Antonis Dourakis

Inspired by the real-life story of a bus hijacking in Northern Greece, HOSTAGE explores the sensitive issue of Greek-Albanian relations through a young Albanian who takes over an intercity bus. Upon hijacking the bus, he takes the seven passengers hostage and demands a ransom of half and million euro, and safe passage to his homeland of Albania. Surrounded by police, the bus trundles towards the Albanian border and the tension mounts until the final harrowing conclusion.

The novel's plot unfolds mainly during the interwar period and the Occupation. The protagonists and narrators are two women, Nina and her friend Hekabi, who live in these periods and faithfully describe the climate of the era through their personal stories. Nina successively performs three marriages — hence the title of the work.