Product Description

A powerful love story set against the backdrop of the Cyprus conflict. The 1950s: the island is under British rule; the struggle for freedom begins. To the Orthodox Christian majority, freedom means enosis - union with Greece. To the Muslim minority, enosis means disaster. Andonis, a Christian, struggles for his own freedom: to be a tailor and escape family expectations of a life on the land; to be a Cypriot and be with his forbidden Muslim love. At stake are family and friendships, beliefs and traditions, village and homeland.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #42948 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-02
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Publisher
I am really pleased to announce that we are publishing 'The Cypriot', and are very excited about its prospects. It’s an engaging and dramatic story as well as a very human and sympathetic introduction to the history and culture of Cyprus.

At an important time for Cyprus, with the prospects of unification and Turkey’s EU accession, it strikes a highly constructive and conciliatory tone throughout. It doesn’t dodge the issues, but it presents them as complex, and accepts that no one side is blameless, or totally to blame.

It is human, nuanced and sensitive, it never preaches, and there are characters from all sides who are presented in a sympathetic light. The central theme is love across the divide. All of this speaks very positively to Cypriots from both communities, and can only help in the process of reconciliation that will be needed in the coming years.

The book is a fascinating general introduction to Cyprus and its history for the general (non-Cypriot) reader, and helps to build up an awareness of Cyprus outside the island and Cypriot communities abroad. Cyprus’s entry into the EU, and possibly tricky negotiations over reunification, mean that understanding and sympathy towards the island in the outside world has never been more important. This book packs a lot of background into its narrative, and does so in an approachable way, a way that will make people want to read it. It may have the effect of a history lesson, but it never feels like one.

Finally, the book is an exciting story and a rewarding read, from a Cypriot who has lived in London all his life, who is proud of Cyprus and passionate about its future (and a great communicator of that), and of whom Cyprus in turn can be proud. This is a great showcase for Cypriot creativity and talent.

From the Author
I suppose I'd been waiting for someone else to tell the human story behind the tearing apart of this tragic little island. I mean, what a great idea for a novel... and then the film! But no-one ever did - so I realised maybe I'd have to do it myself.

The success of Captain Corelli's Mandolin convinced me that there was potentially a huge market for a love story set on an idyllic Mediterranean holiday island - with conflict, war and tragedy as the backdrop.

If the recent history of Cyprus could be told so that outsiders could really get to grips with this wonderful little nation; weep for its continued division; if I could do that then maybe they might end up caring for the island's people - not as 'Greeks' or as 'Turks' but as 'Cypriots'. Then maybe these island people might, in turn, rediscover how to care for each other!

I hope those reading will get a taste for the island's unique culture - straight from the donkeys mouth. The food, the wine, the songs and expressions, the traditions and superstitions; the people's struggles and motivations. Their intense love of life.

I hope readers will get a deeper understanding - as I did during my research - of how this seemingly intractable 'Cyprus problem' really came about. How all sides had their role to play in sewing the seeds of division. How no one was without blame, and how all suffered - and continue to suffer.

I hope people will be able to empathise with the many colourful characters in the novel and appreciate their varying perspectives. Young and old, male and female, Christian and Muslim, left and right, religious and not-so-religious, Cypriot and non-Cypriot.

The most important thing I hope people will get from the book - the reason I wrote it in fact - is hope. Hope that one day soon, despite all the decades of pain and misery, devastation and division, we can start to make this beautiful island of love truly whole again.

From the Inside Flap
A story of love across a divide of religion and identity, of passionate loyalties and heart-rending choices.

The 1950s: Cyprus is under British rule. The struggle for freedom begins. To the Orthodox Christian majority, freedom means enosis – union with Greece. To the Muslim minority, enosis means disaster. Andonis, a Christian, struggles for his own freedom: to be a tailor and escape a life in his father’s fields; to be a Cypriot and be with his forbidden Muslim love. At stake are family and friendships, beliefs and traditions, village and homeland.

Customer Reviews

This makes a difference for Cyprus.
I'm so relieved this book has come out because I genuinely think it can make a difference for Cyprus. It's a love story but not just the one between Andonis and Funda. It's the story of the love Cypriots have for their country. It's a book about loving Cyprus.

Everyone talks about 'Bitter Lemons' but this is the second book about Cyprus. It reeks of Cyprus. The food, the culture, the language. People who don't understand Cyprus need to read it to understand why there is a problem between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots and between the Cypriots and the British.

It's a deeply political book but it's a different sort of politics. The politics of knowing you can be caught up inside a cliche or nationality but you can be different. You can change. Diversity is what it's about. It's about recognising that there were good British people and maybe bad British people - colonialism wasn't all bad. You can't right off the church. It isn't all bad. Or the communists. Or the Greek or Turkish Cypriots - and that's what's been happening in Cyprus. It's a really good book for British people. It is the sort of book that talks about a new politics where people don't leave things to their 'betters', their politicians. It's about people doing things for themselves and understanding that Cyprus is not going to change unless Cypriots work together to change it.

A fabulous character in the book is the British officer, 'the captain' who went native and became Cypriot. It shows that everyone who goes to Cyprus with an open mind and an open mind can become Cypriot too.

Eleven marks out of ten .
The Cypriot is one of those books that transfixes you and this becomes obvious from the very first chapter .
In my opinion the author has written the Cypriot in a style that evokes a myriad of feelings , emotions , colour .Take the example of the character description of the army captain , I could clearly visualise him in front of me having read his introduction into the book .
The passion behind the author's writing combined with the skilful introduction of love , conflict , happiness , sadness made me feel that I wanted to see all that I was reading portrayed in front of me so maybe Andreas Koumi can work on a film version of his excellent book as his next project .
I often pass books that I have read to family and friends but I shall be holding on to this one .

The Cypriot by Andreas Koumi
This book is not only an awesome piece of writing but it is a thoroughly educational, entertaining and moving read.

Although it is a novel, it has an autobiographical feel about it. The author has clearly questioned his own identity as a 'Cypriot' and carried out extensive research so as to put this novel together and educate, inform and try and re-unite his fellow Cypriots.

As a non-Cypriot myself, it taught me about Cyprus and the horrific division of the island. It taught me about Cypriot people and the anguish of living through such testing times. It taught me that being 'a Cypriot' is the way forward by uniting Cypriot people from whichever religious faith they belong. Living in harmony on the same island and declaring 'we are Cypriots, we are the same people' would teach the world to take example from this. This book offers a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Andreas Koumi's writing is very accessible and colourful. He writes in a non-pretentious way and clearly has wonderful literary ability. The book is also full of lovely little translations of traditional Cypriot songs and chants which are highly entertaining!

This book also invites people that invest their interest in Cyprus and its people to be 'Cypriots'. I am therefore now also a Cypriot!