The Clover House, by Henriette Lazaridis Power

Calliope Notaris Brown--or Callie Brown, as she is known in her everyday life--is a woman struggling to find her place in the world.  Born in the U.S. to a Greek mother and American father, Callie has always felt split between two worlds.  Making matters more difficult is her relationship with her mother, Clio, which has always been somewhat cold and distant.

When her uncle passes away, Callie learns she has inherited the contents of his home and she must travel to Patras, Greece to take possession of and sort through the memories of her uncle's life.  While there, Callie uncovers long-buried family secrets and struggles to understand her mother's difficult ways.  Callie must make decisions about all the relationships in her life--with her mother, her Greek family, and her fiance waiting back in Boston.

Set against the backdrop of the traditional Carnival, The Clover House is an interesting look at Greek culture.  Greece is not a country I know a lot about and is not a setting I have come across very often.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Greece--the people, the customs, and the history.

Also especially interesting were the retrospective sections, narrated in the third-person, from Clio's perspective during the Italian and German occupation in World War II.  These stories revealed a fascinating history, and were the most interesting parts of the plot, I thought.  The chapters from Clio's point of view drew me in and were definitely my favorite parts of the book.

While full of interesting history and providing a look at a setting I didn't know much about, the book overall fell a little flat for me.  I did not like Callie and couldn't really get past the ridiculously immature ways she behaved.  There was a little redemption in the end, thank goodness, and a bit of hope for her future.

Again, while I may not have loved this book, I did enjoy the rare setting and the insight into the Greek culture and traditions.  If you're interested in Greece/Carnival/WWII fiction, check this one out.

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I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher and TLC Book Tours.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.  For more information and reviews of this title, check out the full tour post.