The Icon Hunter: A Refugee's Quest to Reclaim Her Nation's Stolen Heritage

New York: Pegasus Books, 2017. xviii, 360 pages, [16] pages of plates, illustrations (chiefly colour); 24 cm. Near fine. Tight, clean copy. Age toning. Stated First Pegasus Books Edition. Dust jacket protected in a mylar book cover. "In this powerful memoir, Tasoula Hadjitofi reveals her perilous journey orchestrating 'The Munich Case'--one of the largest European art trafficking stings since World War II. Tasoula and her Greek Cypriot family lost everything during the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. Hundreds of ancient Cypriot churches were destroyed, their contents looted, and all signs of her Greek Cypriot culture erased. As a refugee, she wants justice. Then fate intervenes in the form of an archbishop and a dubious art dealer in search of redemption. Even as unspeakable personal tragedy strikes, she never gives up her search knowing the special place these antiquities hold in the hearts of Orthodox Christians. These icons are not just masterpieces--they are artistic manifestations of faith and a gateway to the divine. As she navigates through the underworld of art trafficking, Tasoula believes this to be her calling, and the Archbishop of Cyprus entrusts her---an ordinary woman, wife, and mother--with the mission. In order to succeed, however, she must place her trust in an art dealer known for his double-dealing. Tasoula places everything on the line to repatriate her country's sacred treasures, unaware that treachery lies in the shadow of her success." - Publisher.. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good/Fine. 8vo. Collectible.