What do you think?
Rate this book
Fortune Favors the Bold
In the early twentieth century, a teenage Greek girl in Constantinople loses both her parents and, together with her younger sister, gets thrown into a massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey. She ends up in a refugee camp in northern Greece. With determination she creates a life in her new country, becoming a teacher in a small mountain town near Greece’s northwestern borders with Albania and Yugoslavia. She meets and marries a young lawyer from a historic and tragic Macedonian family.
Her story extends through a century of war and peace and is peppered with likable characters, horrific events, and a love story. Among the protagonists are two strong women, a charming and indomitable man, and a smart but sickly kid. Now and again her drive, perseverance, and common sense will save the day and reward her with happiness, which nevertheless will come and go like interludes of sunshine in otherwise endlessly stormy weather.
The reader will also get candid and authentic glimpses on poorly known historical conflicts such as the Balkan Wars, the world’s greatest ethnic cleansing, the occupation loan that the Nazis exacted from Greece, the Greek Civil War, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the dispute over the use of the name Macedonia.
Her story extends through a century of war and peace and is peppered with likable characters, horrific events, and a love story. Among the protagonists are two strong women, a charming and indomitable man, and a smart but sickly kid. Now and again her drive, perseverance, and common sense will save the day and reward her with happiness, which nevertheless will come and go like interludes of sunshine in otherwise endlessly stormy weather.
The reader will also get candid and authentic glimpses on poorly known historical conflicts such as the Balkan Wars, the world’s greatest ethnic cleansing, the occupation loan that the Nazis exacted from Greece, the Greek Civil War, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and the dispute over the use of the name Macedonia.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
404 pages, Paperback
First published November 13, 2018
250 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
About the author
Theodore Modis
21 books5 followersTheodore Modis was born in Florina, a small town in northwestern Greece. At the age of eighteen he won a full scholarship to study in the USA. He received a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physics, both from Columbia University, New York.
Before founding Growth Dynamics in 1994, he worked at Digital Equipment Corporation as the head of a management science consultants group for over ten years. Previously, he carried out research in particle-physics experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Europe's CERN.
He is author/co-author to over one hundred articles in scientific and business journals and nine books translated into several languages. He has on occassion taught at Columbia University, the University of Geneva, the European business schools INSEAD and IMD, and the leadership school DUXX, in Monterrey, Mexico.
He has delivered many keynote speeches on a wide range of topics always maintaining a Big-Picture perspective. He has gained worldwide reputation for his expertise in S-curves and his vehement criticism of the Singularity concept.
He lives in Lugano, Switzerland.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 20, 2019
A moving tale of a girl growing up through the wars. And what she and her last remaining sibling will go through between Greece and Turkey in the early 20th century. The tale may be a bit long, but will keep you hooked all the way to the end. Loved it.
March 9, 2019
A fresh view of Greece’s struggles
Greek born Theodore Modis earned a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University, New York and first carried out research in particle-physics experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory and afterward at CERN in Europe, then worked at Digital Equipment Corporation as the head of a Management Science consultants group. He founded the consulting company, Growth Dynamics, in Geneva. He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Geneva, the European business schools INSEAD and IMD, and the leadership school DUXX in Monterrey, Mexico. Theodore has won fame for his expertise in S-curves and his vehement criticism of the Singularity concept. He now lives in Switzerland.
While there are many books that are base on the before and after effects of World War II few have explored the impact on Grecian families in the skillful manner that is present throughout this sensitive novel. Theodore Modis has lived in Greece and absorbed the history of that country as the families and all people’s experienced the peculiar horrors WW II had on that country and the surrounding countries - the Balkan Wars, the world's greatest ethnic cleansing, the occupation loan that the Nazis exacted from Greece, the Greek Civil War, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and more. He weaves this into a novel that is not only compelling but also a source of reality testing for those who are unfamiliar with those struggles.
The summary distills the content well: ‘It is early 20th century Greece. Theodosia, a teenage girl and her younger sister, lose their parents in Constantinople and are thrown into a massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey. They arrive at a refugee camp in Northern Greece, where their choice is to perish or to use the resources at hand in order to survive. Despite all the difficulties they encounter, the sisters decide not to give up, and fight for a better life. Theodosia’s story carries on throughout a century of war and peace, invasions and political disputes and is peppered with horrific events, likeable characters and a great love story.’
