Fear of Barbarians

Gavdos is a remote island south of Crete, the southernmost point of Europe, surrounded by an endless expanse of sea. Oksana and Penelope are two women who have come to the island to recover from illness in the aftermath of Chernobyl. Their two narratives are interwoven with other stories of the other women of the sparse community, their past lives, and loves. Themes of otherness and the notions of foreign and barbaric are combined with these narratives in this poetic and timely short novel by acclaimed Macedonian writer Petar Andonovski, winner of the European Union Prize for Literature.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 94 pages
Publication date: 01 August 2021
Publisher: Parthian Books

Gavdos, a secluded island situated south of Crete, holds the distinction of being the southernmost point in Europe. It is encircled by an immense expanse of the sea. For Oksana, a Ukrainian woman accompanied by her friends in search of recovery from the aftermath of Chernobyl, residing in a blue-and-white house with a lemon tree is nothing short of a dream. However, for Penelope, a Greek woman who was forcibly married off to an unsuitable man by nuns from the convent where she spent her teenage years, it represents a form of imprisonment.

Intertwined with the narratives of these two women and the stories of the other women in the sparse community, their past lives, and loves, are themes of otherness and the notions of foreign and barbaric. This poetic and timely short novel, penned by acclaimed Macedonian writer Petar Andonovski, winner of the European Union Prize for Literature, skillfully combines these two narratives with other stories.

The translation from Macedonian to English has been accomplished with utmost care and precision, preserving the essence and beauty of the original text. The result is a captivating literary work that offers a unique perspective on the experiences of women living in a remote and isolated community, as well as the broader themes of otherness and cultural clashes.

Weight: 110g
Dimension: 128 x 204 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913640194