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Just send us an email and we'll put the best up on the site. You can read more book reviews or buy A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible by Christy Lefteri at. You can read more book reviews or buy A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible by Christy Lefteri at .uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free. Another story of war and violence in a country which was formerly under British rule, also written by a young woman born after the events described, is Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, about the Biafran War of 1969-1972. Thank you very much to the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.Īnother novel about Cyprus and its history, in the 1950s, is Swimming to Ithaca by Simon Mawer. I read it very quickly as I wanted to know what happened to Koki and Maroulla. It has made me want to know more about Cyprus and its history. It is beautifully written, and explores whether the main characters can come to terms with their past and present. See all 2 images Follow the Authors Christy Lefteri Christy Lefteri Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible Paperback Januby Christy Lefteri (Author) 1,626 ratings See all formats and editions Hardcover 20.48 Other used from 16.48 Paperback 42.05 Other used from 42. There are a lot of violent and distressing scenes, including some of the group of women being taken off to be gang raped and returned battered and bleeding. I found this debut novel, by an author who was born in 1980 to Greek Cypriot parents living in exile in London, very powerful and moving – I was quite upset and angry about what was happening to the characters several times. She takes a little girl called Maroulla whose mother has been killed under her wing. Koki is one of a group of women rounded up and held captive by the Turkish soldiers – many of the others were among those who said nasty things about her over the years, but now she tells them the story of her past. This novel is quite sad, with many distressing and violent scenes. Meanwhile, an older man in London, Richard, is hearing the news of the place where he lived and loved as a young man after the war, when Cyprus was occupied by Britain. While his colleagues search the houses for anything they can take and brutally assault everyone who has not fled, Adem is looking for his former lover Koki. She is distraught when she finds her 11 year old son shot dead near the house.Īdem is Turkish – he used to live in Kyrenia and has now returned as one of the invading soldiers. Kyriaki, nicknamed Koki, is a still young single mother who has been treated as an outsider since childhood by the others in the town. The story of this novel is set over just eight days, and is told from the alternating viewpoints of three characters. The radio continues to report that the Turkish forces did not manage to invade, and that they were thrown back into the sea, even as the Greek Cypriot population realises that they have been invaded. It is 20 July 1974 in the small coastal town of Kyrenia, Cyprus. Here he left everything he ever wanted and, by cover of darkness, risking his life, he is searching every house, every cafe, every old pathway, for just a glimpse of the only woman he has ever loved.įor readers of The Island, The Book Thief and The Kite Runner.Summary: Beautifully written debut novel about the Turkish invasion of Kyrenia, Cyprus in July 1974 Meanwhile, Adem Berker finds himself back in Kyrenia, his former home, now as a member of the invading force. And how she has longed for him all these years. To talk of the Turkish shoe-maker who came to the town and took her heart away with him when he left. But, held captive with the very women who have made her life so lonely, Koki is finally able to tell them the truth. So she lives outside the town and hides from her neighbours' eyes. And when she became pregnant and there was no sign of a husband, her fate was sealed. They never believed she was her father's daughter and her mother died too soon to quiet their wagging tongues. But for some, it is a chance to begin living again.Įveryone has always talked about Koki. For many people, this means an end to life as they know it. It is July 1974 and on a bright, sunny morning, the Turkish army has invaded the town of Kyrenia in Cyprus. A moving novel of love and war by the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo and Songbirds.
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