4 out of 4 stars
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Better Dead than Divorced-The Trials of Panayota: A True Story by Lukas Konandreas M.D. is as depicted in the title a true story which takes place in a small mountain village called Kupaki located in the heart of Greece. The story begins in early 1940’s and stretches to late 1980’s and effortlessly takes you to an old world charm still untouched by the modernization.
A young Panayota falls for the village Casanova George Nitsos and much to her family’s disgrace is physically involved with him as he promised to marry her only to break the promise later but her family makes sure that he fulfill it by pursuing him, and Panayota with hopes of turning him into a family man endures all his disrespect directed towards her but alas reality hits and soon she realizes what a mistake she had made as he continues flirting with other girls and humiliating his wife in public and to her horror he starts looking for assassins to kill her and yet she continues to live in denial and still hopes for him to change someday.
Everyone suggests her to divorce George but Panayota didn’t want to live with the humiliation of being the only divorced women in the village because off course it was an era where a woman is ‘better dead than divorced’ and this is literally what happens with her when George finally founds the willing assassin. Her cousin Thanasis fights for her and takes George to the court even when he can hardly afford it, even when his whole family suggests against it.
The most beautiful aspect of the book is that till the very last you don’t feel as an outsider to the story, you feel yourself as one of the villagers as the story unfolds itself in front of you. As the title itself reveals a lot about the book you already know what is going to happen but the writing keeps you so intrigued you cannot help but turn the pages to know exactly how it happens. The simplicity of the small village builds its own aura around to engulf you in the book.
The only thing I don’t like about this book is its length. It’s too short; you are left thinking that you want to know more about this village and its people and Panayota. Apart from this there was nothing to dislike in this book.
I would rate Better Dead than Divorced 4 out of 4 stars. As it was well edited and written flawlessly. It was an interesting experience to know Panayota’s story and would recommend it to everyone without the limitations of the genre as this book would be loved by all.
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"Better dead than divorced"
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