THE TRUE STORY OF A COURAGEOUS LEAP INTO A NEW LIFE

Winner of The Anglo-Hellenic League's Runciman Award 2026

'Magical... A book that will refresh your soul.' Carol Drinkwater, author of The Olive Farm

'An inspiring call to throw caution to the wind … Lifelines is not just beautiful, it is quite literally encouraging. It will make you brave.' Observer

In 2000, burnt out by city living, Julian Hoffman and his wife Julia took a bold step: they left everything behind and moved to Prespa in northern Greece, a remote landscape of vast lakes, snow-capped mountains and stone villages.

Here, their seasons are punctuated by unforgettable encounters, including nesting summer pelicans, a springtime stare-down with a bear and a winter meeting with fourteen tiny birds above a frozen doorway.

Lifelines is a story of new beginnings, of searching for home in an unfamiliar place, finding community across borders and truly discovering your place in the world.