A book about childhood, migration, and loss. A chronicle that connects with a red thread the frightened little girl who follows her parents from the dying post-war Greece to the "Black Country" where her father works as a coal miner in Charleroi, Belgium. Stories, jokes, self-mockery, economic crisis, and strikes form the backdrop of the chaotic journey undertaken by these migrants of the last century…
Febronia Tsasi is a child of migrants from the 1950s. She is an Adult Educator and a Communication and Personal Development Consultant. She wrote her memories to tell her children about the reasons for migration from mother Greece, the difficulties of integration in the mining Belgium, but also the "guardian angels" who protected them.
[Excerpt from the introduction]
…During the 1950s, whether national or familial, education shaped little girls to be silent and above all discreet, instructing them to stay well-behaved at home during the holidays to practice boring sewing as well as naïve embroidery. Thus, my rhetorical dissatisfaction dates back to my childhood. I did not speak much and imposed myself even less. Boys were also closely supervised. But with a big difference compared to girls, they had the right to express themselves more often, could play in the street, tumble with their bicycles on the sidewalks, and cheat with marbles. For most, “The War of the Buttons” was just a movie fitting their mundane daily life, of which they were the audacious heroes. We learned to stay in our place, to live according to a proper modesty. Thus, our schoolteacher encouraged us to avoid starting our letters or sentences with "I" because it was considered very egocentric and rude. Thanks to this uncompromising education, I had become a perfect little lamb, stiff and incredibly obedient, shy and silent. My smiling muteness became my armor…
Number of pages
272
Cover
Soft
Year of publication
2026
Publisher
Radamanthys
16 Coins
To earn Skroutz Coins, join Skroutz Plus and accept the terms of the reward program.