Overview

"In 432 BCE they think Themistokles is dead. Suzanne is drawn through thousands of years to help him live. Will his destiny be death or glory at Olympia? Will she regain control of her life in the present, or will her mind be occupied forever by the past? Themistokles, Themis to his friends, is recovering from a head injury and has lost his memory. Everything is bewildering - who is he? Why is his left hand swollen? Where does he live? Everything is intriguing - how is he different from what he was like before? Are his brushes with disaster just coincidence? And why does he have such odd dreams, like a tablet with coloured lights instead of a wax surface? Meanwhile, Suzanne, a teenage English schoolgirl and athlete, is in a coma in 2010 after a street collision in Athens. She is flown home unconscious, but is 'dreaming' Themis' life. Through her, we follow him to Olympia to work with his uncles on the huge gold and ivory statue of Zeus. We attend the 87th Ancient Olympic Games, learn the solution to the mystery of Themis' father's death, and discover what is meant when the seer declares, ""When the boy in two minds wins without a fight, Athena will pay her dues."" This time-slip story gathers pace and intricacy against a background of thorough but unobtrusive research. Timeless themes of sporting ambition, family duty versus self-realisation, and the confirmation of identity, underlie the humour, action and adventure of memorable characters, some of whom really existed in 5th Century BCE Greece. The Boy in Two Minds is Book 1 of The Connection Trilogy which follows the parallel fortunes of Themistokles and Suzanne as they become adults in their respective environments. Will their connection help or hinder them as they struggle to survive the invisible forces that affect their very different lives? Can it be controlled? And will it ever be explained?"

Full Product Details

9781838413606

Table of Contents

Reviews

A very clever concept for time travel ... lots about the Olympic Games. I'm loving it ... ! Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries series and the Time Travel Diaries, on Twitter. This book transported me effortlessly back to ancient Greece, vividly evoking its exotic sights, sounds and even smells. And it seems that young people's issues have hardly changed in 2,400 years! Marion Clarke, fiction editor. A wonderful story which brings the ancient Olympics to vibrant life. You can almost smell Greece from its pages... I was so engrossed by the story and the dramatic climax that I did not realise how much I had learnt until it was all over. Philippa Harrison, former Managing Director of Macmillan and Little Brown UK. ... extremely well written, highly believable and engaging... I would love to see this book used in schools, because the aspects of every day life in Ancient Greece are so cleverly and easily portrayed here. Fiona Robson on Goodreads. This was a very engaging read. Lovers of the Grecian era will find it interesting, and the blog is a good twist. Prudence on Amazon. ... a story on different levels, from different points of view. It brings ancient Greece to life, ... excellent ... well-researched ... well-written story. Sally Katherine Bracher on Amazon. ... well written with plenty smells (sic), intrigue and pace to keep the reader wanting to turn the next page ... Anne Bryson on Goodreads. ... enthralling read, I did not want to put the book down. Bill on Amazon Kindle.

A very clever concept for time travel ... lots about the Olympic Games. I'm loving it ... ! Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries series and the Time Travel Diaries, on Twitter. This book transported me effortlessly back to ancient Greece, vividly evoking its exotic sights, sounds and even smells. And it seems that young people's issues have hardly changed in 2,400 years! Marion Clarke, fiction editor. A wonderful story which brings the ancient Olympics to vibrant life. You can almost smell Greece from its pages... I was so engrossed by the story and the dramatic climax that I did not realise how much I had learnt until it was all over. Philippa Harrison, former Managing Director of Macmillan and Little Brown UK. ... extremely well written, highly believable and engaging... I would love to see this book used in schools, because the aspects of every day life in Ancient Greece are so cleverly and easily portrayed here. Fiona Robson on Goodreads. This was a very engaging read. Lovers of the Grecian era will find it interesting, and the blog is a good twist. Prudence on Amazon. ... a story on different levels, from different points of view. It brings ancient Greece to life, ... excellent ... well-researched ... well-written story. Sally Katherine Bracher on Amazon. ... well written with plenty smells (sic), intrigue and pace to keep the reader wanting to turn the next page ... Anne Bryson on Goodreads. ... enthralling read, I did not want to put the book down. Bill on Amazon Kindle.

Author Information

Julia grew up in England and was an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher and publisher in various countries for more than 30 years. Now she writes fiction and scripts for EFL learners and general readers. As a student, she drove from London to Athens, Greece, in a very small car. When she saw the dazzling blues of the Mediterranean for the first time and ate her first cheese pie, she knew she had to live there. This led eventually to her having two bicultural children there (now adults), and two homes, one in Cumbria and one near Corinth. Her other loves include exploring and researching country-sides and coasts, and spending time with cats. But her normally nomadic lifestyle means she can't look after a real cat (or two or three). So she has a stuffed toy leopard who reclines near her desk, and HE looks after HER, in his own unblinking, undemonstrative way. Born in Ilford, Essex, Kate spent her childhood between the streets of East End London and the fields and fells of Cumbria. She developed a love of photography after receiving a camera for her 7th birthday. Having worked in TV, she is now a primary school teacher. In her spare time she designs book covers for Trifolium Books UK and Birkby Books. www.amberimages.co.uk Fliss grew up in Yorkshire, studied in UK (PPE), US (philosophy) and then UK again (sculpture). She has been a freelance copyeditor, proofreader and artist since 1992 and lived in Cumbria since 1999. Blog: ideas melt like snow (flisswtts1.wordpress.com). Instagram: @flisswatts

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