Beyond the Olive Grove tells the tale of Ava (in present day) and Sophia (WWII time line). Ava inherits a house in Greece, from her grandmother, Sophia. After loss and difficulty with her husband, they separate, and Ava goes to live in her new home, a place where she has never been and does not know the language. Ava fixes up her house and meets some locals, all while investigating her grandmother's live. Sophia's story is told in alternating chapters, and tells of the town's (and her personal) struggles. As Ava discovers more, Sophia's story is unraveled.

Overall, this is a great book that tells a story that I haven't heard much about. Most World War II historical fiction is based in France, or Poland, and this tells the story of Greece. It's fresh and new, and captured my interest quickly. I enjoyed both Ava and Sophia's stories. I liked the writing style, and it was easy to read. A definite page turner, especially after the halfway mark.

I would definitely recommend this to lovers of historical fiction, but also those that are looking at a story from WWII through a different lens. Its something that I now want to look more into, and discover more stories of Greece from that World War.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed several of Kate Hewitt’s other stories that either took place in WWII or had ties to that time period. I was not disappointed in Beyond the Olive Grove, finding it just as enjoyable. It was first published as The Other Side of the Bridge by Katharine Swartz another pen name for Kate Hewitt.

This story of granddaughter putting her grandmother’s tumbledown house back to right as well as putting her own life back together is such an interesting story. As Ava makes progresses with the home in Greece her grandmother’s story is also revealed. Told in two time periods it is a captivating read. A touching story of loss, difficult choices, resilient, bravery and peace in the end.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This historical novel, set in Greece, includes dual storylines - one during WWII and one in the present. Like most novels using this structure, the historical storyline is much better than the contemporary story. With that said, I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read, which I appreciated.

A young English woman arrives in Greece to discover the "secret" of her late grandmother's life during WWII. Meanwhile back in England, her marriage is failing, and she thinks her husband is dating her best friend. The storyline set in Greece involves the Resistance fighters working against both the Nazis and the Communists. The plot moves along nicely, but the story ends rather abruptly. All and all, this was good vacation or beach reading.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Beyond The Olive Grove’ by Kate Hewitt in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Ava Lancet’s grandmother Sophia has died and left Ava her house in Iousidous, Greece, that’s been empty for seventy years. As Ava’s marriage to Simon is on the rocks she decides to move there and start a new life but it’s only as she talks to her neighbour Eleni and her elderly mother that she realises she knows next to nothing about her grandmother’s life in Greece. She meets the local schoolteacher, Helena, who’s researching the history of Iousidous during and after the Second World War and who offers to take Ava with her to meet elderly people who lived in the village at the time.

This is the inspiring story of Ava whose grandmother Sophia Paranoussis was recruited into the Resistance in 1942. After reading the historical novel ‘The Girl From Berlin’ I didn’t think Kate Hewitt could improve on it but I was so wrong. ‘Beyond the Olive Grove’ is a remarkable and beautifully written story that commences with Ava at the present time with alternate chapters reverting back to 1942 that tell of the experiences of Sophia and her family and those living in Iousidous. I didn’t know anything about the part Greece played in the Second World War and this novel has given me the best possible history lesson, opening my eyes to what happened in other countries. Sophia’s story is so touching it brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. It’s an amazing novel with great depth and poignancy that I can’t stop thinking about and will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

🫒 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 🫒 ⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘵⁣
𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳: 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 (𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝟷𝟹.𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟷)⁣
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“𝐓𝐨 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧”⁣
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This is the 4th or 5th book of the author that I’ve stumbled upon and like all the others, I enjoyed the writing and got caught up in the storyline easily. However it was the first that I had read that took place in a small village in Greece during the war. ⁣
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𝘈𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳. It is really a contemporary fiction mixed with historical fiction that drags the past into the present in 2 POV. ⁣
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𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. Both woman have their voices heard throughout the novel as it switches between their perspectives. ⁣
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Ava, after the loss of her daughter at 7.5 months pregnant, finds herself needing space from her husband and a chance to grieve. So when her grandmother passes away and leaves her small place in Greece, she leaves England instead of dealing with all the pain. ⁣
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Standing on the front porch of the place where her grandmother grew up, she not only finds it dilapidating but that it holds secrets of her grandmothers past within it. As she settles into the village, it’s the people in the small community that help piece together her pain and discover who her grandmother really was. ⁣
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So while the war is discussed (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦), this novel touched me more about the connection between generations and the fact that so many of us never really know our loved ones or their past. ⁣
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⚠️ Stillbirth, divorce, war

