The House by the River

Written by Lena Manta

Narrated by Courtney Patterson

From acclaimed Greek writer Lena Manta comes an emotionally powerful saga following five young women as they realize that no matter where life leads them, the only constant is home.

Theodora knows she can’t keep her five beautiful daughters at home forever—they’re too curious, too free spirited, too like their late father. And so, before each girl leaves the small house on the riverside at the foot of Mount Olympus, Theodora makes sure they know they are always welcome to return.

Having survived World War II, the Nazi occupation of Greece, and her husband’s death, Theodora now endures the twenty-year-long silence of her daughters’ absence. Her children have their own lives—they’ve married, traveled the world, and courted romance, fame, and even tragedy. But as they become modern, independent women in pursuit of their dreams, Theodora knows they need her—and each other—more than ever. Have they grown so far apart that they’ve forgotten their childhood home, or will their broken hearts finally lead them back again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Translator: Gail Holst-Warhaft
• Release date: Nov 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781536690941

Lena Manta

Lena Manta was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to Greek parents. She moved to Greece at a very young age and now lives with her husband and two children on the outskirts of Athens. Although she studied to be a nursery school teacher, Lena instead directed her own puppet theater before writing articles for local newspapers and working as a director for a local radio station. Manta was proclaimed Author of the Year in both 2009 and 2011 by Greek Life & Style magazine. She has written thirteen books, all of them published by Psichogios Publications, including the bestselling The House by the River, which has sold almost 250,000 copies and is the first of her books to be translated into English. Hers is a voice to be reckoned with, and each new book is a tour de force in the Greek publishing world.

Reviews for The House by the River

[gingersnap000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The House by the River was an easy read but completely unrealistic; five beautiful sisters each more beautiful than the other. Like a Greek myth, each sister learns a lesson. What I did not understand how these sisters became so vain? Well, it is only a book.

[shazjhb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Easy enjoyable read. A good traveling book. Need to suspend belief a bit

[sunnydrk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent! 5 girls leave their home in Greece searching for another life. The only thing that challenged me with the book is that I found it hard to keep track of who was who. Loved it!!

[lisasharvey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The House by the RiverLena MantaA emotional and poignant Greek family saga following five young women as they pursue their dreams, only to realize their home by the river is a healing place. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️SUMMARYLife was simple in the house by the river at the foot of Mount Olympus in Greece. Theodora and the tall, handsome Gerasimos kept goats and chickens and a vegetable garden in the years preceding World War ll. And during this time they have five bright, beautiful and talented daughters: Melissanthi, Julia, Aspasia, Polyxeni, and Magdalini. Gerasimos faces an unfortunate death during the war and Theodora must use her wits and fortitude to keep her daughters fed and safe during the German occupation. One by one, each of her daughters leaves home to pursue her dream for a future far away from the remote and simple village life. But before they go, Theodora takes each of them down to the river and assures them that when times get tough, they are always welcome to come back home again. She assures them that the river will wash away whatever trials and tribulations they may encounter. The storied life of each daughter is told independent of the others. Some marry and have children, some have careers and become famous, others follow their husbands around the world and enjoy wealth, and some experience loss and tragedy. They are all beautiful, independent women in the pursuit of their dreams far away from the house by the river. “Life is like the river that flows in front of us. It carries you easily with it and pulls you wherever it’s going. And a river doesn’t come back. If it takes you way, you can’t come back. Always be careful of the river… make sure it doesn’t carry you away.“REVIEWCan you imagine having five daughters? Talk about drama! THE HOUSE BY THE RIVER is a riveting and delightfully entertaining saga that will grab you from the start. I listened to the Audible version which is over eighteen hours long. Many a night I would find myself staying awake late into the night. It was just to good to turn off...just 15 more minutes again and again! The writing was absolutely spell-binding and the character development superb. The chronicles of each the daughters lives were riveting, and busting with drama. My all-time favorite part of this book was when Theodora threw an memorable fit with Gerasimos and demanded that their daughter be educated. They were the very first girls in the village to go to school. Anyone who likes intricate family drama would like this epic novel, which spans over four decades. Lena Marta has written thirteen books This is the first novel by the acclaimed Greek writer to appear in English translation. She was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to Greek parents. She moved to Greece at a young age where she now lives with her husband and two children on the outskirts of Athens. Translator Gail Holst-WarhalfNarratorCourtney PattersonPublisher Brilliance AudioPublication November 1, 2017.

[emanate28 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I'm sorry to say that this was unreadable. It was probably in part due to a clunky and awkward translation, but I couldn't tell whether the tale was simply a soap opera/cheap romance, or the translation was masking something more moving. I read about 20% and had to put it down. At that point, it had chronologically described a woman and how her daughters left their village home one by one, and was part way through telling what happened to the eldest daughter...yawn... So flat. Expected it to be like My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, but definitely nowhere near it!