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Novel set in Cyprus (Famagusta the “Sleeping Beauty”)

28th September 2014

The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop, novel set in Cyprus (1970s Famagusta).

Have you ever been to Cyprus? And if so, have you ever given much thought to the cataclysmic events that took place on the island in the Summer of 1974, decimating the glamorous beach resort of Famagusta and uprooting thousands from their homes in the process?

IMG_2570Victoria Hislop draws attention to Famagusta, this sleeping city (the “sleeping beauty” of the title) that is a symbol of a divided country. Even back then there were two populations – the Greek Cypriots tended to live in the newer area along the coast, the Turkish Cypriots in the older area, where Byzantine churches and a spectacular 14th century cathedral crowned the city walls. They co-existed relatively well. But only 40 years ago there was a Greek military coup, and Turkish Forces invaded to ‘restore order’ and offer protection to the Turkish minority. Famagusta came under attack and most of the Greek Cypriots fled to where they could, to Nicosia, the UK…. taking little or nothing with them. No help from other nations was forthcoming, and their displacement has lasted until this very day. Part of the dividing line was lifted in 2003 but Varosha, the beach area, remains entirely sealed off. The skeletons of the former hotels stand as decrepit and forlorn sentinels to this sad and tragic past. The events of July 1974 have affected a whole generation and there is still no resolution, although boarders in the divided country seem to be a easing… You can read more about what Victoria Hislop has to say, in an article in The Sunday Telegraph; to view it, just click here.

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Photo: Paul Grover

It is here, in Famagusta, that Victoria sets her book, during the build-up to the terrible events, and then the aftermath. She describes the opulence of the hotel that is central to the book, The Sunrise, with its gleaming marble floors and caryatids and luxury suites, built and run by Aphroditi and Savvas Papacosta, the proprietors with an eye for detail and money making ventures in their heyday. Two families, the Özkans and the Geogious have family members employed at the hotel, representing, like a vignette, the bigger divide between nationalities – the women are friends but the menfolk are wary. Life however, is generally good for most people, but the tide is about to turn…

The two families are thrown together as the Turkish onslaught revs up and they eventually take refuge in The Sunrise, rather than flee. But one family member risks the safety of those around him to trade valuables and arms. The horror of war is grittily described, the fear and the deprivation pervade the pages. The mesmerising beauty of the island – the beaches, the foliage, the smells, the cicadas and the cerulean blue skies, envelop the depraved acts happening all around the city. Such beauty contrasts with such terror. It is truly sobering that this recent history still reverberates today, right along the beaches stretching from the tourist resorts, now largely in the West of the country. The author does a great job in bringing the precarious status quo that developed then, and still prevails now, to the attention of a wider tourist audience. It is a perfect book for those who are about to travel to Cyprus, as it brings to life the echoes of the past in a very readable way into the present.

The book is indeed getting some top reviews, I enjoyed it, but I had some reservations about the story. The feel, the food, and the ambience of Cyprus are all there; there are many Greek words used to really boost the feel of the location, all of which are great in TripFiction terms. There are references to the era, the Dunhill brand, which was indeed the cigarette of choice amongst the jet set. Carly Simon and Abba warble their way across the airwaves. However, there are eye catching errors that undermine the authentic feel of the 1970s – at the hairdresser, women did not recline backwards to have their hair washed, they leant over the bowl, face forwards, using a facecloth to protect their eyes; tourists did not routinely apply suntan lotion in the early 70s, this was the era of olive oil, in which bodies actively roasted and burned (remember that TV ad of people, aka sausage roasting in the hot sun?); and disposable diapers are unlikely to have been available to refugees hunting through the detritus of looted shops. It seems incredible, too, that The Sunrise Hotel was one building that was left untouched during the looting, whether or not it was well fortified. In combat zones the first targets are those that will offer up jewels, alcohol, cigarettes, food, money, clothes, linen… in other words, lucrative pickings that can easily be traded These are, of course readily available in an abandoned luxury hotel and therefore fortification would be no barrier to those determined to trade. When the entry gates are finally bulldozed, it is more than 6 months down the line after the Turkish invasion. And water for cooking and washing has apparently still been available during those 6 months, which is most unlikely, as I imagine the water tanks on the roof would have emptied; and from the book we know that the electricity (needed to drive the water up to refill them) was definitively cut off right early on, as a generator was organised just after the Turkish invasion …

Aphroditi has fled to Nicosia and spends quite some time in her local zacharoplasteion (pastry shop), where she spots a ring that belongs to her, being worn by another woman. She is acutely aware that it was securely deposited in the safe at The Sunrise hotel, so she is alerted to the fact that something is very amiss and she becomes intent on finding out more. Quite how that woman came to be in possession of the ring is never revealed, one is left to guess. It feels like a device to move the story on, and could have been so much more.

The whole story really depends on The Sunrise remaining intact. So be it, it is a story. And a decent story it is too. Victoria Hislop’s The Island, set on Spinalonga, Greece, received much praise, and in fact appears amongst our “Top Travel Books (ever?)” over on Pinterest. The Sunrise to my mind does not match the crafting and skill that were evident in that book but nevertheless gloriously captures the location and really serves to highlight the continuing sad state of affairs in the country.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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Comments

  1. User: Jenny Shekersavva

    Posted on: 10/05/2015 at 4:50 am

    I have lived in Cyprus since January 1973 I was living in Kyrenia which was also taken by the turks before famagusta.i am now a refugee so I know what everyone went through. I have read the book the sunrise which was good but you cannot imagine what people went through unless you were here Thank you

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