Walking on Fire: A Novel

by Kathryn Crawley

Overview

Greece. Politics. Love. Danger. Reeling from a failed marriage and spurred on by a burgeoning sense of feminism, twenty-five-year-old Kate accepts a position as a speech therapist in a center for children with cerebral palsy in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is 1974, and the recent end of Greece’s seven-year dictatorship has ignited a fiery anti-American sentiment within the country. Despite this, as her Greek improves, Kate teaches communication to severely disabled children, creates profound friendships, and finds a home in the ancient and historied city. From a dramatic Christmas pig slaughter to a mesmerizing fire walking ceremony, her world expands rapidly—even more so when she falls in love with Thanasis, a handsome Communist.

Through Thanasis, Kate meets people determined to turn a spotlight on their former dictators’ massacre of university students, as well as their record of widespread censorship and torture of dissidents. The more she learns, the more her loyalty to her country and almost everything she was taught in her conservative home state of Texas is challenged. Kate is transformed by her odyssey, but when her very safety is threatened by the politics of her lover, she must choose: risk everything to stay with Thanasis and the Greece that has captured her heart, or remove herself from harm’s way by returning to her homeland?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781647424381
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	06/13/2023
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Kathryn Crawley was born of pioneer stock and raised in a small West Texas cotton town. She received undergraduate and graduate degrees in speech pathology from Baylor University. Unforeseen events and an adventurous spirit led her to Casper, WY, Colorado Springs, CO, and Thessaloniki, Greece, where she worked in a center for Greek children with cerebral palsy from 1974 to 1976. She went on to establish roots in Boston, where she continued her career as a speech pathologist. Today, she enjoys life with her partner, Tom, daughter, Emilia, and two dogs in Belmont, MA.

Editorial Reviews

02/20/2023

Crawley’s debut transports readers to the vibrant streets of 1970’s Greece as protagonist Kate searches for an escape from her old life. After her marriage fails, Kate accepts a position as a speech therapist in Thessaloniki, in hopes of helping local children suffering from cerebral palsy. Upon her arrival, she discovers the tensions between Greece and her home country are escalating after America’s involvement in the Greek dictatorship that collapsed earlier that year. While Kate finds herself stuck in the middle, she tries to grapple with the political tension and culture shock, never guessing the personal changes—and potential romance—the experience may bring.

Fans of self-discovery will relish Kate’s foreign adventure and find her attempts to settle into a local rhythm entertaining, as she tries to find the balance between defending her home and being open to the political injustice the trip brings to light. As she falls in love with the language, culture, and food surrounding her, she also begins to fall for a local man who’s immersed in the country’s politics—forcing her to sift her loyalties while revealing parts of herself she never knew existed. Torn between the man she loves and the familiarity of home, Kate faces an impossible decision when her time in Greece runs out, and her growing pains during the process will be relatable for anyone who’s navigated the ups and downs of their early 20s.

Though some of Crawley’s plot points are more subtle than others, Kate’s growth by the end of the book finds her newly assertive and undeniably transformed. Readers will cheer her metamorphosis, and may even feel changed along with her, thanks to Crawley’s skillful rendering of Kate’s inner revelations and hard-earned maturity—a maturity that allows her, in the end, to shrug off regrets and be ready for whatever the future may hold.

Takeaway: This thought-provoking novel contemplates the power of self-discovery.

Great for fans of: Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat Pray Love, Jill Santopolo’s The Light We Lost.

Production grades Cover: B+ Design and typography: A Illustrations: NA Editing: B Marketing copy: A

BookLife Reviews

Crawley ably develops her protagonist’s internal conflict with skillful prose . . . The protagonist’s naïveté and self-reflection are likely to endear her to readers, and the descriptions of Greek culture, history, and language are especially delightful.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Fans of self-discovery will relish Kate’s foreign adventure and find her attempts to settle into a local rhythm entertaining, as she tries to find the balance between defending her home and being open to the political injustice the trip brings to light. . . . Readers will cheer her metamorphosis, and may even feel changed along with her, thanks to Crawley’s skillful rendering of Kate’s inner revelations and hard-earned maturity . . .”
—BookLife Reviews

“This page-turner will initiate you to the tumultuous days in mid-seventies Greece when a young American comes to heal from a divorce and meets love, controversial politics, and danger. It is a must-read, well-researched and heartwarming.”
—Sophia Kouidou-Giles, author of Sophia’s Return: Uncovering My Mother’s Past

“Walking on Fire will transport you to Greece in the 1970s, to the whitewashed churches, the lively outdoor markets, and the smoky coffee bars as a young American woman discovers the sun-drenched beauty of a new culture, as well as her own country’s dark secrets. Passionate and political, Crawley’s debut novel burns deeply and brightly, pulling the reader into this powerful story about shedding naiveté, trusting fate, and ultimately, finding transformation.”
—Sandra A. Miller, author of Wednesdays at One

“A coming-of-age loss-of-innocence love story set in an exotic land in the aftermath of a military coup. What more could one ask for? This tightly-written, compelling tale of a young woman’s awakening to a larger and far more complex world than she’d ever imagined just may awaken the reader as well. Highly recommended!”
—Sean Murphy, National Endowment for the Arts Creative Fellow, and award-winning author of The Time of New Weather and The Hope Valley Hubcap King 

From the Publisher