A love story spanning decades – deepened by tradition, heritage, loss, struggle, perseverance and loyalty.
In the year 1956, Anastacia Fotopoulos finds herself pregnant and betrayed, fleeing from a bad marriage. With the love and support of her dear friends Stavros and Soula Papadakis, Ana is able to face the challenges of single motherhood. Left with emotional wounds, she resists her growing … growing affection for Alexandros Giannakos, an old acquaintance. But his persistence and unconditional love for Ana and her child is eventually rewarded and his love is returned. In a misguided, but well-intentioned effort to protect the ones they love, both Ana and Alex keep secrets – ones that could threaten the delicate balance of their family.
The story continues in the 1970’s as Dean and Demi Papadakis, and Sophia Giannakos attempt to negotiate between two cultures. Now Greek-American teenagers, Sophia and Dean,
who have shared a special connection since childhood, become lovers. Sophia is shattered when Dean rebels against the pressure his father places on him to uphold his Greek heritage and hides his feelings for her. When he pulls away from his family, culture and ultimately his love for her, Sophia is left with no choice but to find a life different from the one she’d hoped for.
EVANTHIA’S GIFT is a multigenerational love story spanning fifty years and crossing two continents, chronicling the lives that unify two families.
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Evanthia’s Gift is a wonderful story spanning 3 generations and following two families. It tells of the hardships of love, family, following your dreams and trying to stay true to their Greek culture. It’s a story about finding yourself, whether it through true love or a rebellious teenager. It’s a long listen, but a good one. It definitely kept my interest and it was interesting to learn about the Greek culture. There are some really good recipes at the beginning of several chapters. Emily Lawrence did a fabulous job with the narration! Especially with all the different characters and the accents!
This is the first book in The Gift Saga series. It follows multiple generations of a Greek American family through their loves, hates, happiness and misfortune. It’s a wonderful story of second chances, which tugged at my heart. Effie Kammenou’s descriptive writing allows you to imagine their visits back home to Greece and the preparing of all that delicious food. Keeping tradition alive! Looking forward to to delving into the next in the series.
Evanthia’s Gift By Effie Kammenou is a multigenerational love story spanning 50 years that I listened to on audio narrated by Emily Lawrence. Effie did an amazing job with this story. It made me laugh and cry. I really enjoyed the span of the book to get into the life of each generation of the family. This is the first book by Effie Kammenou that I have read and it definitely won’t be my last.
Emily Lawrence is an amazing narrator. I am really glad I listened to it on audio to hear her take with the different accents and tones for each character. I cannot wait to hear future projects from her. This was an amazing duo and cannot wait to get book 2 Waiting for Aegina.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves contemporary romance.
#AudiobookObessionReviwer #AudioBookObsession
An Exceptional & Heartfelt Story! Great Audible Listen
Evanthia’s Gift
The Gift Saga, Book 1
By: Effie Kammenou
Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
I love books, I enjoy reading them and listening to audiobooks, sometimes separately, sometimes together. I did both with this book and it blew me away, the story and narration is beyond exceptional. It should be called Effie Kammenou’s gift because that is what it is. You can feel the love she put into this story flowing off the pages. It is well written and well told. The character development is beyond amazing. This multigenerational story begins with Anastasia in NYC it follows her throughout her life and meet her family and friends along the way. Actually you more than meet them you get to know them. I loved the bonds and friendship she shared with Soula and Stravos and how supportive they were from the start, also loved how protective her Uncle was too. I adored Alex, he was so loving and understanding. I was happy for Ana and Alex. The 2nd part of the book brings you to Sophia’s story, it includes all the people in her life, some you were introduced in the 1st part, others are the new people she meets in her life. You learn more of Dino & Demi, Soula and Stravos’ son and daughters and Sophie’s best friends and side kicks growing up. You are given views into their angsty teenage years and as they mature to adults, the paths they chose in life and lessons they learn. It is amazing how Effie Kammenou manages to bring the reader and/or listener into her story, places you right along side the characters, allowing you feel what they feel. I cried when they cried, felt their emotions and yes, I even got mad at some of their actions, mainly Dean’s and then Sophie’s. I can say so much more about this book, it is an original, heartfelt story, an exceptional one from start to end and I highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading & listening to more of Effie Kammenou’s work. Thank you so much for this great & enjoyable story and for the for the great recipes too!
