Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece

(Hardback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In the summer of 2000, Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia found themselves disillusioned with city life. Overwhelmed by long commutes, they stumbled upon a book about Prespa, Greece - a remote corner of Europe filled with stone villages, snow-capped mountains and wildlife. What began as curiosity soon transformed into a life-changing decision: to make Prespa their home.

Prespa is a crossroads. Where three countries come together around two huge lakes, where limestone collides with granite and heat-pulsing Mediterranean ecosystems meet their colder, Balkan relatives. Here, languages, wartime histories and rivers converge, and pelicans, bears and people leave their footprints on the waters edge next to unexploded bombs.

Lifelines is not only the tale of a courageous leap into a new life, but of seasons punctuated by unforgettable encounters, from a stare-down with a bear surrounded by Spring wildflowers to a deep-winter meeting with fourteen wrens sheltering above a frozen doorway. And into this place encircled by mountains, Julian seamlessly weaves an intricate web of stories of conflict and possibility; of refuge lost and found; of the wild lifelines that connect us all as we move through the world seeking a home.

Reviews

A tender, powerful story of love for a place and a way of being, and a bracing call to the barricades - for enemies are closing in. An urgent, important and compelling read. Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild

Julian Hoffmans writing is knockout beautiful, perceptive, sensitive, thoughtful, beguiling, deeply smart, full of humanity, and a Lifeline in itself. Keggie Carew, author of Dadland and Beastly

Ive been wondering for several years whether it was now possible for anyone writing in English to write a great book about living in Greece. Well, here it is. Exquisitely written, revelatory, passionate about the ecosystem of the Prespa lakes, Lifelines tells of how Hoffman and his wife found home in this northwest corner of Greece. John Kittmer, former British Ambassador to Greece

Set against the spectacular mountains and lakes of northern Greece, this remarkable book describes Julian and Julias odyssey as they meet others on similar quests to find home, be they bears, pelicans or humans. Utterly relevant to our times. Lee Durrell, MBE

Awakens every sense - Lifelines will tilt you towards the wonder of nature. Written with wisdom, love and a protective quality that soars, this is a beautiful and important gem. Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Nature Needs You and Fledgling

[Julian] observes the world around him with such sensitivity and he brings to every natural encounter - be it a Greek landlord, a moth, a Juniper tree or a brown bear - a childs sense of wonder and respect ... Lifelines is a book that will refresh your soul. Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Farm

Julian Hoffmans Lifelines is a heart-warming tale of finding home. Dr James Canton, author of Grounded

A marvellous work of love and reflection on the wild places we share with nature, the ordinary and extraordinary people and creatures, and the magic of our living world. Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century

A journey of discovery, rich in event and beautifully crafted ... At a time when the planet is at risk, Hoffmans passionate sense of place is both a celebration and an alarm call. David Harsent, author of Skin

Lifelines is a beautifully written and tender book of what it can mean to fall in love with a place, its wildlife and its people. Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean

'Absolutely fantastic. Lifelines is a balm for the soul: simultaneously hyper local and international; attentive to the lives of others, animal and human; Hoffmans writing has never been better, more powerful, more beautiful than here. Stephen Rutt, author of The Eternal Season

Julian Hoffmans prose is poetic, joyful and filled with love for the natural world and his chosen home. Annie Worsley, author of Windswept

Lifelines is absolutely beautiful. So moving and full of insights into our flawed relationship to the Earth and yet it is not without hope for our damaged planet. Joanna Pocock, author of Surrender

Suffused in the wonder of nature, wildlife and humanity, and shot-through with ecological themes, Julian HoffmansLifelinesis simply spellbinding an absolute must-read for anyone whos wondered about the possibility of carving a different kind of life LoveReading

Author Bio

JULIAN HOFFMAN is one of our most thoughtful and interesting writers on the natural world. He is the author of two previous books, Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save our Wild Places (Highly Commended Finalist for the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation 2020; Royal Geographical Society Book of the Year 2020; shortlisted for ASLE UK Book Prize for Literature and Environment 2021) and The Small Heart of Things (Winner of both the 2012 AWP Award for Creative Nonfiction and the National Outdoor Book Award for Natural History Literature, as well as being a finalist for the Foreword Book of the Year in Ecology and Environment and the ASLE Book Award for Literature and Environment).