An excerpt from “To Hide in Athens,” the next collection of stories linked with “Nate & Adel.”


Nikolas Covo tossed his bag into the bed of the pickup truck and jumped into the passenger seat. Alex, a Christian orderly whom Dr. Covo had known for years at the General Hospital Ippokratio, and a family friend, had the vehicle moving before Nikolas had even closed the door. He risked immediate death if found harboring a Jew.

“Slouch down.”

The boy did as he was asked, dropping to his knees, bending over so that his face was an inch from the cold metal floor of the vehicle. He gagged on the gasoline fumes.

3 responses to “An excerpt from “To Hide in Athens,” the next collection of stories linked with “Nate & Adel.””

  1. Carolivia Herron Avatar
    Carolivia Herron

    1/12/2013 I just wrote this review of “To Hide in Athens” on Amazon.
    I finished reading “To Hide in Athens” today. I had forgotten that it connects with your other “Adel” collections so I was enthralled as Adel entered the story at the end, in the New York segment. I very much like the way the back story and the front story were reversed in your portrayal of Dr. Nick and Adel. In the Athens part of the story I was haunted by Dora’s dream and how Dr. Nike reconnects with it at the end. I had to go back and read that dream again. If I were to change anything I would add a little more of the echo of Dora’s dream at the end of the story. Your story is good, and makes me contemplate yet again the human path to calm surface from horrific history.

    Reply
    1. brucejberger Avatar
      brucejberger

      Caroliva: Thanks for the review. Nikki’s one of my most complex characters, very much at the center of the almost-finished novel 1946: A Novel (except I haven’t settled on that name) and also very close to the center of the longer novel I’m trying to work on now, except that he’s a lot older, married, and the father of a piano prodigy named after his sister Kalli, the one who drew him the picture of a blue jay. It’s interesting, because I never knew that, when writing fiction, one could become so absorbed by just one character. Anyway, “To Hide in Athens and Other Stories” is probably my favorite collection. Thanks for being such a loyal reader.

      Reply
  2. brucejberger Avatar
    brucejberger

    The novel previously named 1946: A Novel is now known — to me at least — as Displaced.

    Reply

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