Call me Stratos

A raw, compelling portrait of masculinity, memory and modern Greek life.

A striking look at the turbulent recent history in Greece, from the 2004 Olympics to financial crash and the migrant crisis.

After his dramatic divorce and at the age of forty-two, Stratos Achtidis returns to his family home to live with his mother and brother. Humiliated and feeling cut off from family and friends, he turns to drink and reminiscences of a over-glorified past. Through the eyes of Stratos, the reader experiences the challenges and changes that have taken place in Greek society over the last quarter of a century; the problems of the ordinary working-class Greek people who have faced existential challenges on a financial level, the arrival of a huge migrant population and the consequent changes in their way of life. Georgoula has written a pitch-perfect portrayal of the male psyche, of a certain kind of Greek male, often with brutal authenticity. Call Me Stratos is not just a good read, it is a vivid portrayal of some of the most important aspects of Greek society.