Aphrodite's Island by Hilary GreenSynopsis:” ONE LETTER CAN CHANGE YOUR WHOLE LIFE.

Cressida thought she knew her family’s history, but when she finds a box of old love letters, it makes her question everything.
Cyprus, 1955.
17-year-old Ariadne is in love with young British National Serviceman, Stephen Allenby. But her family are deeply involved with an organization campaigning for a union with Greece, and do not approve. And they’re not the only ones. It’s only a matter of time before Stephen is sent back to England, leaving Ariadne pregnant and alone. Stephen does his best to move on with his life. He marries Laura and has a baby girl called Cressida, but it’s not long before the cracks start to show and his marriage falls apart . . .
Cyprus, 1998.
Forty-three years later, Cressida goes to Cyprus to recover from the double trauma of her mother’s death and the desertion of her boyfriend. She wants to find out why her father disappeared from her life when she was six, and she’s convinced the island holds the answers. The chance discovery of a box of love letters written in Greek to her father leads Cressida on a quest for the truth. Who wrote those letters? And are they somehow linked to her father’s disappearance? Her search for answers leads her on a heartbreaking journey of love, loss and discovery.”

My Review

This was an enjoyable listen, transporting me to Northern Cyprus during the years 1955, 1974 and 1998.

The story was told over the three timelines mentioned above. It was told from Stephen, Cressida’s father point of view in 1955 and 1974, and then from Cressida’s in 1998.

The majority of the book is set in 1998 as Cressida travels to Cyprus following the death of her mother. She visits old haunts that she vaguely remembers from her childhood, and discovers more about her parents through old letters and her mother’s journal. While she’s there she meets a a Turkish Cypriot tour guide Karim, who helps her find out more about the letters and why her father disappeared all those years ago.

I enjoyed the mystery surrounding her father and the slow burn romance between Cressida and Karim. I loved the descriptions of the island throughout the book, and Googled various places and the historical context as I was listening, so I could learn more about the conflicts and why the British troops were there.

The narration by Ana Clements was okay. At times I found her narration a bit mechanical, but her voices for the male characters was more enjoyable.

I’m glad I listened to this as it was perfect for the 1980 to 1999 category for this year’s When Are You Reading? Challenge.