Alki Zei is an outstanding figure in contemporary Greek literature. The greater part of her literary work is addressed to children and is a landmark in the field of children’s literature. Alki Zei has dealt with many forms of expression, such as short stories and plays, but mainly with novels.

Her work is characterised by realism, social concern for the contemporary problems of bourgeois society, respect for historical truth, discreet projection of ideological messages, as well as references to ever-lasting values. Despite the realism and seriousness of their subject matter, her books stand out for their optimistic outlook on life and their humour, without lacking the dexterity of storytelling, which is the charming playground of literature.

The scene is Paris, sometime after the 1967 military coup in Greece. Eleni, together with a group of her friends and fellow political exiles, finds herself working as an extra in a French film. Eleni, fiancee of the guerrilla leader, the brave kapetanios whose code-name is Achilles. Eleni involves us in her own private world of self-discovery. It is a woman's world, where human warmth and friendships matter more than abstract ideals.