turkish history which adds context and helps empathize with Theodosia. It is clear that the author is not a professional biography-writer (although he has written many scientific articles). The writing style is a big jarring at times and mostly just simple narration. But Theodosia's character intrigued me enough that I didn't mind too much. Worth reading if you enjoy biography and/or are interested in real-life impacts of history on a family.

[janerawoof · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Life story of an intrepid Greek girl who comes to live in Greece as part of a population swap--Ottoman Greeks to Greece/Turks to dying Ottoman Empire--during the early part of the 20th century. The book follows Theodosia's life as refugee through her whole long life as teacher, wife, and mother until her death. We follow her extended family and friends. We see how everyone is caught up in Greek history. This encomium was lovingly written by her son, Theodore, and compiled in the main from the family "archives" and memories. I enjoyed it in spite of dry writing style and did appreciate the inserts which recounted briefly Greek history through that period. Fascinating fact that the cover was a photograph of Theodosia taken by her husband; photography was one of his hobbies.