Greek book

Marjory McGinn's books set in Greece

A new Greek novel

Marjory has published her latest novel - How Greek Is Your Love? - which is set in the Mani region of southern Greece and is the sequel to A Saint For The Summer.

Expat Bronte McKnight is in the early days of her love affair with Dr Leonidas Papachristou. But as Bronte tries to live and love like a Greek, the economic crisis spawns an unlikely predator in the village. Now working as a freelance journalist, when Bronte is offered an interview with a famous actress/novelist, it seems serendipitous. But the encounter becomes a puzzle that takes her deep into the wild Mani region, for which she enlists the help of her maverick father Angus, and the newest love of her life, Zeffy, the heroic rescue dog. The challenges Bronte faces will bring high drama as well as humorous outcomes.

The book is available in Kindle and paperback on Amazon (see below). Read more about the book on Marjory's blog by clicking here.

How to buy the book on Kindle or in paperback

To buy the Kindle version of the new book, click on the link (left) for Amazon's UK site. To buy the paperback, click on the link (right). Click on the logo link on the far right for Amazon's American site.
The book is also available on Amazon's Australian and Canadian sites, and all its European outlets.

The prequel - A Saint For The Summer

Journalist Bronte McKnight is summoned to a hillside village in the wild and beautiful Mani region of Greece by her estranged expat father Angus to help him with a medical problem. But she soon discovers that Angus, whom she has barely seen in 10 years, has lured her there with a trickier challenge in mind – solving a mystery from the Second World War, when a family member disappeared in Greece during the disastrous Battle of Kalamata, known as ‘Greece’s Dunkirk’.

With the country gripped by economic crisis, and the clock ticking against them, their quest takes them from Kalamata to a remote mountain village, where its few inhabitants are bound by old traditions and secrecy. As Angus and Bronte reconcile their fractured relationship, they are helped in their search by a cast of intriguing characters, especially charismatic doctor Leonidas Papachristou. He has a pivotal role, not least in challenging Bronte’s assumption that she hasn’t the time or the courage to fall in love in Greece. The secrets they unearth are astonishing. This is a tale of heroism and love with a heart-warming conclusion. For interviews/background about this book, visit the 'Author Interviews' page.

How to buy the book on Kindle or in paperback

The Peloponnese series - four Greek travel memoirs by Marjory McGinn

Marjory's first acclaimed travel memoir, Things Can Only Get Feta, tells the story from the beginning, in 2010. After an Arctic winter and a British recession, two journalists embark on an adventure (with their lovable but crazy dog) in the wild, beautiful Mani region of the Peloponnese. It's a perfect plan, except for one thing - Greece is deep in economic crisis.

This is a humorous and insightful journey through one of the last unspoilt regions of Greece. It is full of encounters with warm-hearted, often eccentric, Greeks, including the inimitable and popular goat farmer Foteini, who prove time and time again that this troubled country still has heroes, if not euros. In 2022, this book became part of a Greek literature course in a northern Greek university, in a module covering what foreign authors had written and thought about Greece during the economic crisis.

Homer’s Where the Heart Is, the second book, continues the tale as the couple move to a nearby location, sharing an olive grove with their Greek landlords, with more funny and nervy challenges. The couple find time to explore more of the region: the charming island of Kythera and a visit to the house of the late Patrick Leigh Fermor, the great British travel writer.

With Greece edging closer to bankruptcy, the couple are engulfed in the chaos, along with everyone else, including some of the original village characters from Feta. This is a memoir written with humour and honesty, but it also the story of the author’s passion for this country.

Woven into the narrative is Marjory’s back story from another troubling time, during the military dictatorship in 1970s Athens. It will reveal as much about Greece as it does about her own journey.

A Scorpion In The Lemon Tree, the third book, charts Marjory and Jim's second, year-long odyssey in the southern mainland. However, they end up in a peninsula they didn’t choose, and a house they never thought they’d live in.

The couple’s adventure in Koroni, on the Messinian peninsula, takes them on another perilous and funny journey, with house rental dramas, scorpion threats and the challenge of an unexpected publishing drama.

But when they finally fall for the charm of unspoilt Koroni, make new friends and reconnect with some of the memorable characters from the Mani days, such as goat farmer Foteini, they discover once more how Greek is their love ...

