Like a classic book by Manta. Nothing more and nothing less than what you expect to read from this particular one. As for the story, what can you judge when it comes to real people?

Wonderful book... everyone will find a "piece" of themselves in it.. common scenes and with our own mother.. redemption for the author.. well done

I often heard people talking about Lena Manta, saying the best things about both her book and herself. I even had the joy of seeing her up close several years ago at a presentation in my city. However, I was never tempted to read any of her works. My mistake!

The very next day after the presentation of her new book "Life in War," I started reading it. Looking at the cover, one is impressed and feels a wave of emotions overwhelming them. Both the beautiful image of a mother and daughter facing each other and the beautiful landscape of Istanbul behind them make you think.

"Life in War" is the title. And somewhere here, after observing the cover for several minutes, you wonder which war the author is referring to. However, reading the book's summary, you understand that it is a metaphor (probably).

From the first lines, I loved it. The narration of Lena Manta's childhood, the conflicts in her family, evoked a plethora of emotions in me. The beautiful images and descriptions transported me to another time, to another place. To Istanbul. In a period of deportations where the Turks prohibit the stay of Greeks in Turkey because they are considered a threat, the family of the author's mother is separated. Frantzeska (the mother of Lena Manta) falls in love with Stelios (Lena Manta's father), and somewhere there the reader realizes the ideals of the time and the model of hasty marriage without the possibility of a meaningful acquaintance of the couple. Then, the author's childhood and teenage years are presented. Everything is written simply and vividly, giving the reader the impression that they are watching a well-directed movie.

Although a sad feeling dominates the book's plot, the reference to love, affection, and the joy of life, beautifully presented by Mrs. Manta, is not omitted. Mother and daughter fall in love at the same time, they rejoice, cry, laugh, get angry, but they do all these things together! And this is one of the most beautiful lessons of this book. The fact that no matter how much suffering they go through, the mother and daughter do not separate.

The book "Life in War" by Lena Manta is one of my favorite books. It was the reason for me to read more books by Mrs. Manta. Next in line is "The Revenge of the Angels."

Rating: 10/10 stars

It is worth wondering how low literature has fallen in Greece. A cheap romance, literary non-existent, with repetitive phrases - seriously, how many times did they write "felt the blood rush to their head" - that is not interesting in terms of plot.