MRS. PAPADAKIS by Florence Wetzel

MRS. PAPADAKIS

After five years of married life in a Cretan fishing village—milking goats, sidestepping village gossip, and contending with octopus in her refrigerator—American Carolyn Papadakis starts to wonder if she should return to the US.

An unexpected visitor deepens her doubts, and a new friendship with a pair of traveling hippies draws Carolyn into risky choices. As her marriage teeters on the edge, Carolyn must decide between the life she created and the one she left behind.

Full of humor and heart, Mrs. Papadakis paints a vibrant portrait of village life while exploring identity, belonging, and the challenge of building a life far from home. Perfect for readers drawn to literary fiction, cross-cultural life, and stories of identity and belonging.

TOPICS OF CONVERSATION

• About Mrs. Papadakis: Florence shares why this is her most autobiographical book, drawn from her years living in a remote Cretan village after growing up in the New York area
• Two names, two identities: Carolyn in America, Karolina in Greece, and what it means to carry a different identity in each place
• The Plunge and the Pang: The names Karolina gives the feelings she can't push away, and why naming a feeling can be a way of keeping it at a distance
• Life in a Cretan village: Collecting snails after the rain, a mother-in-law who has watched plenty of foreign women come and go, and the moment the novelty wears off
• A shift in the storytelling: Why the final section moves from first person narration to journal entries, and what that change reveals about who Karolina is becoming

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Florence Wetzel was born in Brooklyn, New York, and writes across a wide range of genres. Her books include the thriller The Woman Who Went Overboard, the Swedish mystery The Grand Man, the cozy mystery Dashiki, and the memoir Sara My Sara. She's also the author of Aspasia: A Novel of Suspense and Secrets, originally published alongside her newest book. In addition, she's written horror short stories, poetry, and memoir essays, and co-authored the autobiography of jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson. Her latest book is Mrs. Papadakis: A Novel of Crete and Choices, published in June 2026.

You can learn more about Florence Wetzel and her work at https://linktr.ee/FlorenceWetzel