A Donkey On The Catwalk, the fourth book, is a new collection of original stories and travel narratives, many of them following the adventures of Marjory, Jim and their lovable terrier Wallace in rural Greece. Once again it offers comical and insightful tales of life in wild and stunning locations. Readers will again enjoy the escapades of the unforgettable farmer Foteini: her unique take on life; her outrageous ‘fashions’, including a bizarre shoe design, and her ‘haute couture’ offerings for Riko the donkey. As well as tales of the Peloponnese, there are stories from other Greek locations, including Pelion and the islands of Santorini and Corfu. This book also offers a fascinating glimpse into some of the author’s earliest trips to Greece, including a year of teaching English in Athens during a political upheaval and a long sabbatical in Crete that didn’t quite go to plan.

Reviews of Things Can Only Get Feta

Anne Zouroudi, author of the acclaimed Greek Detective series of novels set in Greece: "A book to relax into, a wonderful record of Greece's uniqueness, written with wonderment, admiration and wit, all in equal measure."

Peter Kerr, best-selling author of Snowball Oranges: "An honest view of 'away-from-it-all' life in Greece today, as seen through the refreshingly unblinkered eyes of a very gifted author. An engaging, humour-spiced book that entertains and informs in equal measure. Highly recommended."

Maria A. Karamitsos, The Greek Star newspaper, Chicago: "Honestly, you won't be abe to put this book down."

Harry Bucknall, author of In The Dolphin's Wake: "Marjory McGinn's laconic wit and delightful style bring the herb-infused landscape of the Mani to life with joyous ease."

Stella Pierides, author of Feeding the Doves: “A tale full of adventure, warmth and wit, delving into the heart of communities in this area … this book might become a future reference source about life in ‘unspoilt Greece’."

Alex Martin, reviewing the book in the Anglo-Hellenic Review, described it as: "Poignant, an account of a growing and strangely bewildering love affair with Greece ... Marjory tells a good story, with a journalist's eye for mood and detail ...With luck she will write a second volume, as entertaining, good-hearted and moving as this."

Effrosyni Moschoudi, Athens-based novelist, described the book as "the best book of its kind I've ever read. It has it all: humour, interesting facts and a good measure of sentiment. Marjory is a truly talented author and I'm really looking forward to a sequel." Read the full review on her blog effrosinimoss.wordpress.com

Reviews of Homer's Where The Heart Is

Richard Clark, author of the Greek Notebook series: "Beautifully written, at times funny and always insightful, it entertains and at the same time gives us a unique perspective on an indomitable country coping with crisis. What more could you ask for?"

Maria A. Karamitsos, founder and editor of WindyCity Greek, in Chicago: "Through her stories, sentiments and humour, we see and feel her love for Greece. Put this at the top of your summer reading list."

Pamela Jane Rogers, author of Greekscapes: "Marjory takes us on an odyssey with mind, heart and great skill. I loved reading this book."

Linda Fagioli-Katsiotas, author of Greek memoir, The Nifi: "Another wonderful book by Marjory McGinn. The ending tugged at my heart."

Amazon reviewer: "Marjory writes at a level that sits with the best of the travelogue genre. Her depth of characterisation and turns of phrase are outstanding."

Anthony Hooper, author of The Glass Lie: "Beautifully written. Her historic insight gives this book a gravitas far beyond its genre without taking anything away from a charming read."

Valerie Poore, author of Watery Ways: "A fascinating and heartwarming memoir. I absolutely loved this book and had a huge lump in my throat at the end of it."

Reviews of A Scorpion In The Lemon Tree

Peter Kerr, best-selling author of Snowball Oranges: "This book is rare within the travel writing genre. It cleverly combines a travel narrative with enlightened observations about Greece, while retaining an entertaining touch."

Richard Clark, author of the Greek Notebook series: "Her empathy with Greece and refusal to lapse into sentimentality makes this a witty and poignant book."

Chicago-based magazine site WindyCity Greek: "I loved this book. If you can't get to Greece, pick up a copy of 'Scorpion' and enjoy the ride."

Pamela Jane Rogers, author of Greekscapes: "Through the author's wisdom, honesty and ability to relate the comic and tragic, this is a masterful description of Greek village life."

Amazon reviewer: "I absolutely love all three books in this series."

How to buy Things Can Only Get Feta in paperback or Kindle

For North American readers, the paperback and the Kindle can be bought from amazon.com. The paperback is also available from Barnes & Noble.

In Australia, the Kindle version is now available on amazon.com.au

Readers in Greece can buy the paperback online at the Public bookstore

How to buy Homer's Where The Heart Is in paperback or Kindle

For North American readers, the paperback and the Kindle can be bought from amazon.com. The paperback is also available from Barnes & Noble.

In Australia, the Kindle version is now available on amazon.com.au.

Readers in Greece can but the paperback online at the Public bookstore.