A Village Murder

By: Jonathan Alexander Exaros

Narrated by: Marcus Jahn

Length: 4 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

In the summer of 1928, an 11-year-old American-born son of Greek immigrants travels with his parents and siblings to Greece to visit their family village. There, he witnesses the brutal murder of his father and grandfather by Albanian bandits who were directed out of revenge by "the man with a hole in his face". The young boy, his distraught mother, and two of his siblings return to the United States a year later, leaving behind one of his brothers in the hands of a wealthy uncle and aunt who turn out to be abusive and neglectful. The younger brother runs away and jumps a ship as a stowaway, where he is taken in by an empathetic crew who helps him reunite with his family abroad. This is the true story of the author's ancestors. He walks you through the process from start to finish of what it was like to be an immigrant in the early 1900s and chronicles the banditry that plagued the countryside of Greece for decades. It is a story of personal tragedy, revenge, and justice. But most of all, it is a story of community and survival.

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Makes you care for the characters

wonderful book. I listened to the audiobook on an overnight drive after being awake all day. The author did a great job of connecting you to the characters. I couldn't wait to hear what would happen next.It kept me awake and alert despite being exhausted. The fact that it is historically based just makes it even more compelling. I recommend it. I enjoyed it very much and think you will also.

A Story of Tragedy and Perseverance

I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks. I believe this is the first historical non-fiction title I have listened to. And I rarely review audiobooks. That being said, I have known the author and his family for over 30 years, and it is my honor to write a review for his book.

Every family has a history and stories passed through the generations. Some are of great moments, some are or royal connections, and some or more mundane. The author’s history is one of tragedy and loss. But it is also one of survival, perseverance, community and moving forward with a purpose.

The first thing that struck me was that the author chose to write this book in a narrative style with dialog, as opposed to a straight forward historical book stating just facts, date, and a dry telling of events. This gave the book a more intimate and interesting feel. It makes it more enjoyable to listen to. He describes the Greek villages, landscapes and everyday life there. He also tells of the immigration process, and of starting a new life in a new country. You can smell the lavender in the fields, and feel the closed quarters of the ship, as well as feeling part of the Greek community in Massachusetts.

Listening to this story, I could really feel a part of the narrative, as if I were on the journey with the Exarhopoulos’. I celebrated their accomplishments, and mourned their losses. I wandered the villages, and walked the factory floors. I was drawn in and immersed in the history. I also learned much about the Albanian bandit terror on Greece villages that I had no idea about.

I also felt a connection to the people in the story. I tried to imagine how I would fare in their positions. What would it be like to give up everything I knew and loved and moved to a new country that was nothing like what I was used to? To learn the language and culture without giving up my heritage and traditions. How would I deal with losing close family members in a horrific and tragic manner and go on with strength and determination? Would I be able to seek justice for a horrible crime against my family? I cannot answer these questions, but I was fascinated to read how the Exarhopoulos/Exaros family did.

A note about the narration. For the most part the narrator did a great job of telling this story. However, I have to comment that there were a few times I was pulled from the story with narrative choices he made (excitement in odds places, and voices that didn’t seem to match the character). That being said, do not let that deter you from listening to this story. This is my take on what I heard and you might not feel the same way as I.

Though the story is short (just under 5hrs), it still gives a fantastic accounting of the family’s lives, loves, triumphs, and tragedies. As I finished the book I felt joy for the experience and sadness for some of the events. I also thought that if this story was taken and expended (with more descriptive text and filling out of events and dialog), and a little poetic justice given to the parts the author could not fill in as there was no direct records of some of the events and dialog, this could be made into an amazing full length fictional thriller based on historical events (along the lines of Ken Follet or Diana Gabaldon). I could also easily see this being made into a feature film or miniseries. That was be exciting!

I highly recommend this audiobook. It is brief and fast-paced. It is exciting and heartbreaking. It is a glimpse into the past and a reminder that those before up have set our family’s path and made us who we are today. It makes me curious as to what stories my family has that I am not aware of. I hope you listen to this and enjoy it as much as I did.