Matia
Emily Tsokos Purtill
A woman in my village gave me four prophecies . . . they have all come true, so far.
Sia is a young Greek woman who has emigrated from Greece to Perth, Western Australia in 1945 for a better life. She carries with her four prophecies and four pieces of protective jewellery, matia, one for herself, her daughter, granddaughter, and great-granddaughter. With a dooming prophecy hanging over each woman’s head will their lives unfold as they want or are they chained to the fate that’s been destined for them?
Over four generations and three continents, linking back and forth over 125 years from Greece to Perth to New York and back to Greece, Emily Tsokos Purtill has weaved a story that is utterly captivating and deeply moving.
Praise for Matia
"Through four different points of view, Tsokos Purtill excavates what it means to be a woman, particularly when traditional values and the social and cultural consequences of immigration trickle down through generations. Matia is an engrossing novel that looks at intergenerational trauma, secrets, guilt, tradition and superstition, for fans of The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili." —Danielle Bagnato, Books + Publishing
“There is a richness running through this book that has to do with the importance of family and culture, and the power of tradition and rituals to bring women together for support and pleasure. The disconnection from this brought about by migration and the changes to the lives of women that education, careers and increasing independence bring is also very much part of Matia. The characters are beautifully realized, each with their own particular personality, and the story is absorbing and enjoyable.” —Ann Skea, The Newtown Review of Books
"Tsokos Purtill writes patiently and carefully throughout, giving the novel an assured tone. As debuts go, it’s pretty much everything an intelligent reader would want. It’s ambitious and deeply indebted to honouring and acknowledging the individuals in the story and this greater Greek community, replete with all its beliefs and traditions. However, pretending that this is its most significant accomplishment is underselling the challenge of weaving together different points of view, locations, and time scapes... by novel’s end, the effect is not so much reading a book as finding threads having spontaneously converged to form fabric. It’s a richly-rewarding book and a consistently engaging layering of meaning, memory and family legacy.” —Laurie Steed, Writing WA
"Tsokos Purtill writes moments of tension between the generations extremely well, with dialogue that is pitch perfect and could almost have been lifted word for word from eavesdropping on a real family... This is a beautiful, heartfelt book about family, love and tradition, and the different ways to be a strong woman. With echoes of Melina Marchetta, this is sure to mark the launch of another promising career for Emily Tsokos Purtill." —★★★★★ Emily Paull, The AU Review
Book details
PRICE: $34.99 incl GST
FORMAT: B paperback, 234x153mm
ISBN: 978-1-76080-290-5
CATEGORY: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women's fiction
RIGHTS: World
PUBLICATION DATE: 8 October 2024