I always enjoy picking up a new Dinah Jefferies book and finding out which part of the world she’s going to take me to next! India, Sri Lanka, Italy, Morocco and Malaysia are just some of the places I’ve visited through the pages of her novels and now I can add Corfu to the list. More specifically, Corfu in 1923, when the island is occupied by Mussolini’s Italy following a border dispute between Greece and Albania.
Sixteen-year-old Thirza and her nine-year-old brother, Billy, are caught up in the panic on the streets of Corfu Old Town during the Italian naval attack. Dulcie, their mother, has left them with her cousin, Columbine, while she goes to check on a camp of refugee children with whom she volunteers, and when she returns, she finds that Billy has disappeared. Despite weeks of searching, the little boy can’t be found and is eventually presumed dead. Struggling to cope with the trauma, Dulcie blames both Thirza and Columbine for what has happened and goes home to England, leaving behind her husband Piers, director of the British police training school in Corfu.
In 1930, Thirza returns to the island after a long absence, planning to renovate the old family home, Merchant’s House, in the hope that one day her mother will also feel ready to join her there. A lot has changed in the intervening years – the Italians have left and there’s a new woman in her father’s life – but Thirza still feels the shadow of her brother’s disappearance and decides to renew her efforts to find out the truth.
The Greek House is probably not my favourite Dinah Jefferies book, mainly because I found it too easy to predict some of the plot twists and I also thought the number of explicit sex scenes was a bit unnecessary. I loved the Corfu setting, though; everything comes to life in wonderfully vivid detail, whether the intense purple of bougainvillea or the changing colours of the sea in the sunlight. I also knew nothing about the Italian occupation of 1923, so that was interesting, although it only forms a small part of the story.
The disappearance of Billy happens very early in the novel, but it’s the trigger for everything else that happens and I liked the way Jefferies explores the impact of such a tragic incident on the various family members, depending on their different personalities and circumstances. Although I did naturally feel sorry for Dulcie, I also found it slightly annoying that she never really seemed to accept any responsibility for leaving her child in the middle of an invasion in the care of a teenager and a woman who was drunk at the time. Most of my sympathies were with Thirza, who has to live with the guilt as well as the sense of loss, and who feels that her mother will never truly forgive her. The feelings of Dulcie’s husband, Piers, seem to be largely ignored by everybody due to his hard, aloof exterior, but later in the book he mellows thanks to his relationship with his new girlfriend, Penelope – a character I ended up loving.
In her author’s note at the end, Jefferies hints that we’re going to meet some of the same characters again in her next book. That’s something to look forward to!
Thanks to HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
She Reads Novels 
I love Corfu…been there twice but don’t know if I’ve read a book set there. What Dinah Jeffries book would you recommend if this isn’t your favourite?
I think I liked her books set in Sri Lanka best – The Tea Planter’s Wife and The Sapphire Widow.
I didn’t know that about the occupation of Corfu in 1923 either – I do like human stories set in times and places I know little or nothing of, showing how context affects individual reactions and emotions.
I know almost nothing about Corfu’s history, so found the part involving the occupation really interesting – although it’s only briefly covered in the first few chapters, the impact is felt throughout the rest of the book.
I already don’t like Dulcie for abandoning Thirza like that. But the Corfu setting does sound like a fascinating one.
Dulcie was so annoying – she blamed everybody else but herself. The descriptions of Corfu were great, though.
I don’t know anything about the setting at the time this is set either so I’m sure I’d find that aspect of it fascinating. I’m sorry this wasn’t your favourite by the author though. Hopefully the next one one will be stronger twist wise.
I loved the descriptions of Corfu in the 1920s and 30s and the little bit we learn about the history of the Italian invasion. It was really interesting. I’m hoping for a stronger plot in her next book, though!
Hello Helen, I am glad you enjoyed this one, even if not as much as previous books by this author. Dinah Jefferies is an author I keep meaning to try, because of all of her wonderful settings. Although the ‘explicit sex scenes’ mean this won’t be the first one I go for.
Blessings, Jessica 💌
Yes, Dinah Jefferies’ books always have lovely settings, but this is probably not the best one to start with. I think my favourites are The Tea Planter’s Wife and The Sapphire Widow, set in Sri Lanka, and The Separation, set in Malaysia.
Thank you for the recommendations 😊
This author has been on my want to read for a while.
I am about to visit Sri Lanka so I might check out the other ones you have recommended in the comments
Thanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.
Her books set in Sri Lanka are my favourites. I’ve never been, but she really brought the country to life.