So dramatic is this tale that is pleads adaptation into a film. The world knows so little of these struggles and Theodore makes them real by placing the line of thought into the character of an extraordinary woman who survived. Highly recommended.
Greek born Theodore Modis earned a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia University, New York and first carried out research in particle-physics experiments at Brookhaven National Laboratory and afterward at CERN in Europe, then worked at Digital Equipment Corporation as the head of a Management Science consultants group. He founded the consulting company, Growth Dynamics, in Geneva. He has taught at Columbia University, the University of Geneva, the European business schools INSEAD and IMD, and the leadership school DUXX in Monterrey, Mexico. Theodore has won fame for his expertise in S-curves and his vehement criticism of the Singularity concept. He now lives in Switzerland.
While there are many books that are base on the before and after effects of World War II few have explored the impact on Grecian families in the skillful manner that is present throughout this sensitive novel. Theodore Modis has lived in Greece and absorbed the history of that country as the families and all people’s experienced the peculiar horrors WW II had on that country and the surrounding countries - the Balkan Wars, the world's greatest ethnic cleansing, the occupation loan that the Nazis exacted from Greece, the Greek Civil War, the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, and more. He weaves this into a novel that is not only compelling but also a source of reality testing for those who are unfamiliar with those struggles.
The summary distills the content well: ‘It is early 20th century Greece. Theodosia, a teenage girl and her younger sister, lose their parents in Constantinople and are thrown into a massive population exchange between Greece and Turkey. They arrive at a refugee camp in Northern Greece, where their choice is to perish or to use the resources at hand in order to survive. Despite all the difficulties they encounter, the sisters decide not to give up, and fight for a better life. Theodosia’s story carries on throughout a century of war and peace, invasions and political disputes and is peppered with horrific events, likeable characters and a great love story.’
So dramatic is this tale that is pleads adaptation into a film. The world knows so little of these struggles and Theodore makes them real by placing the line of thought into the character of an extraordinary woman who survived. Highly recommended.
November 28, 2018
My book has received the following endorsements/reviews from ARCs (Advance Readers Copies):
"A woman's amazing life" ―Nicholas A. Gage, author of bestseller 'Eleni'
“A remarkable, moving, and informative story. A must read for anyone with an interest in Greece or simply in human nature.” ―Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos, Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Center for Research and Technology Hellas
“This fascinating family saga brought to life a region and events that I knew little about. I highly recommend it.” ―Joe McMahon, author of 'The Face of God'
"This book offers readers an immersive experience, a chance to discover what life was like in Greece during much of the 20th century through one woman's life." ―The Book Review Directory
"A heart-breaking yet endearing look at the realities of war for one couple and their family, this novel proves the simple bonds of education and family are the strongest. It is a unique human-interest piece, showing everyday Greek life before, during, and after WWII." ―InD'tale Magazine
"A wonderful book!" ―Chris Ransford, author of 'God and the Mathematics of Infinity'
"This book could very well become an amazing television series as well as a movie." ―Kostas Vakkas, movie director/writer/producer
"A woman's amazing life" ―Nicholas A. Gage, author of bestseller 'Eleni'
“A remarkable, moving, and informative story. A must read for anyone with an interest in Greece or simply in human nature.” ―Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos, Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Center for Research and Technology Hellas
“This fascinating family saga brought to life a region and events that I knew little about. I highly recommend it.” ―Joe McMahon, author of 'The Face of God'
"This book offers readers an immersive experience, a chance to discover what life was like in Greece during much of the 20th century through one woman's life." ―The Book Review Directory
"A heart-breaking yet endearing look at the realities of war for one couple and their family, this novel proves the simple bonds of education and family are the strongest. It is a unique human-interest piece, showing everyday Greek life before, during, and after WWII." ―InD'tale Magazine
"A wonderful book!" ―Chris Ransford, author of 'God and the Mathematics of Infinity'
"This book could very well become an amazing television series as well as a movie." ―Kostas Vakkas, movie director/writer/producer
July 19, 2019
Life story of an intrepid Greek girl who comes to live in Greece as part of a population swap--Ottoman Greeks to Greece/Turks to dying Ottoman Empire--during the early part of the 20th century. The book follows Theodosia's life as refugee through her whole long life as teacher, wife, and mother until her death. We follow her extended family and friends. We see how everyone is caught up in Greek history. This encomium was lovingly written by her son, Theodore, and compiled in the main from the family "archives" and memories. I enjoyed it in spite of dry writing style and did appreciate the inserts which recounted briefly Greek history through that period. Fascinating fact that the cover was a photograph of Theodosia taken by her husband; photography was one of his hobbies.
