Comments on: Spies of the Balkans, by Alan Furst http://www.alvahsbooks.com/book-reviews/spies-balkans-alan-furst/ Book Reviews, Essays, and Author Interviews Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:15:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marie Zannis http://www.alvahsbooks.com/book-reviews/spies-balkans-alan-furst/comment-page-1/#comment-1303 Marie Zannis Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:27:22 +0000 http://www.alvahsbooks.com/?p=1428#comment-1303 I first read about this book in The New York Times Book Review. I ordered it right away, and apart from almost getting a whiplash from seeing my last name pop up so often, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Furst put me back into the prewar time so deeply;it was very satisfying because I had wanted to understand more of what it was like, really being there. My father's family lived in and near Kalamata, Greece, and my grandmother starved to death during the German occupation. I was about 10 or 11 at the time. We lived in Birmingham Alabama, and my father owned a bakery. I remember he closed the bakery the day he got the news. I was so sorry I didn't know how to talk to him about it, but I just kept quiet out of respect. I loved Furst having a believable hero. I have been to Greece many times, and I can truly imagine such a character. I read many of Furst's other books after that one, in fact, I think all that were available in our library system. Thank you for your very good review. I t was a welcome reminder of some aspects I had forgotten. I first read about this book in The New York Times Book Review. I ordered it right away, and apart from almost getting a whiplash from seeing my last name pop up so often, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Furst put me back into the prewar time so deeply;it was very satisfying because I had wanted to understand more of what it was like, really being there.

My father’s family lived in and near Kalamata, Greece, and my grandmother starved to death during the German occupation. I was about 10 or 11 at the time.
We lived in Birmingham Alabama, and my father owned a bakery. I remember he closed the bakery the day he got the news. I was so sorry I didn’t know how to talk to him about it, but I just kept quiet out of respect.
I loved Furst having a believable hero. I have been to Greece many times, and I can truly imagine such a character.

I read many of Furst’s other books after that one, in fact, I think all that were available in our library system.

Thank you for your very good review. I t was a welcome reminder of some aspects I had forgotten.

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