I listened to the Audible edition, Emily Lawrence is a wonderful narrator and voice performer. She performed the voices for all the characters, she brings them to life gives each their own unique sound and personality. She does an amazing job with the accents too. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to!
This was a wonderful book that was packed with love more than anything. There was puppy love and there was soul mates. There were loving families and there were detached families. This book so well written with great characters and emotional highs and lows. You will be sucked in and feel invested in their lives because she takes you through some of the characters entire lives. It’s almost like you get two books in one because after Ana’s life, it continues into Sophia’s. Some of the characters are so passionate and have strong convictions. It was so nice to take a look into true love and soul mates such as these. There were times when I cried along but there were times when I was cheering them on and hoping they would open their eyes. I cannot wait to read the next two books.
A multigenerational family saga that follows the characters through love, tragedy, heartache, and the stages of life.
Evanthia’s Gift, the first book in the Gift saga, is a brilliantly written, touching, and emotionally charged story. Kammenou’s characters are engaging and real, providing the reader with not only the ability to connect with each but to engage in their emotional journey. Each was realistically flawed, broken, or somehow affected by their past, which made the reader engage in their story on a personal level as much of what these characters experience is very relatable.
The author’s ensemble cast of characters helps to elevate the storylines and the Greek culture, which she is portraying. Not only do her characters and storyline provide a better understanding into this culture but the author adds a personal touch by including authentic recipes inside the books pages, a wonderful treat for the reader. The author also touches on the historical past of Greece and her people; insight into the horrors attributed to the Nazi invasion, the religious aspects of the characters homeland, and the personal past that contributes to each character’s development. She also provides the reader with beautifully rendered visuals through her artistic world-building.
The plot twists keep the reader engaged but are realistic, enhancing the difficulties of maintaining relationships over years and through generations. Wound into the fabric of this multi-generational story are an exceptional group of antagonists – whether they be estranged sisters, ex-husbands, pride, or life-threatening diseases, Kammenou does not shy away from portraying them in their tragically wicked, agonizing, and heart wrenching dark truth.
The story is possibly the most emotionally draining read I have experienced in a very long time. It takes a talented writer be able to evoke a multitude of emotions from a reader in such an intense and breathtaking way. Kammenou has managed to do this in spades.
Clearly, the author has a very personal connection with the culture, the places depicted in her book, and the “family saga” that she portrays in the pages, making Evanthia’s Gift a book that is truly inspirational and authentic.
I have already purchased the second book in the series and am looking forward to reading it very soon.
Absolutely loved this multi-generational family. So much love, acceptance, and kindness. I am going to get the next in the series now.
This is the first in The Gift Saga series by this author. I have the set, but after reading this book, I do not know if I will finish the series.
It took me awhile to finish this, almost a month. At times, I felt it hard to continue but read on anyways.
The story is about several generations of traditional Greek families. The book itself spans twenty-some years. The story, however, incorporates Greece during World War II.
Greece is one of my favorite countries and as such, some of the story had elements I was aware of. I also grew up in the ’50’s and so those references weren’t new to me nor were those of the 70’s.
I simply could not get into this book as I have in other books in a series. Perhaps the second book will be the hook I need for this series.
The narration by Emily Lawrence was amazing. The accenting, and voices were very well done.
Overall I really enjoyed the book, it was well written and I loved the pieces of real Greek history and traditions, but I had two big issues with it. My first issue was that Ana & Alex’s story should have been a prequel or book 1 and separated from Sophie & Dean’s story. I also felt the amount of time that it took for the couple to get back together (20 years) seems a bit too much, too unrealistic for each to wait and still have feelings.
