Beneath the Fig Trees

In 1955, in a village in Greece marred by war and poverty, Giannoula and Fotios Panagiotopoulos dreamed of providing a better future for their children. Australia, it was rumored, was a land of opportunity where hard work brought reward. Leaving behind family and friends, they set off to make a new home on the other side of the world.

Half a lifetime later, under the shade of a fig tree and in the dappled Melbourne sunlight, Giannoula regales her youngest daughter, Olympia, with stories of her homeland, journey and what it took to create a new life in Australia with a Greek soul. An evocative exploration of the ties that bind, Beneath the Fig Leaves weaves an irresistible tapestry of family, food and history to stir the heart and senses.