About

Mr's B's is thrilled to welcome the return of author Julian Hoffman for his beautiful new memoir, Lifelines: Searching For Home in the Mountains of Greece.

Lifelines follows Julian and his wife Julia as they take a courageous leap in making a home for themselves in the remote region of Prespa, Northern Greece. It's a story of shelter, generosity and welcome.

Julian Hoffman is the author of two previous books, Irreplaceable: The Fight to Save our Wild Places (Highly Commended Finalist for the Wainwright Prize for Writing on Global Conservation 2020; and a Royal Geographical Society 'Book of the Year' 2020) and The Small Heart of Things. Although he was born in the UK and grew up in Canada, Julian has lived for the past quarter of a century beside the Prespa lakes in the mountains of northern Greece.

About the book:

In the summer of 2000, Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia found themselves disillusioned with city life. Overwhelmed by long commutes, they stumbled upon a book about Prespa, Greece – a remote corner of Europe filled with stone villages, snow-capped mountains and wildlife, which they would soon call home.

Prespa is a crossroads. Where three countries come together around two huge lakes, where limestone collides with granite and heat-pulsing Mediterranean ecosystems meet their colder, Balkan relatives. Here, languages, wartime histories and rivers converge, and pelicans, bears and people leave their footprints on the water's edge – next to unexploded bombs.

Lifelines is not only the tale of a courageous leap into a new life, but of seasons punctuated by unforgettable encounters, from a stare-down with a bear surrounded by spring wildflowers to a deep-winter meeting with fourteen wrens sheltering above a frozen doorway. And into this place encircled by mountains, Julian seamlessly weaves an intricate web of stories – of conflict and possibility; of refuge lost and found; of the wild lifelines that connect us all as we move through the world seeking a home.

'Set against the spectacular mountains and lakes of northern Greece, this remarkable book describes Julian and Julia's odyssey as they meet others on similar quests to find home, be they bears, pelicans or humans. Utterly relevant to our times.' Lee Durrell, MBE

'Knockout beautiful… a lifeline in itself.' Keggie Carew, author of Dadland

'Quite magical… A book that will refresh your soul.' Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Farm