This is a wonderful dual time line novel set in present day and 1942 Greece. Ava's had a terrible loss and her marriage is in pieces so she retreats - sight unseen- to the house in rural Greece she inherited from her grandmother Sophia. She didn't know much about Sophia but now she's learning not only about her but about herself. Nazi-occupied Greece was a hostile environment and Sophia is hard pressed to keep her family, especially her sister, safe. She joins the resistance, a move that puts her in danger. I liked both Ava and Sophia's story but appreciated Sophia's a bit more because this is a time and place that hasn't received a lot of attention in the WWII fiction genre. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

What happens when your grandmother leaves you a house in Greece upon her passing? Ava is about to find out. With her marriage on the rocks, she escapes to this new home in Greece only to find a run down home and many questions about her grandmother, her life during WWII, her ties to the Resistance and why she never once mentioned what happened to her family. It turns out that during her quest to get answers, she discovers things about herself that might set things right with her marriage. She learns she has more in common with her grandmother than she ever knew.

As a huge fan of Kate Hewitts work, I was excited to get a hold of this one. It was just okay for me. I felt like it went around in a bunch of circles and I was often reading the same thing multiple times. Having said that, I was grateful for the history lesson. I know next to nothing about Greece during WWII so it gave me a launching pad to head to google and read up on what happening during the war.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kate Hewitt for early access to her newest novel!

This is the second book of Kate Hewitt I have read and when I got fascinated with The Edelweiss Sisters, I decided I will read all her books!

Beyond the Olive Grove sets during the turmoil time of WWII and talks a story between two women--Present Day Ava who comes to a small town in Greece when she inherited a house from her Greek grandmother and 1940's WWII era, Sophia, who is Present Day Ava's grandmother. Ava settles down in the small village, getting acquainted with the villagers and making new friends and at the same time learning more about her grandmother's life during WWII. Sophia is a shy girl working in a coffee house who was asked to join a resistance movement during WWII. The writing was engaging and I was so hooked into the story, I particularly like reading about Sophia's part! Those parts seemed intense and I was so worried about Sophia getting caught, though in the end, it was a bit emotional and tear-jerking. for Sophia losing her family members in the war. The author did a good job and she has done tremendous research about the Greek history and the story felt realistic to me. I also like the scene of the Greek village, Ava's growing friendship with Helena and Eleni as they tried to help her to find more about her grandmother. Overall, the ending was so good and I actually enjoyed this book so much!

Overall, this book is quiet unputdownable, will keep you awake all night and will give you an emotional ride! Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion.

Ava is struggling after the daughter she and her husband wanted so badly is stillborn. A year later she is deep in depression, and wants a break from her husband, who can't understand why she doesn't snap out of it. Finding out she inherited a house in a village in Greece she decides to go for an extended stay. Leaving England with all the amenities, and finding a house that is basically a hovel is a big change. Finding out more about her grandmother, who left her the house, and what had happened during the occupation of World War II is another parallel story. It's sad that the grandmother and granddaughter couldn't have talked when they had the chance, but a good story nonetheless. In general I have always found this author to have a good story, and this is no exception. Highly recommend this one.

A beautiful, emotional read with some factual content. Ava is broken. She has lost her unborn baby and her marriage is strained. Unexpectedly her grandmother, Sophia, leaves her a house in Greece. Coming to England after World War Two Sophia never spoke about her life in Greece or her wartime activities. Ava seeks refuge in the house, finding new friends, as she discovers the secrets of her grandmother’s life. An enjoyable historical read. Full of love, betrayal and courage. Highly recommended.

This book by Kate Hewitt, with one timeline in war-torn rural Greece, reminded me of similar books set in Italy. In both countries the rural communities were really impoverished at this time and there was fighting between countrymen as well as that against the invaders. The present day strand follows Ava (granddaughter of wartime Sophia) who inherits a house she had not known about. Ava is only aware that Sophia had been in England since at least 1946 and never spoke about the war or her life growing up in Greece. Ava is escaping from a family tragedy as she slowly builds relationships in Greece and starts to discover more about her grandmother.

"Beyond the Olive Grove" provides an insight into life in rural Greece in 1942 (as it is based on fact) and has plenty of human interest in both timelines.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a really lovely read with a fabulous setting. I enjoyed the story being told from two timelines. Sad yet uplifting, a thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish.

Beyond the Olive Grove by Kate Hewitt, set in Greece, had been told by Sophia in 1942 during the war and his granddaughter Ava in present.

Ava was in a desperate lifeline since her life and marriage had been put on hold. So when she inherited her grandmother's house in a Greece rural village (Iousidous), finds it as an opportunity to moves on.
Sophia works several evenings in the coffeehouse, tried to protect her younger sister, and did not get involved with any troubles. But, things were changing even in a small place like Iousidous during WWII.
Going to Greece from England seems not too easy, especially when Ava found the house that has been empty for about sixty years.
Eleni invited Ava on the first night she arrived till things settle in Ava s house. Eline's mother had mistaken Ava for Sophia and burst into tears and apologize to her. This was a time that Ava got interested in her grandmother's past and try to discover the time that nobody wants to speak about it.

A beautiful historical fiction story that I couldn't put down. Both Sophia and Ava's stories were very engaging. Greece during the war with love, betrayal, courage, and was so interesting to me. This was a lovely and heartbreaking story that I really enjoyed it.

And yes, there is always a cat to cheer you up when feeling low!

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the chance to Beyond the Olive Grove by Kate Hewitt in exchange for an honest review.
Published Date 13 Aug 2021
My review on 24 Jul 2021

This engrossing novel set in Greece was once available as ‘The Other Side of the Bridge’ by Katharine Swartz, which is the pen name Kate Hewitt once used to write her stories. I knew this before I asked to read and review ‘Beyond the Olive Grove’. I am a great fan of this author and this story was very good indeed. I was delighted to receive my copy through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Bookouture. Thank you for my copy sent to my Kindle account and available within seconds of delivery.
The two threads of this emotional novel have brave and feisty female characters. The modern story is narrated by Ava, who has been going through some terrible times in her life. She has inherited her grandmother’s home in Greece and travels there alone, hoping that she will be able to work out her current problems. She is traumatised and depressed and hopes to be able to recover her strength in such a lovely setting. The story of her grandmother Sophia is set in World War 11. Sophia’s family home is a very simple dwelling in a small village called Iousidous, high up in the mountains. The small two story dwelling has stood empty since her grandmother had to flee the village during the wars and eventually settle in post war England. Ava needed help to find the house when she arrived in the village in the dead of night, and luckily she was kindly looked after by her near neighbour.
As the days go by Ava makes friends and enters into the small community with ease. She is curious about her Grandmother and especially why she left the home she lived in with her father and sister so abruptly. As the pieces of information are pieced together the intriguing and thrilling story of Sophia becomes clear. She was a key member of the local helpers supporting the Greek Resistance movement by delivering food to their camps. She bravely took huge risks. Her story is heart-wrenching but filled with excitement. This was the thread I loved most of all, although I must say I really enjoyed Ava’s story almost as much. I learned so much about Sophia’s troubles times and the history of not only the war, but the fight for freedom fought until the year I was born in 1949.
I highly recommend this novel written in dual timeframe with both the historical and modern stories that are gripping and full of human interest issues that I really care about. The storytelling is charismatic and the characterisation skilful and endearing. I cared so much about both Ava and Sophia, but then there were other characters that I admired and cared about as well. The story itself was authentic and relatable, the meticulous research undertaken greatly enhanced the strong storyboard. I loved the romances of this story which were a good contrast with the sad ongoing stories. It is an honour to be able to review this novel. I really loved how both stories came together and the finale was really lovely in both threads. It is a 4.5* review from me.

