Sophia's Return

Uncovering My Mother's Past

Sophia's Return
Sophia Kouidou-Giles
RRP:
NZ$ 36.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 31.44
Paperback
h216 x 140mm - 288pg
6 Sep 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781647421717
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
After her parents' divorce, seven-year-old Sophia is raised by her paternal grandmother and, later, her father' s second wife. She visits her mother on weekends until she finishes her high school, after which she moves to the US to complete her post-secondary studies and launch a career in child welfare. Decades later, Sophia travels back to Greece, determined to find her mother' s grave and finally learn about the reasons for her parents' divorce. As she digs, she begins to realize how clashing cultures between her Greek-born mother and her father' s early years in Turkey wreaked havoc on the marriage. Determined to unlock the true story, she interviews family members, all of whom are sympathetic but reluctant to disclose information. Finally, she hires an attorney and resorts to document searching-and uncovers a story she never knew existed. Written with illuminating insights and a mature understanding of what forced her mother' s decision to abandon their home, Sophia' s compassionate, authentic recounting of her journey will encourage those who search for the truth to persist in seeking answers to life' s unanswered questions.
"The mystery of a mother' s loss and a daughter' s search to reclaim her drive this engaging memoir. Family secrets, conflicting Old and New World traditions, and poignant scenes of intergenerational and cultural struggles bring to life a vivid portrait of Greece. For readers discovering their ancestral roots, this is a must- read; lively, very moving, and inspiring. " -BRENDA PETERSON, author of Your Life is a Book "Sophia Kouidou-Giles is a masterful storyteller. Sophia' s Return takes us into a compelling tale of reclaiming the past that speaks profoundly to our need to make sense of our lives' central mysteries. Nuanced, rich, and evocative, it will keep you up reading late into the night. " -THEO PAULINE NESTOR, author of Writing Is My Drink"A deeply considered investigation of family dynamics and the secrets that in many families go unchallenged but in this one find resolution through tenacity and eventual forgiveness. " -JEAN GILBERTSON, author of Dancing on the Whisper of God "Sophia Kouidou-Giles has a social scientist' s eye for family systems and a writer' s eye for secrets therein. She exhumes the past with compassion and curiosity, bringing to fore the atmospheric history of Greece . . . Sophia' s Return is a lyrical story and beautiful read, full of sensory detail and cultural richness. " -RENEE E. D' AOUST, author of Body of a Dancer "Sophia' s Return will draw you in. It' ll take you back in time. It reminds us the effects of secret-keeping, and that in our quest to protect children, sometimes we create more problems. After reading this story, I felt like Sophia was an old friend. I experienced her highs and lows with her. This book will tug at your heartstrings and make you rethink keeping family secrets. I can' t wait for her next book. " -MARIA A. KARAMITSOS, founder of WindyCity Greek
Sophia Kouidou-Giles was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and university educated in the US. She holds a bachelor' s degree in psychology and a master' s in social work. In her long career in child welfare career, she served as a practitioner, educator, researcher and administrator. Kouidou-Giles has published articles in Greek and English professional journals with a focus on services to abused/neglected children. More recently, her focus has shifted to writing non-fiction and poetry. Her work has appeared in Voices, Persimmon Tree, Assay, The Raven' s Perch, The Time Collection, The Blue Nib (where she has a byline), and The Writers and Readers' Magazine. Her poetry chapbook is Transitions and Passages. Her memoir, (Return to Thessaloniki), was published in Greece in 2019. She currently lives in Seattle, Washington.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9781647421717
Published: 6 Sep 2021
Published In: United States
Imprint: She Writes Press
Publisher: She Writes Press
Format: Paperback
Height: 216mm
Width: 140mm
Pages: 288

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information