Waiting for Aegina

The Gift Saga, Book 2

By: Effie Kammenou

Narrated by: Emily Lawrence

Book two in the Gift Saga: the continuation of Evanthia’s Gift....

In 1961, five little girls moved into a suburban neighborhood and became inseparable, lifelong friends. They called themselves the Honey Hill Girls, named after the street on which they lived. As teenagers, they shared one another’s ambitions and dreams, secrets and heartaches. Now, more than 30 years later, they remain devoted and loyal, supporting each other through triumphs and sorrows.

Evanthia's Gift follows the life of Sophia Giannakos. In Waiting for Aegina, the saga continues from the perspectives of Sophia and her friends as the story drifts back and forth in time, filling in the gaps as the women grow to adulthood.

Naive teenage ideals are later challenged by harsh realities, as each of their lives takes unexpected turns. Now nearing their 50th year, Sophia, Demi, Amy, Mindy, and Donna stand together through life-altering obstacles while they try to regain the lighthearted optimism of their youth.

©2017 Euthemia Speyer (P)2018 Euthemia Speyer

The Lives of 5 Friends

I was entertained by this book as much as the first one in the series. I felt for Sophia as she dealt with the aftermath from the events of the preceding book. I envied Sophia and her relationships with her four friends, and I enjoyed following their lives as they grew to adulthood. This was one of those stories, where I experienced some heartwarming moments and some heart- wrenching times. I thought Emily Lawrence's narration was great, and her performance reflected the tone of the story. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Waiting for Aegina

Waiting for Aegina is a beautifully written story that follows the lives of the five “Honey Hill girls”.

We were introduced to the girls, Sophia, Demi, Mindy, Amy, and Donna in Evanthia’s Gift and now we find out even more details about them. The happy times and the sad, the good times and the bad... Seeing the strong bonds that formed between these girls, and how they were always there for each other... I feel emotionally connected to all of them, and that is due to the phenomenal writing of Effie Kammenou.

Emily Lawrence’s performance is also top notch. She truly brought out the emotions that Ms. Kammenou put to the page. I cant imagine anyone else narrating this series.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Sweet story of great friendships.

Love the story of each of these friends. Not always happy moments but they always were there for each other. Great Narration!

A Must Read....

Book Two continues the story of this multigenerational Greek family focusing more specifically of the first generation of the American- Greek children and their unique journeys of love, fear, joy, saddness and perserverance. The reader get to see through the eyes of these characters the challenges of being a first generation American born child in integrating customs, ancestral & religious beliefs, language, cuisine and social dynamics. The love story of all the characters continues as they learn perserverance, adjustment, and compromise as they intergrate into the melting pot of America while holding true to their Greek heritage and beliefs. I could not stop listening as I was so fully engaged and invested in these characters and needed to know how it all played out. Love this book and the journey it takes you on. A Trilogy definitely worth the listen/ read.

Waiting for Aegina

What made the experience of listening to Waiting for Aegina the most enjoyable?

Emily Lawrence did a wonderful job narrating this second book by Effie Kamenou, who through her efforts continued the story of the legacy of Sophia, of the Anna Fotopoulos family, and her relationships with her family, and her friends. This book had its highs and lows, but showed what can be accomplished through perseverance and faith in oneself, and one's family. I can't wait for the next one!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Waiting for Aegina?

When Sophia sat there after the accident, willing Dean to wake up. It was a moment that grabbed you from page one, and didn't let go.

Have you listened to any of Emily Lawrence’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I listened to her in the first book she narrated for Effie, 'Evanthias' Gift'. She had the correct accent for Greeks speaking English as a second language. Her pronunciations were spot on.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Both. I get involved in reading books, and I can feel the pain and happiness of the characters, as if they're real.

Any additional comments?

Being as my name originally was FOTOPOULOS, I have really loved these books, and I will continue to re-read them in the future.