The Lame Angel by Alexis Panselinos was originally published in Greek in 2002. Its only English translation, by Athens-based author/editor Caroline Harbouri, is now available.
The book is about Angel Sotiriou, a young private detective who is forced to flee New York to escape the Mafia. He returns to Greece, the land of his forebears, hoping to establish himself professionally in Athens. During the first years of WWII he finds himself trapped in a city under Nazi occupation, with little knowledge of the country beyond its language. When a mysterious, seemingly omnipotent old gentleman appears in his office, and endows him with a startling gift, his life is forever changed.
This is the story of a man with blighted hopes, who discovers love, friendship, and his own worth, amidst the miseries, starvation, and dogged courage of wartime Athens.
About the author
Alexis Panselinos retired after a career as a lawyer. His first book, a collection of stories, appeared in 1982 to great acclaim. In 1985 his novel The Great Procession won the State Prize. His novel Zaida or A Camel in the Snow was nominated for the 1997 European Literary Award. The Dark Inscriptions received the Novel Prize from Diavazo literary magazine in 2012. His latest novel Light Greek Songs won the 2018 Prize of the Athens Academy.
His novels have been widely translated in French, German, Italian, Polish and Romanian. He has received the Great Award for Life Achievement from the eminent literary magazine O Anagnostis (The Reader). He lives in Athens, Greece.