I wasn't sure I was going to like this when I started it, but I am pleased to say how wrong I was! I thought I would never remember who was who with the unfamiliar sounding Greek and Turkish names, but the book drew me in so much that I felt almost a part of each family.

Having looked through the wall into Famagusta on a family holiday to Cyprus in 1992, it was a sight that has stayed with me for so many years. The abandoned city described in this book was not just a glimpse through the wall but a walk down the desolate streets.

This is a story of those who left Famagusta and those who stayed behind. Both are equally disturbing and heartfelt; Aphroditi whose husband had ploughed all their money into hotels and now has nothing but her parents' apartment in Nicosia; the Georgious and the Özkans who refused to leave Famagusta so their loved ones could find them when they returned from fighting. Markos Georgiou is the character I loved to hate! He runs the nightclub in The Sunrise for Aphroditi's husband, Savvas. Aphroditi always felt suspicious of him but as they grow closer will she find out that first impressions are often right?

I was really moved by this story. The two families surviving together, looking out for each other and creating links that can never be severed, when they were in effect on opposite sides of the conflict. I loved the message that they are Cypriots first and foremost - whether Greek or Turkish is irrelevant.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I found this novel firstly interesting for its clear description of the division of Cyprus in 1974 and the period up to that event. Victoria Hislop has characters from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities and the reader follows their fortunes. She shows a united Cypriot society before the Greek coup and the Turkish invasion bought fear and distrust. Around this historical detail is a dramatic tale of three families. The rich hotel owner and his glamorous wife give one side of life in the resort of Famagusta and the Georgious and Ozkans give another and it is these latter two families who end up fenced in the deserted town after the Turkish invasion. This is an excellent story that is well told and is interesting. Her characters are mostly drawn sympathetically as she tries to understand different motivations. ( )

Cyprus in 1974 ( )

The story of Famagusta.
I had enjoyed Victoria Hislop's first novel, The Island, and was looking forward to reading The Sunrise before the author visited our literary festival. Most of the novels I have read about Cyprus have been set in the south, so it was interesting to read about Famagusta, the town on the border between North and South, where the worst of the fighting occurred in 1974.

When the narrative starts, in 1972, the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots are living in relative harmony. Many of the residents of Famagusta are working in the luxurious Paradise Beach Hotel, run by Savvas Papacosta and his wife Aphroditi, and tourists are enjoying the resort and facilities. The Papacostas are ambitious and as we join the novel, they are opening a new hotel, The Sunrise, even more fabulous than its predecessor.
Markos Georgiou is the manager of the night club at The Sunrise and Savvas Papacosta comes to rely heavily on him. Markos, however, is not the totally reliable employee and has resentments towards the wealth of the Papacostas.
Finally, Markos's family, The Greek Georgious, are very close friends with the Turkish Özkans Both are Famagusta families of moderate means, whose relationship is tested when the war breaks out, bringing old animosities back to the surface. They become trapped in the war stricken city and must scavenge to survive.

I enjoyed the historical research and I learned a lot about this disastrous event. The town of Famagusta still lies barren and deserted more than forty years later. Something about the book, however, didn't quite work for me. I was invested in the characters to some extent but I wasn't particularly enjoying the read, it seemed to be lacking somehow.

The presentation by the author at the literary festival was fascinating, with photographs of the resort before and now, in its deserted state. Along with her enthusiasm, this all made a rather mediocre read, worthwhile. ( )

Hislop has a gift for identifying true stories that have never been told before. This book is no exception. It is about Famagusta, once a holiday resort of the jet-set. In 1972 its population fled when Turkey invaded Cyprus. It remains a ghost town. The reason I have only given it three stars is because one of the main characters changed without a clear trail on why. it seemed more like a plot convenience and there were so many different characters that had loose ends at the end. ( )