Overall I enjoyed Ana & Alex’s story way more than Sophie & Dean’s but I was sucked into the drama of it all till the very end.
#AudiobookObsession
AudiobookObsession
Prepare yourself to be swept away by Evanthia’s Gift: The Gift Saga, Book 1 written by Effie Kammemou, narrated by Emily Lawrence. I’ve never listened to an audiobook quite like this one. It is one of the best books I’ve ever listened to, and I have no doubt you will feel the same. Beautifully written and gracefully narrated, it is a story about life, love, friendship, and family that spans across generations. The character development is absolutley outstanding. I was so emotionally involved in the characters and events that I often stopped to reflect on my own life experiences, as the personal connection I felt was relatable and real. Complete with mouth-watering, authentic Greek recipes, my knowledge and understanding of Greek culture and traditions deepened with each chapter, further engaging me in this emotional journey of self-discovery. You, too, will easily see parts of yourself in each of the characters, and even if you are not of Greek heritage, like myself, the themes are universal and timeless, making Evanthia’s Gift a story for everyone.
The narration by Emily Lawrence was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to her. This is the longest book I’ve ever listened to, and her performance made the time fly by. Along with the consistent pronunciation, she really did an amazing job keeping with the voices and accents of each character, which made for easy listening, without any confusion. There was only 1 place in the entire 17+ hours that I heard a “mistake,” if it could even be called that. I believe it was in the 1st half of the book as she was reading a recipe…she repeated the same word twice. Basically, it wasn’t caught during editing. By NO means did this take away from my overall enjoyment of the piece. I definitely plan to listen to Book 2 in The Gift Saga by Effie Kammenou, and I am thrilled to see that Emily Lawrence is listed as narrator. 🙂
Evanthia’s Gift, from the joyous celebrations to the heartbreaking struggles, is a story about all of us at each stage of our journey through life, as we search for truth, purpose, happiness, and love. Its about learning and growing together, while finding strength we didn’t know existed and helping others find the same. It’s about believing, accepting, and trusting in ourselves and others so that we are able to overcome the harships, celebrate the joys, and love unconditionally. This is my first time hearing an audiobook by both Author Effie Kammemou and Narrator Emily Lawrence, and I’m so happy to have found The Gift Saga. I highly recommend it, and, without hesitation, I give it a very deserving 5/5 stars across the board. It set me on my own journey of self-discovery, while reminding me what, and who, is truly important in life. This is a book that will stay with you long after the last page. I cannot wait to continue the journey in Book 2. I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. 🙂
I have just finished listening to Evanthia’s Gift by Effie Kammenou, and I’m sad… sad that I came to the end of the first book in the series. I’m just grateful that the next book is available!
This is a beautiful story that spans over 50 years and multiple generations. I loved getting to know the characters and following their lives. I really feel like I know these characters and I truly care about them, having experienced their joys and sorrows, through the good times and the bad.
Emily Lawrence delivered a stellar performance. She handled all the different characters wonderfully, with the wide range of emotions and the accents. The book truly came to life.
I listen to many different audiobooks and I have to say this has been one of my favorites.
I read all three books in this trilogy and enjoyed them all. I was sorry to see the stories end. Excellent writing and holds interest. Loved the many generations and family-like friendships that endured the generations. Look forward to further books by this Author.
i loved this book this was a gift to me and i am so glad, when i got this book i thought it would be a book about one person, but this book was so much more. it had love, hard ache, marriage, lost love, death and hope. i could talk all day about this book and not cover all of the action and characters in this book. it is about 5 girls that calls their selves (Honey Hill Girls) that stay friends for years and help each other in the good and the bad, but it is also about family, and their Greek heritage. they are also surrounded, by guy friends that they love and lose, it makes you put yourself into their shoes and wonder what you would do. this is a story that every reader would get some thing out of. you must read this book you wont be disappointed.
Very authentic to the Greek culture.