Book One: Unpacking for Greece

A book cover titled Unpacking for Greece. It shows the honey-coloured stone columns of the Parthenon against a deep blue sky. A hand is holding up an old snapshot from 1978 in front of the Parthenon, as if trying to match the scene. The sepia photo shows two women – my mother and grandmother – sitting on the temple steps. There is a tagline on the cover reading: Travel in a land of fortresses, fables, ferries and feta

An inspired Greek odyssey, balm for the soul.   

Tina Hartas, co-founder of TripFiction

When Sally sets out for Greece with her mother’s 1978 travel diary in her pocket, she is searching for the wanderlust she lost in a devastating overseas road accident.

As she ventures into the heart of the Mediterranean – wandering volatile landscapes, exploring historical sites, pairing books with places and savouring the tastes of Greece – she finds it is possible for a clumsy, out-of-shape woman on a budget to experience a life-changing journey.

In a story told with warmth, humour and a fascination with Greece’s natural and cultural heritage, Sally connects with her past, overcomes her fears and falls in love with life again, one olive at a time.

Publication date: June 1st, 2023

Unpacking for Greece is a truly literary memoir – a story of tragedy, resilience and the gradual rediscovery of adventure. Sally takes you with her in every sense.   

Ned Kelly award-winning and USA Today best-selling author, Sulari Gentill

Pre-orders now open!

Paperbacks

Pre-order now, and your paperback will be available for shipping from June 1st.

  • The very best place to get your paperbacks is at the launch party! If you live on or near the NSW Central Coast, let me know if you’d like to be invited to an early-June launch event hosted by the prestigious Words on the Waves Writers’ Festival, with celebratory bubbles to share, and signed copies available for purchase.
  • If you can’t make the live event, the next best option to buy Unpacking for Greece is at your neighbourhood bookstore. If they don’t have it in stock, they can order in a copy. There’s nothing better than a bricks-and-mortar independent bookshop, and they need our support.
  • If you’re in a hurry, here’s an inside tip – most Amazon marketplaces went live a few days early! The universal link to Amazon and Barnes & Noble is here.
  • You can also get an Australian copy from Booktopia.
  • In the USA, support independent bookstores by pre-ordering online from Bookshop.org.
  • You can also find the book at heaps of other online retailers, so search for Unpacking for Greece wherever you usually buy your books. I’d love to know where you found your copy. Please drop me a line.
  • Don’t forget your local library! Many libraries will order in books on request from their patrons, so be sure to let them know if you’re interested in borrowing Unpacking for Greece for free. Please wait to make your request after June 1st though, as I’m not quite sure how pre-orders work for library suppliers.

E-books

Pre-order now, and the book will magically appear in your Kindle Library on June 1st.

E-books are available exclusively from Amazon (in all territories) for the first three months. This means they are free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers – authors get paid based on how many pages you read – and cost around $3.30-$5.00 for everyone else, depending on currency.

Find Unpacking for Greece at:

Important note: Prefer to buy your e-books elsewhere? Help me decide whether to expand my e-book distribution networks after three months.

Photograph of the author in the centre of Santorini's caldera - there are small boats in the background.

Reviews

Click on the quote card to read the full review:

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Just after the birth of my daughter, I had the privilege of being asked to beta read Sally’s book. This was something I had been asked to do by aspiring authors numerous times in the bookstore – and I had agreed a few times with trepidation and with vastly differing results. Luckily Sally’s book was captivating and I found myself wanting to know more and experiencing that lovely feeling all readers seek – the need to keep turning the page! This was especially important to a very sleep deprived new mum.

This relatively quiet, unassuming woman has had some marvellous adventures, grand escapades and survived a terrifying life threatening accident. She came out of this with strength and vulnerability and knowledge of herself, and doesn’t shy away from any of this with her readers.

Feedback on Draft Manuscript

Feedback from a Beta Reader (and Independent Bookstore Owner)

Sally Smith is the bravest most adventurous traveller I know. She goes to ordinary places and does ordinary things in the most extraordinary way. What is most extraordinary is that she travels on her own but takes all of us with her. I’ve had the fun of being her beta reader and reading her early drafts. Each time, I haven’t been able to put them down. One draft took me 12 hours straight reading with only one forced break for a physio appointment (the physio wasn’t needed as a result of reading her book, but it could have been). Some good books leave you sad that they end. Not Sally’s. Sally’s book leaves me warm and happy and smiley like I’ve just got back to my cosey hotel after an exhilaratingly exhausting day, stepping out of my shoes and contemplating a glass of wine and some Greek home cooking, and wondering where the cat has been all day….

Feedback on Draft Manuscript

Feedback from a Beta Reader

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