LOVE UNDER AEGEAN SKIES by Willard Manus
Review by Dalia Miller
Willard Manus and his bride Mavis came to Lindos, Greece on a whim, fueled by an adventurous spirit and a chance to experience island life in a pristine (at that time) village. What was supposed to be a short getaway ended up being 35-year adventure, and the couple soaked up local life and became a beloved fixture in both the Greek and expatriate communities that made up the picturesque Rhodian town.
Now living in America, Manus has written a vivid novel portraying life in Lindos set in the late `60s just before the Junta takeover that brought Greece under military dictatorship. The story is driven by the shenanigans of many expats who "dropped out" of more conventional lives, often trying out drugs, freewheeling sex, and dabbling in the arts, all set against a backdrop of colorful Greek village life and idiosyncrasies and impacted by the ominous political change that would soon sweep over Greece.
"Love under Aegean Skies" is a good read, a page-turner, if you will. Those who have traveled to Greece will connect instantly and recall their own personal reactions and experiences. Interwoven into the story are glimpses of island history and culture: the fate of the centuries-old community of Sephardic Jews, the vagaries of fishing and olive-picking, the effect of the sea and the seasons on customs and comforts, Greek political realities and social mores. Manus's in-depth understanding of the Greek psyche brings real authenticity to the story. Protagonist Michael Prestopino is an academic who comes to Lindos to expand on the body of knowledge on his literary idol, Lawrence Durrell and his association with Henry Miller. However, his focus is easily diverted by frequent sensual escapades with several women and a growing attachment to spear-fishing. His friendship with a left-leaning and American-educated Rhodian attorney, Jordan Pavlidis, soon places his fascination with Durrell under a disturbing lens. The imminent coup that propels a right-wing military Junta into power spells danger for Pavlidis and all who are associated with him and drives the story to its dramatic conclusion.
I read the book in one sitting, unable to put it down. Later on, I read it more slowly again, lingering over many passages, relishing the details, reliving some of my own trips to Greece, and recognizing the truths that Manus so ably explores.
Willard Manus has also written "This Way to Paradise--Dancing on the Tables," an in-depth memoir of the years he and his family spent on Lindos as it evolved from a sleepy backwater to an artist colony and tourist mecca. This book masterfully reveals the tapestry of political, social and cultural changes that impacted the island and Greece itself. I highly recommend reading this book as well.
