Review: When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon

The daughter of Greek immigrants, Daphne aspires to the American Dream, yet feels as if she's been sleepwalking through life. Caught between her family's old-world traditions and the demands of a modern career, she cannot seem to find her place.

Only her beloved grandmother on Erikousa, a magical island off the coast of Greece, knows her heart. Daphne's fondest memories are of times spent in the kitchen with Yia-yia, cooking and learning about the ancient myths. It was the thought of Yia-yia that consoled Daphne in the wake of her husband's unexpected death.

After years of struggling to raise her child and pay the bills, Daphne now has a successful restaurant, a growing reputation as a chef, and a wealthy fiancé-everything she's ever wanted. But across the ocean, Yia-yia can see through the storybook perfection of Daphne's new life- and now she is calling her back to Erikousa. She has secrets about the past to share with her granddaughter- stories from the war, of loyalty and bravery in the face of death. She also has one last lesson to teach her: that security is not love, and that her life can be filled with meaning again.

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: April 1st 2014 by Harper

 

Terri's Thoughts:

 

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the Harper publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is April 1st 2014.

This was a touching story about family ties and learning to truly live again after overcoming grief.  The story of Daphne and her Yia-yia was touching and beautiful.  The relationship between a grown woman and her grandmother that were as close as they were is wonderful to read.  In this day and age when everyone is focused on what lies ahead, this step back in time where customs and culture reign supreme was a nice escape.

This story gave a glimpse in to the Greek way of life and let me tell you the foods described left me drooling.  The bonds described throughout the story of a small Greek village made me wish that I could visit to experience the close ties of family and community.

I was with Daphne for every step of her journey cheering her on and at times yelling for her to wake up and smell the "Kafe".  This was a story of love, acceptance and moving on and it was a haunting tail.  Although the ending did not leave me truly satisfied I do understand why it ended the way it did.

Overall a very enjoyable read and I would recommend to others.  I will now be looking up possible vacation destinations in Greece!

 

 

 

About the Author   

 

Yvette Manessis Corporon is an Emmy award winning writer, producer and author. She is currently a Senior Producer with the syndicated entertainment news show, EXTRA.

When The Cypress Whispers is her first novel.