Between the Orange Groves by Nadia Marks is a multi-generational tale set in Cyprus from the 1950s to 2008. Two families raised together torn apart by a family secret.
Merula and Hatiche are raised together as girls. Two households of different faiths who are the best of friends. As they grow up they both marry and live side by side. Their children are raised as they have been – together. Their sons Lambros and Orhan are raised feeling as if they are brothers. Both wish to become teachers. Leila and Anastasia are raised like sisters and dream of growing up to be dressmakers together.
For the children the difference in their religion is not important. They are both religious families. One family Greek Orthodox Christians and the other Turkish Muslims. Living in the same village and preying as they do the children can see no difference that should matter between them. As the children grow the knowledge that Turks and Greeks must never marry becomes clear. The families can live side by side in the same village but they must not cross this line.
I can say so little about this book without giving away spoilers. It was an enjoyable read. Not something I would naturally have picked up. With summer arriving I fancied something with some heat and escapism. I enjoyed this book as an audiobook read by Daphne Alexander. It’s nicely read and written and I was transported back in time to a small Cypriot village.
What we do know and I can say from the blurb and beginning of the book is that a framing device is used with the grown up Lambros in 2008. Every so often through the book we hear Lambros telling his daughter Stella the stories of his youth and what happened between himself, Orhan and Anastasia. I felt engaged by the book set in this way as it makes it clear that there has been a rift somewhere between the families and I really wanted to find out what had happened and what the final resolution would be after all those years.
I will say as little as I can about the ending though I found it not entirely to my taste. It was going in a promising direction but personally I wasn’t thrilled by the end. It could use a slight change. This shouldn’t put anyone off reading it though, it’s still an enjoyable and engaging story.
The majority of the characters were really well fleshed out and brought so much to the plot lines, specially within the two families. I did feel that there wasn’t much information about Leila though. There didn’t seem to be much point to her character other than to continue with the pattern of the two mothers having their children at the same time and one boy and one girl. It didn’t feel like having that character added much to the book. The same with Stella’s brother at the end. It seemed to fit the pattern again but didn’t really add anything.
An enjoyable read that transports you to the summer sun of 1950s Cyprus. A story of family and friends broken apart. Charming, engaging and universal. A story that draws you in and that takes you along at a leisurely pace to its conclusion. Fancy getting lost in the orange groves?
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