Island of Ghosts and Dreams

A Novel

Christopher Cosmos

A woman from a small Greek village finds herself swept up in the long and storied history of her island—and its far-reaching impact—in this unforgettable story of love, passion, and resistance.

Chania, Crete; 1941.

When mainland Greece falls to the Germans after incredible and heroic resistance, the Greek government flees south to Crete: an ancient island of Gods and Kings, and Myths and Minotaurs.

Maria is a villager whose husband has been away fighting with the Greek army, and after she finds a British soldier that washes up on a secluded beach near her home, and helps nurse him back to health, the Germans then turn south and invade Crete, too.

Occupation, tragedy, and betrayal follow. The lives of Maria and her family change in an instant and she finds herself in a role she never thought she'd have to play—and one that generations of Cretans have had to assume before her.

Steeped in history and filled with unforgettable characters, Island of Ghosts and Dreams is a profoundly moving and decades-spanning tale of passion, honor, and family. With echoes of the works of Victoria Hislop, Cosmos explores the sacrifices all generations must make for freedom, and the sacred obligation to follow the strength and power of our hearts, no matter where it might lead us.

Christopher Cosmos is a bestselling author and Black List-screenwriter from the Midwest who attended the University of Michigan as the recipient of a Chick Evans Scholarship. He is the author of Once We Were Here and Young Conquerors.  Follow him @christophercosmos.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for Christopher Cosmos

"A modern epic, surging with the lifeblood of Greece and her proud history. Beautiful, tragic, and achingly lovely, this story of heroism, survival, and homeland captured my heart.” Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of the Red Queen series

"Christopher Cosmos gives the reader a front-row seat to six pivotal months in the history of Greece, and the world. Full of both heroics and disasters, Cosmos shines a vivid light on the human costs of war, and how we inherit fmaily legacies of love, sacrifice, and secrets." Caitlin Horrocks, author of The Vexations 

"This stirring debut by Christopher Cosmos examines the enduring costs of love and war, and the way family stories—even buried ones—set the course for generations to come. Cosmos is deeply committed not only to his characters and their harrowing experiences, but also to sharing, with insight and empathy, Greece’s powerful and often heartbreaking history."  Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Love and Ruin

“Winston Churchill said that Greeks don't fight like heroes, but heroes fight like Greeks, and this story proves it; a stunning literary debut about legacy and history, war and peace, fate and destiny, the power of family and stories, and how young love can still shine and endure, even in the face of the greatest evils and long after we're gone." Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of Gates of Fire and The Legend of Bagger Vance

"A gut-wrenching story with cinematic quality. Christopher Cosmos vividly portrays the human side of war, from the untrained Resistance fighters to the villagers and survivors. He reminds us why Greeks are so fiercely proud of their country and defend their legacy." Maria A. Karamitsos, “The Windy City Greek”