The Crimson Thread

There’s a reason why Kate Forsyth is one of Australia’s most beloved storytellers – it’s because she writes such enchanting tales. The Crimson Thread and its wonderful main character Alenka will weave their way around your heart and you won’t want to let them go. A gripping story about a fascinating piece of history, meticulously researched and beautifully written.

Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Riviera House

Forsyth sets her story in Crete, 1941, where protagonist Alenka listens to stories from her Yia-Yia and is inspired by the [Minotaur] myth's feisty Ariadne. When the island is occupied by the Nazis, Alenka joins the resistance and saves the lives of two Aussie soldiers, Jack and Teddy. Both Aussies fall in love with Alenka - and why wouldn't they - she's a captivating character - but a difficult love traingle ensues as the underground work becomes more dangerous.

Australian Women's Weekly

A spellbinding tapestry of a novel steeped in the rich, vibrant culture and mythology of Crete, The Crimson Thread is a story of tragedy and heroism, of the women and men oppressed by Nazi occupation, their amazing courage and fierce resistance, and of the brave few Allies who helped them.

Christine Wells, bestselling author of Sisters of the Resistance

Kate Forsyth's masterful gift for recasting classic fairytales in fiction is unmatched! In The Crimson Thread she sets the legend of Ariadne and the minotaur in WWII Greece, where a resourceful Cretan beauty is caught dangerously between a brash Australian soldier, his shy poet best friend, and her own Hitler-obsessed younger brother as her village comes under fire in the brutal German invasion of Crete. Love, jealousy, war, espionage, and myth combine in a tale as complex and beguiling as Ariadne's labyrinth - I couldn't put it down!

Kate Quinn, New York Times Bestselling author of The Diamond Eye

Kate Forsyth's The Crimson Thread weaves myth and history in a dazzling tapestry of love, courage and war. Set on Crete during WW2 with the Palace of Knossos at its heart, Forsyth conjures a labyrinthine tale to rival Ariadne's. Alenka, a young woman in the Cretan resistance, bravely faces not only the occupying forces but a monstrous half brother and two rival lovers. The tale deftly ties real history and cameos from people like Patrick Leigh Fermor seamlessly into the lives of the fictional characters. Lose yourself in this war story where love is the light which guides you home.

Kate Lord Brown

No one spins a tale quite like Kate Forsyth with her musical prose and vivid details that twine together into story threads as timeless as a Greek epic. Family, honor, war, love. It's all there in her latest novel, The Crimson Thread, set on the wild and beautiful island of Crete - and the horror of the Nazi invasion. The Crimson Thread is a compelling and engaging must-read for fans of WWII fiction!

Heather Webb, USA Today bestselling author of The Next Ship Home

The Crimson Thread is a lyrical, majestic work of fiction. Kate Forsyth writes beautifully about the mythic and the romantic, about the minotaur hidden in a maze, about ruins of the palace of Knossos on Crete and the brutal, heartbreaking moments that entrap all. I didn’t want the book to end!

Weina Dai Randel, award-winning author of The Last Rose of Shanghai

A spellbinding tale of resistance and love in WWII Crete. Courage, sacrifice and betrayal form the backdrop for a Homeric love triangle, where a young woman faces impossible choices in a time of struggle and survival. Forsyth never fails to enchant with her masterful loom, weaving myth and history into her unique tapestries.

C.W. Gortner, author of MADEMOISELLE CHANEL

Kate is a master storyteller and her books are a pure delight.

Emily, AU Review

A riveting tale of courage, love, and betrayal in Crete during WWII. Bookstores are awash in novels depicting the depredations of Nazi occupation in various European countries, but Greece’s travails rarely appear in fiction — the Cretan experience, hardly ever. This makes the wide-ranging and suspenseful The Crimson Thread all the more interesting and oddly timely. The way it highlights the courage and determination of Cretans in fighting the enemy brings to mind the stalwart resolve of Ukrainians bravely doing the same today.

Washington Independent Review of Books

The Crimson Thread is steeped in Cretan myth, not only the story of Ariadne and the labyrinth, but also everyday culture and folk beliefs. This brought it to life in a way other books can only dream of. In addition, the story started well before the protagonists found themselves in the midst of their troubles. We get to see them grow and reach the pinnacles of their journeys, rather than starting with them halfway there. Best of all, partway through the book I realized I didn’t know what would happen. I could guess at the main structure of the story, but the details I thought were obvious soon became a mystery. I heartily enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Jo Niederhoff, San Francisco Review of Books

All sorts of authors are writing women-centric historicals. Kate Forsyth's work is always marked by its roots in fable and fairytale. Here she goes to the often-visited World War II, specifically the role played by Australians in Crete. The setting is unusual, as is the Cretan heroine having a half-German, Nazi brother. Naturally, Knossos and its labyrinth figure, but the narrative is equally about modern Crete and its culture. It has a strong sense of place, and also family history, for Forsyth had relatives serving in Crete. The result successfully mixes warfare and archaeology, coding and traditional embroidery. For the war buff with a fondness for romance.

Lucy Sussex, The Sydney Morning Herald

A UNIQUE AND POWERFUL BLENDING OF GREEK MYTH AND WORLD WAR TWO-ERA HISTORICAL FICTION. Kate Forsyth is Australia’s gift to the world of historical fiction and fantasy. The Crimson Thread is extremely well-researched and offers a fresh perspective that those drawn to stories set in this era will devour.

Vanessa Elle, Glamadelaide