This is a moving story about love, courage and the strength of women. After losing her job, a baby, and a failing marriage, Ava travels to Greece to the house she has inherited from her late grandmother. The house has been uninhabited since her grandmother fled Greece during World War II. While nursing her broken heart, Ava salvages the house, befriends folks in the village, and learns about her grandmother’s past. This is a historical fiction with dual timelines - the present day timeline told through Ava and the historical timeline (1943) told through her grandmother, Sophia.

MY TAKEAWAYS:
🇬🇷 I appreciate the research the author did to share what Greece went through during WWII. It was heartbreaking to hear what the Greeks in the villages had to go through to survive - especially during the Italian and Nazi occupation.
🇬🇷 I love that it was a small rural Greek village that was highlighted in the book.
🇬🇷 The book made me look up more about some events that occurred in the story - specifically, the Gorgopotomas bridge that connects Thessaloniki to Athens, as well as the Greek resistance. I love it when a book encourages me to learn more!
🇬🇷 The historic storyline of the grandmother, Sophia was most interesting for me. I enjoy learning about history through fictional characters as it connects me emotionally and culturally to individuals during those historic times.
🇬🇷 I was excited when I read this synopsis on NetGalley - and immediately requested an advanced copy. I had been wanting to read more historical fiction on Greece but not having much luck finding any.

What a beautifully written historical story, Focusing on a young woman and her grandmother, the novel begins when a young woman goes to her grandmother's home in a small town Greece that she has inherited. Knowing very little of her grandmother's life, one is taken into World War II Greece and how her grandmother played a pivotal role. Recovering from her own loss, she will discover what friendship and family mean. Will strongly recommend..

I absolutely loved this story, could not put it down.
Ava and her husband, Simon, suffered a tragic lost and they seem to have lost their communication skills. In desperate need to escape life, Ava decides to go to Greece to the house her grandmother left her. The house that no one ever knew she owned. Once in Greece, Ava starts to learn about her grandmother's life when she lived in Greece during the war. She hears stories she has never heard before and knows nothing about. Ava's journey will be emotional and may be just what she needs to heal.
This story is told in both the past and present, but flows easily between the two time periods. Makes you appreciate your elders and the stories they have to tell.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After a year she was still grieving her stillborn daughter, still believing her stoic husband didn't care. Now separated, Ava made a decision to leave her husband, Simon...now she was in a small village in Greece, having inherited her grandmother Sophie's small house. A house that hadn't been lived in for at least 6o years, dilapidated, with no furniture to speak of, the rooms covered in dust, leaving Ava to think what had she done, was this the right decision. Would she be staying, and what of her history...she didn't even know she had a Greek heritage?

This is a dual timeline story, the one that is current and the one that brings us back to Greece during WWII. What of Sophie's past during the war, why did she leave her small village at the age of 26 and go to England? Most of all, why did she never speak about her past and why did she leave the small, crumbling house to Ava?

In the current story, we see Ava as a grief stricken soul...she is not able to let go of her grief and move on. For Simon, he is different from his wife in many ways, dealing with what life has brought him...unfortunately for Ava, she finds it difficult to understand him and now she needs the space to perhaps come to terms with her loss. With the reluctance of the survivors to discuss the war, with the problem of the language barrier, Ava is finding it difficult to seek information about her grandmother and her own ancestral roots. As we switch between timelines and take this journey, we too find answers to the secrets that have been kept for decades. We see Sophia as a young woman, we see her family and we see what she endured during the war. Interestingly, we learn about the two resistance groups whose conflicts led to a civil war after WWII was over.

This book was well researched and well written. This is a story of suspense, betrayal, sacrifices, courage and perseverance. A beautiful story that was no only sad and emotional, but one that was filled with love. With each page you feel the heart of the Greek people, not only their warmth but how the suffered during the war and how they survived. Kate Hewitt is a fantastic author, her books are always worth reading, this is no exception. Highly recommended. This book will be released on August 13, 2021, don't miss it!

My thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Grieve with me

A feeling of sadness is felt in this novel. The grieving of a mother for her lost child, a grieving of a sister for her lost family. It very much stresses that people grieve in different ways and often times not how others think they should grieve.

The story is set in duel timelines. The story of the grandmother, Sophia, in the 1940's during WWII and that of the granddaughter, Ava, in present day time. Ava travels to a small village in Greece to claim a inheritance from her grandmother Sophia and to escape a faltering marriage after the death of her child.

Alternating between Sophia living in Nazi occupied Greece and Ava living in present time, somehow the stories manage to intertwine with each other. As we travel from one era to the other we see courage, love and loss . War touches everyone and it doesn't end at the end of the war, sometimes it has lasting effects for years into the future. The story of Sophia trends from a small village in Greece to England. How this happens is in the harrowing story of Sophia's story during the times of WWII. It is a very touching story and I love how the author has incorporated it into the life of Ava in present times.

Ava is forced to take a second look at her and Simons marriage and how they interact with each other. She must come to terms with her loss and move on, but it is not so simple. Simon does not grieve the same as Ava and she must realize that not everyone grieves the same and that Simon just deals with life a bit differently. It takes her a while to figure it out. Meanwhile she is speaking with the villagers and learning about her grandmother's past during the war. Her grandmother never talked about it and no one else wishes to. She must find a way to breach the language barrier to find the roots of her past while she strives to mend her fractured marriage.

I enjoyed both stories, however, while I usually enjoy the WWII story more , in this novel I enjoyed Ava's story more. I loved her character and was rooting for her to figure out her life all the way to the end of the book.

I really enjoyed reading this story and I would recommend it .

Thanks to Kate Hewitt, Bookouture, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy of the book for my honest review.

Kate Hewitt’s last two books feature wartime settings not often used in historical fiction books; Salsburg, Austria (The Edelweiss Sisters) and now Iousidous, Greece, a rural village not far from Athens. Greece’s involvement in the war is not often covered and so I appreciated learning about what life was like for the villagers during the occupation.

Told in alternating chapters from 1942 and the present day, this historical fiction tale offers insight from a grandmother and her granddaughter about how fragile hope can spring from both tragedy and despair.

Lost and adrift after losing a baby and receiving little emotional support from Simon, her stoic husband of 12 years, Ava Lancet makes a rash decision and heads off to Greece. Ava’s grandmother, Sophia Paranoussis, has recently died and willed her house to her granddaughter. Ava sees it as a healing opportunity and a chance to evaluate the future of her marriage. Upon arrival she finds the farmhouse dilapidated and doubt creeps in; however, the friendly villagers take her under their wing and soon Ava is faced with new opportunities.

Ava’s grandmother’s timeline from Nazi-occupied Greece tells of a young girl who is fighting to keep her family and her impulsive sister, Angelika, safe. Approached by a stranger, Sophia, the reluctant and unwilling heroine, arises to the challenge and reluctantly joins the local Resistance.

As the two engaging timelines unfold readers see that the decisions made during stressful times have the potential to change a character’s destiny. Readers are reminded to consider choices with wisdom as well as heart. I loved how Hewitt took the path less travelled with Ava’s story and used the strands of her grandmother’s life to weave together with those of Ava’s to strengthen it. It was also good to be reminded that answers don’t always follow a question, sometimes rather, it’s more questions.

This story is relatable because most of us have lost our way at one point or another in life and most of us have had to consider who we really want to be and what we want out of life. In addition to learning about the history of the Gorgopotamus Railway Bridge bombing, readers will enjoy this engaging and compelling story that has a little of everything; mystery, love, sacrifice, betrayal, loss, hope, and courage.

Publishes August 13, 2021.

*originally published as The Other Side of the Bridge by Katherine Swartz

I was gifted this advance copy by Kate Hewitt, Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.