cyprus

cyprus Although Aphrodite’s War fits neatly into the invasion literature category so popular with Cypriot authors it is a compelling, heart wrenching piece of storytelling which stands off the shelves. British writer Andrea Busfield spent much of her childhood in Cyprus and convincingly recreates the natural beauty of the island and the characters who populate it. This account of the lives of the rural Economidou family near Kyrenia spans 50 years to the modern day. It follows the birth of their son Loukis, tracing his faltering love affair with his best friend Praxi, and the ensuing violence of 1974 overwhelming their homeland. It switches perspective, with each brother’s journey as a soldier, an EOKA rebel and a journalist providing an insightful glimpse into the politics and history of the escalating conflict. It evocatively captures the fraternity and eventually divided communities of Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot neighbours.


A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible by Christy Lefteri Christy Lefteri is a young Greek Cypriot author based in London. This convincing debut novel begins in Kyrenia just as the violence of July 1974 has erupted. The reader is led amid the chaos to where fleeing Greek Cypriot survivors clutch at anything they can grab - a watermelon, a fish and a bible. Lefteri tells the story of army captive Koki, a mother with a secret - a past love affair with a Turkish shoemaker. While A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible may be fictional, it gives a startling insight into the aftermath of a situation which affected and permanently scarred so many lives. Essentially this is another book set in Cyprus about love, war and destiny. Small Wars by Sadie Jones British novelist Sadie Jones has taken a different perspective on Cyprus, allowing her protagonists to view the island as outsiders, placed within the British army based in Cyprus in the 1940s. We follow soldier Hal Treherne defending Cyprus as a colony against local guerillas. Written in an engaging yet detached style, this understated novel is well researched and rings with authenticity. It is an account of the brutalities and psychological damage of war, and a tale of loyalty tested as scandal flourishes within the British ranks. We follow Hal’s wife Clara too as she adapts to their new surroundings and conflict which is even seeping into their relationship. Small Wars serves as a reminder of the long relationship and effect the British military has had upon Cyprus.

cyprus