The fallout sends the island's inhabitants spiraling into fear and chaos, and the Papacostas join an exodus of people who must abandon their idyllic lives in Famagusta and flee to refugee camps. In the end, only two families remain in the decimated city: the Özkans and the Georgious. One is Turkish Cypriot, the other Greek Cypriot and the tension between them is palpable. But with resources scarce and the Turkish militia looming large, both families must take shelter in the deserted hotel as they battle illness, hunger, fear, and their own prejudices while struggling to stay alive. Hislop hasn't of course been into Famagusta - no one may, even now - but has stood near the barbed wire and imagined what life was like there, then and now, with her usual gift for presenting bits of history most of us are unfamiliar with from a fictional point of view." - Independent on Sunday (UK) Heartbreaking... A fascinating insight into a part of Mediterranean history that isn't often explored." - Essentials (UK) Intelligent and immersive... Hislop's incisive narrative weaves a vast array of fact through a poignant, compelling family saga." - The Sunday Times (UK) The sand on the beach at Famagusta is fine and pale, and the sea is literally turquoise. It’s a beautiful and safe place to swim. Superficially, the beach looks the same in this picture as it would have done in the early 1970s but if you take a closer look, there is a dark strip on the skyline (on the right of the photograph). This is the barrier that divides the beach. It is a strip of plastic netting, held together with lengths of rusting barbed wire. The whole city of Famagusta is now in the area occupied by Turkey – and the huge section of it which is sealed off (and a no-go area) is known as Varosha.

Victoria Hislop | LoveReading Books By Victoria Hislop | LoveReading

Turkish soldiers man this watchtower. I think they spend most of the time surveying women in bikinis on the beach, but they are officially there to ensure that nobody goes beyond the barbed wire fence into the ghost town. There are signs saying ‘No Photographs’ everywhere (even painted on the walls of the abandoned hotels), so another part of their job is to shout aggressively at people who take pictures, including me of course. In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island’s most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the Özkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city’s façade of glamour and success, tension is building.The places I describe are also real. The story mostly takes place in Famagusta (known as Ammohostos to the Greeks). I wanted to share some images of this place, firstly some postcards that show the city as it was, and then a series of photographs which I took last summer. Some of the hotels were bombed by Turkish planes during the invasion. This hotel was one of the most luxurious in the resort. When I see it, it feels as if the events of 1974 just happened a few moments ago, as though the bombers have just passed over and done their damage. The war was brief and violent (lasting only a few days in all), but the damage was catastrophic to this island. The occupation has now lasted more than forty years. I took this photo from the office of the Turkish mayor of Famagusta. In the picture, we see some of the older buildings of the city, including one of the original hotels of the city, The Savoy. It’s clear here how nature has taken over, with weeds growing up into the middle of the streets and a general state of dilapidation. And the picture also gives an idea of the scale of the city. Fascinating and moving... Hislop writes unforgettably about Cyprus and its people." - The Times (UK) The plastic and barbed wire that has been wrapped around this city is more clearly visible here. I walked right next to it to take these pictures of some derelict hotels. It’s not hard to imagine what an idyllic place this must have been to stay – hotel residents could step from the foyer directly onto the sand. And with soft sand such as this, it must have seemed like paradise. The beach faces due east so they would have woken to the most spectacular sunrise each day visible from those windows. This was what inspired me to call my imaginary hotel (which also gives the novel its name) ‘The Sunrise’.

Victoria Hislop Books in Order (Complete Series List) Victoria Hislop Books in Order (Complete Series List)

Famagusta not only offered daytime recreation, but also a nightlife that was second to none in the Mediterranean. It had many fine restaurants and nightclubs where visitors and locals enjoyed live music. The rich and famous went to Famagusta, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, for example, as well as other international stars. History Makers: Female Writers Dominate the 2023 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award Shortlist Hislop brings her consummate storytelling skills to this enthralling tale of love, marriage and a community all put to the test." - Woman & Home (UK)Hislop captures well the dreamy and Edenic time before the occupation as well as the fear and chaos afterward." - Kirkus An absorbing tale about family, friendship, loyalty and betrayal, set during a violent period in the history of Cyprus." - Good Housekeeping (UK) These postcards are originals from 1972 (before the Turkish invasion), when the city of Famagusta was a kind of paradise. These were the early days of tourism as we know it now, when people discovered the joys of flying to a Mediterranean country and enjoying a vacation. At the time of the invasion, in August 1974, there were 40,000 inhabitants (mostly Greek Cypriots) and the number was swelled in the summer by the thousands of holidaymakers who came from all round the world to enjoy the warm climate, stunning beach and clear, azure sea.

The Sunrise: The Number One Sunday Times bestseller

Moving and, at times, nail-biting...Book groups who enjoyed... The Kite Runner and Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale will dig into this novel in which politics trumps privilege but not family." - Booklist

Hislop's writing effectively weaves the personal into the political without ever becoming overbearing. An informative but equally emotional read." - Woman LoveReading exists because books change lives, and buying books through LoveReading means you get to change the lives of future generations, with 25% of the cover price donated to schools in need. Join our community to get personalised book suggestions, extracts straight to your inbox, 10% off RRPs, and to change children’s lives. Recommended Reads about Race, Racism, and Demarginalizing History - Necessary Non-fiction You Should Read for Life-changing Insights and Impact

The Sunrise: The Number One Sunday Times bestseller The Sunrise: The Number One Sunday Times bestseller

We are looking at the same buildings as we saw in the postcards, but there is a big difference. They are empty and abandoned, and their windows are dark. Famagusta is now a ghost town. Once a thriving city, it is sealed off and totally empty. Nobody is allowed to go there and the inhabitants who fled, within a few hours once they heard of the approaching Turkish army, have never been allowed to return. When a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos, Cyprus faces a disastrous conflict. Turkey invades to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, and Famagusta is shelled. Forty thousand people seize their most precious possessions and flee from the advancing soldiers. In the deserted city, just two families remain. Best Books Set in the 1920s — from Stories That Shimmer with Champagne and Social Change, to Rip-roaring Reads Covering Crime, Colonialism and Beyond.