Lifelines: Searching for Home in the Mountains of Greece
By: Julian Hoffman
‘Lifelines is a book that will refresh your soul’ Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Farm
A story of shelter, generosity and welcome. A story of searching for home in the mountains and lakes of northern Greece.
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. What began as curiosity soon transformed into a life-changing decision: to make Prespa their 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.
‘Julian Hoffman’s writing is knockout beautiful, perceptive, sensitive, thoughtful, beguiling, deeply smart, full of humanity, and a lifeline in itself.’ Keggie Carew, author of Dadland
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‘A tender, powerful story of love for a place and a way of being, and a bracing call to the barricades – for enemies are closing in. An urgent, important and compelling read’
- Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild -
‘Absolutely fantastic. Lifelines is a balm for the soul: simultaneously hyper local and international; attentive to the lives of others, animal and human; Hoffman’s writing has never been better, more powerful, more beautiful than here. It is the book we need for these troubling times of closing borders, suspicion of others and biodiversity loss. It deserves to win awards’
- Stephen Rutt, author of The Eternal Season -
‘Awakens every sense – Lifelines will tilt you towards the wonder of nature. Written with wisdom, love and a protective quality that soars, this is a beautiful and important gem’
- Hannah Bourne-Taylor, author of Fledgling -
‘Julian Hoffman’s writing is knockout beautiful, perceptive, sensitive, thoughtful, beguiling, deeply smart, full of humanity, and a Lifeline in itself’
- Keggie Carew, author of Dadland and Beastly -
‘Julian Hoffman’s Lifelines is quite magical. He observes the world around him with such sensitivity and he brings to every natural encounter – be it a Greek landlord, a moth, a Juniper tree or a brown bear – a child’s sense of wonder and respect … Lifelines is a book that will refresh your soul’
- Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Farm -
‘Utterly engaging and enchanting, Julian Hoffman’s Lifelines is a heart-warming tale of finding home. In a wild corner of Europe, Hoffman finds a space to live with the other creatures that know the wonder of that world. His writing enables us to join him in this landscape of natural delights.’
- Dr James Canton, author of Grounded: A Journey into the Landscapes of Our Ancestors -
‘A marvellous work of love and reflection on the wild places we share with nature, the ordinary and extraordinary people and creatures, and the magic of our living world. Vivid with humanity, empathy and clarity, and mercilessly devoid of sentimentality. I was enthralled and won’t be the only reader making travel plans for Prespa.’
- Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century -
‘Lifelines describes a homecoming to a place that, as the story opens, has yet to become home. It is both an inner journey and a journey of discovery, rich in event and beautifully crafted … At a time when the planet is at risk, Hoffman’s passionate sense of place is both a celebration and an alarm call.’
- David Harsent, author of Skin -
‘Lifelines is a beautifully written and tender book of what it can mean to fall in love with a place, its wildlife and its people . Lifelines is a gentle yet urgent reminder that we still have agency, that we can still join with others to do everything within our means to protect the places in which we live.’
- Sally Huband, author of Sea Bean -
‘With descriptions as rich as the biogeography of Prespa and with a powerful sense of place, Lifelines is much more than a delight, it is a book that will draw you in, again and again. Julian Hoffman’s prose is poetic, joyful and filled with love for the natural world and his chosen home. I too, yearned to be there and meet true wilderness in the form of a bear!’
- Annie Worsley, author of Windswept