I appreciate the ARC from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.
I appreciate the ARC from LibraryThing in exchange for my honest review.
October 13, 2018
A heart-breaking yet endearing look at the realities of war for one couple and their family, this novel proves the simple bonds of education and family are the strongest.
Read full review in the 2018 Oct issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2018 Oct issue of InD'tale Magazine.
March 1, 2020
good writing.. interesting characters.. well written story and it was good.
September 10, 2020
Fortune Favors the Bold: A Woman’s Odyssey Through a Turbulent Century: A Woman’s Survival Story: World War II Survivor Memoir Book 6 is by Theodore Modis. Theodore is the son of the woman whom this book is about. He took her unpublished memoir, unpublished letters from her husband, interviews with his Mother and other relatives, friends, and acquaintances, as well as the recollections of his sister and himself and with some additional research, created this biography of his Mother. The people, places, and events happened and then he adds historical information on the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish wars, World War II, and all the turbulence since then. This is added in the chapters in shaded sections so you can easily distinguish it from her story.
The story takes us from Theosoisa’s birth in Constantinople in 1908 to her death in . With the suicide of her Father in 1921, she has to figure out her future by herself. She becomes a teacher and teaches in small schools around Florina for many years. Her life is lived out near Florina with her husband and eventually her children. She lived a very unusual life. Her husband built her a beautiful house; but her Mother-in-law lives in it and she lives in a different house. She and her husband spent one week here as husband and wife and that was when her Mother-in-law was gone. Her life takes many turns as she lived through World War I, World War II, and several other minor wars and altercations. Her son takes us through her live and shows us her courage and ingenuity as well as her faith as she goes through such tribulations.
The book seems long due to some lengthy and sometimes boring sections. However, overall, it is very good.
The story takes us from Theosoisa’s birth in Constantinople in 1908 to her death in . With the suicide of her Father in 1921, she has to figure out her future by herself. She becomes a teacher and teaches in small schools around Florina for many years. Her life is lived out near Florina with her husband and eventually her children. She lived a very unusual life. Her husband built her a beautiful house; but her Mother-in-law lives in it and she lives in a different house. She and her husband spent one week here as husband and wife and that was when her Mother-in-law was gone. Her life takes many turns as she lived through World War I, World War II, and several other minor wars and altercations. Her son takes us through her live and shows us her courage and ingenuity as well as her faith as she goes through such tribulations.
The book seems long due to some lengthy and sometimes boring sections. However, overall, it is very good.
August 30, 2019
Greek story
Well written with minute details about day to day life. Interest to read about life of a Greek family .
Well written with minute details about day to day life. Interest to read about life of a Greek family .
June 5, 2021
Too confusing
I had to give up on this book because it was too difficult to keep track of all the actors.
I had to give up on this book because it was too difficult to keep track of all the actors.
May 4, 2020
A very good read especially if you have an interest in Greece and it History
January 22, 2020
This is the dramatic true story of the Modis family in Greece from 1921 to the early 2000s. It mainly centers around Theodosia, her husband Giorgos Modis, and their children Agla and Theodore. Written by Theodore and based mainly off of his reflections and those of his family, this is a great example of the day-to-day life of an ordinary, yet extraordinary, woman who faced and overcame many trials through her amazing life. Through times of war, times of economic depression, times of pain, and times of loss, Theodosia stayed strong. This book is a tribute to her inner strength and bravery.
I found the book very interesting and engaging. The short Historical Background sections scattered throughout were incredibly helpful, and the book itself was as close to first-person as you can get once one has passed away. The book taught me much about Greece throughout the 20th century, without in the least becoming boring. I highly recommend it to any history buffs, war historians, genealogists, and people interested in Greek history in general. Five shining stars!
I found the book very interesting and engaging. The short Historical Background sections scattered throughout were incredibly helpful, and the book itself was as close to first-person as you can get once one has passed away. The book taught me much about Greece throughout the 20th century, without in the least becoming boring. I highly recommend it to any history buffs, war historians, genealogists, and people interested in Greek history in general. Five shining stars!
September 13, 2018
Fascinating!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews