“Once We Were Here” A Story of Oxi Day

As World War II intrudes upon their home, three young friends in Greece risk everything for freedom, love and a chance at a better life.

This is the core story of “Once We Were Here,” a historical romance novel released in October 2020 which highlights a piece of often forgotten yet important history: How Greece helped to win the Second World War.

The novel begins with the events of October 28, 1940, when Italian dictator Benito Mussolini gave Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas an ultimatum: Allow Axis forces to occupy their country, or face war.

Greece’s response? A firm “Oxi” or “No.”

In a small village nestled against the radiant waters of the Aegean Sea, we find Alexei, the son of a local fisherman, and his best friend Costa, who were both born on the same night 18 years earlier and have been like brothers ever since.

But now, like all young men in their village and throughout Greece, Alexei and Costa will leave their homes to bravely fight for their country.

Before departing, Alexei asks Philia, the girl that he’s loved his entire life, to marry him, which sets into motion the events which will change the lives of these three and their family and friends forever. Thus begins an epic and unforgettable story of courage, survival, sacrifice, the strength of the human spirit and of a love and friendship that will echo across time and generations.

The novel’s creator is Michigan native and University of Michigan alumnus Christopher Cosmos, an author and screenwriter who once sold a screenplay called “American Rebel” to Oscar-nominated producer Amy Pascal and Sony Pictures.

“Releasing a debut novel a year ago in the middle of a pandemic presented its own unique set of challenges, but the response from readers of ‘Once We Were Here’ all over the world, and especially readers in Greece and the Greek community here in America, has been absolutely amazing and very humbling,” Cosmos told The Pappas Post.

“They say to speak your dreams into existence, and so as the novel continues to make its way in the world, my goal for year two of ‘Once We Were Here,’ as Greece becomes a European filming destination with one of the best film and television incentives in the world for international productions, is to find and work with some of the amazing Greeks in Hollywood to turn this story of love and Oxi Day into an epic, beautiful and important mini-series — all set and filmed on the shores of the Aegean,” Cosmos said.

The book is available to purchase via Amazon

Book reviews for “Once We Were Here”

“’Once We Were Here’ is a modern epic, surging with the lifeblood of Greece and her proud history. Beautiful, tragic, and achingly lovely, this story of heroism, survival, and homeland captured my heart.”

— Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of the “Red Queen” series

“This stirring debut by Christopher Cosmos examines the enduring costs of love and war, and the way family stories—even buried ones—set the course for generations to come. Cosmos is deeply committed not only to his characters and their harrowing experiences, but also to sharing, with insight and empathy, Greece’s powerful and often heartbreaking history.”

— Paula McLain, author of “The Paris Wife” and “Love and Ruin”

“Winston Churchill said that Greeks don’t fight like heroes, but heroes fight like Greeks, and this story proves it; a stunning literary debut about legacy and history, war and peace, fate and destiny, the power of family and stories, and how young love can still shine and endure, even in the face of the greatest evils, and long after we’re gone.”

— Steven Pressfield, bestselling author of “Gates of Fire” and “The Legend of Bagger Vance”

“Christopher Cosmos gives the reader a front-row seat to six pivotal months in the history of Greece, and the world. Full of both heroics and disasters, Once We Were Here shines a vivid light on the human costs of war, and how we inherit family legacies of love, sacrifice, and secrets.”

— Caitlin Horrocks, author of “The Vexations”

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