Rating: 
Summary: Romanticized view of Greek civil war through a child's eyes
Review: "Eleni" is an hymn to the author's mother. It describes the strength of his mother's love for her children that helped the family survive through a variety of hardships - the father's absence in USA, civil war, poverty, hostility by other villagers. The book describes a compelling story of the family, their struggles and the escape of 9 year old Nicholas Gage to the U.S.A. As an adult, Gage returns years later to get revenge from the people who tortured and murdered his mother but at the end he decides to honor her by following her teachings instead of revenge. The book provides a look in the life of small villages in the Balkans and the beginning of cold war. It is a great novel and the author is a masterful story-teller. Unfortunately, despite Mr. Cage's credential as an investigative reporter, the book falls short on historical accuracy and serves as a [...] tool for the pro-western faction of the civil war against the "evil" communism. It is a romanticized version of the actual events as witnessed by a young boy who wants to "protect" the memory of his mother since he was not there to defend her life and as re-told by the villagers who want to absolve themselves of any crime. Great portrayal of a mother's love for her children just do not buy it for its historical value!
Rating: 
Summary: The best and worst of the human condition
Review: A disturbing, angering and emotion-filled recollection of events which touched the lives of many thousands of Greeks, living today. The life of Eleni Gatzoyiannis is a beacon, demonstrating a Christ-like love for her children and fellow man, despite the awesome terror she faced. Clear in the pages of this book is the tragically unjust suffering of the common man at the hands of political mad-men, drunk with their sense of self-importance and the fulfilment of their objectives - for which everyone except themselves ultimately suffers. Eleni is an important book for everyone to read, but especially Greeks, because it vividly portrays the depths to which Greece sank, in a time most can still remember. Despite this, many exiled Greek communists are received like heroes, and the horrors committed by Greek upon fellow Greek, rationalised as a political struggle. This clearly shows our ability to forget and our vulnerability to sink again to such depths in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Quite harrowing in parts, but very revealing.
Review: A revealing and sometimes harrowing exposure of what the Greeks did to each other in the name of "freedom" in the late 1940s. An honest peasant woman with her five children, husband in ameica, is persecuted for simply wanting to protect her family, and is finally shot by the people who were supposed to be providing a better Greece for her and all Greeks to live in. The story is unfolded by her son who goes back to Greece in adulthood to find the 'judge' who ordered her execution. I'm not sure you could call this a 'good' read, it is too sad in parts, but with moments of humour and much love, but definitely rivetting and something everyone should read.
Rating:
Summary: excellent powerful book
Review: A true story of the greatest evil that the world has ever known - communism. It is a story that is almost never told in the USA. The denouement, however, was a let down. When he had the chance, Nikki should have smothered the commy monster and whispered into his ear why he was doing it. Of course he wouldn't have been able to write this book then...
Rating:
Summary: Memorable
Review: A very touching and human account that stays with you long after you've read the book. Comparing it to previous books by Nicholas Gage it's clear that he put everything he had into this. The description of the gripping events that occur throughout the story somehow moves the reader to evaluate his own feelings and motives.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpeice
Review: A well written book that will touch deeply into everyone's heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Compelling story, somewhat biased
Review: An important read especially for those who do not know a great deal about Greece's modern history. However it does, somewhat understandably given the author's involvement, have a rather anti-left bias. Therefore, I strongly recommend that readers who enjoy this novel also read at least one of the many novels that demonstrate the atrocities that were committed TOWARDS those on the left (eg. Achilles' fiancée by Alki Zei ASIN: 9600404801), in order to gain a more balanced picture of historical events in Greece.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't believe the hype
Review: As a descendant of Greek partisans in the Civil War it is important for me to tell you that the story tries to diminish their cause, Greece ended up in the hands of foreigners and fascists because of their defeat.The story of the book is powerful, but it is wrong to think that it is decisive enough to say which side was right or wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Superb!!!!!!
Review: As a Greek American having made many trips to Greece over the last 25 years, I found this book to be poignant and heart-wrenching. It's been years since I read a book this engrossing and rich. The complexity with which Gage treats the Greek villagers, the civil conflict and the interference by international powers is impressive. The book perfectly elucidates how political philosophy can serve the desires of unjust men at the expense of the people.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Biography
Review: Eleni is a gripping story of man's inhumanity to humans; in this case the Greek Communist's inhumane treatment of its own men, women and children during the Greek Civil War in the late 1940s. Although this book is a biography, Nicholas Gage's narrative prose reads like a powerful novel. Every aspect of the hard-working villagers' life is depicted, right down to the peasants' ignorance, their superstitions, and their cunning and cruel treatment to each other for survival in the hands of the communists. Above all, this story is about Gage's mother Eleni who sacrificed herself to save her children. If you can read beyond the killings, the cruelty, the starvation and torture, you will find it difficult to put down this 470 page masterpiece. For the weak-hearted, simply skip those parts, it's worth reading.
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