Australia-based Author Sally Jane Smith’s new memoir, REPACKING FOR GREECE, book 2 in the “Packing for Greece” series, recently came out, and it’s getting lots of attention.
She took us on her life-altering solo trek through Greece in last year’s Unpacking for Greece, Reading Greece’s Book of the Month in July 2023. Sally returns to Greece in her new book.
When a long-forgotten, apartheid-era arrest record derails Sally Jane Smith’s plans for a Canadian family vacation, she packs her mom’s 1978 travel diary and sets out solo for Greece instead. As she journeys to the landmarks her mother once visited — and discovers many more — Sally immerses us in Greece’s awe-inspiring landscapes and fascinating heritage sites.
She delights in absorbing the country’s rich history and connecting the dots between legend, location, and contemporary literature.
Repacking for Greece travels from an initial flashback chapter in 20th-century South Africa to 10 memorable Greek destinations: Athens and Delphi on the mainland; Nafplio, Mycenae, Epidavros, and Methana on the Peloponnese Peninsula; and the islands of Hydra, Poros, Kefalonia, and Corfu (with a side trip to Albania).
Sally says that while Unpacking for Greece was about letting go of personal baggage, Repacking for Greece is about replenishment–about abandoning anxiety and finding joy.
The buzz is strong! See what some advance readers had to say:
“Fans of legendary UK travel-writer and explorer of all things Greece and beyond, Patrick Leigh Fermor, will find a kindred spirit in Repacking for Greece author Sally Jane Smith.”
Jeffrey Siger, international bestselling author of ‘The Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis’ Mystery Series
“An engaging companion, Sally’s life-affirming book reminds us all to seize the moment.”
Richard Clark, bestselling author of Greek travel memoirs and guides, plus several novels set on Crete
“Sally delves deep into the history and surrounding regions…these facts are like hidden treasures for readers.”
Peter Barber, author of the award-winning, bestselling Greek travel memoirs in ‘The Parthenon Series’
About the Author
Sally Jane Smith has lived on five continents and visited thirty-three countries, but she gives credit to Greece for turning her into a writer. She has worked in museums, universities, a language institute, a residence for people with disabilities, an art gallery, a primary school and a wildlife park. She also co-hosts two book clubs and assists the organisers of a biennial book-themed convention. She is currently based in Australia.
In 2006, the bus on which she was travelling through Sri Lanka suffered a head-on collision, breaking both her body and her spirit. A decade on, she journeyed to Greece in a quest to recover her wanderlust – and proved it is possible for an out-of-shape, middle-aged woman on a budget, equipped only with a guidebook and her mother’s 1978 travel diary, to experience a life-changing adventure. This is the story that became the ‘Packing for Greece’ series.
Sally is the author of Unpacking for Greece (published June 2023) and Repacking for Greece (published April 2024).
Repacking for Greece is available at bookstores and online retailers from April 20th, 2024
Paperback: ISBN 978-0-6456257-2-1 | E-book: ISBN 978-0-6456257-3-8
Publisher Imprint: Journeys in Pages | Length: 242 pages