A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible

By: Christy Lefteri

Narrated by: Art Malik

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

A moving novel of love and war by the author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

It is July 1974 and on a bright, sunny morning, the Turkish army has invaded the town of Kyrenia in Cyprus. For many people, this means an end to life as they know it. But for some, it is a chance to begin living again.   

Everyone has always talked about Koki. They never believed she was her father's daughter and her mother died too soon to quiet their wagging tongues. And when she became pregnant and there was no sign of a husband, her fate was sealed.   

So she lives outside the town and hides from her neighbours' eyes. But, held captive with the very women who have made her life so lonely, Koki is finally able to tell them the truth. To talk of the Turkish shoemaker who came to the town and took her heart away with him when he left.

And how she has longed for him all these years.   

Meanwhile, Adem Berker finds himself back in Kyrenia, his former home, now as a member of the invading force. Here he left everything he ever wanted and, by cover of darkness, risking his life, he is searching every house, every cafe, every old pathway, for just a glimpse of the only woman he has ever loved. For listeners of The Island, The Book Thief and The Kite Runner.  

©2010 Christy Lefteri (P)2010 Quercus Editions Limited

Wow

I loved this book,. It is beautifully written and raised so many emotions. Narration brilliant!

I wanted to like his book but

Any book which is set against a background of real events happening in real places needs to be well researched in order to get the detail correct - particularly when the events are relatively recent and there are still people who remember ( and many of whom are likely to want to read the book) This book is not well researched however and is scattered with inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Some are minor and just irritate eg Greek coffee is never served with olives, zivania not ouzo is the drink of choice on Cyprus And everyone, even the English, refer to Avgolemono soup not "egg and lemon" soup. However there are larger issues which for me completely invalidated the story eg the entirely implausible journey by rowing boat from Kyrenia. And the taxi drive from Pyrgos to Limassol accomplished so easily in the story, in reality would not only have taken hours but would have been extremely dangerous as the road taken skirts the Turkish Cypriot enclave of Kokkina which was a Turkish military area. No Greek Cypriot would go anywhere near there in normal times and certainly not in the days just after the Turkish invasion. Even the London based parts of the story have problems. Richard's bedsit is located in a block of flats on Queen Victoria street near the Mansion house. Except that Queen Victoria street is not and never has been a residential area. It is full of office blocks not blocks of flats. And as for the taxi fare from the airport to Richard's bedsit being £1. Even back in 1974 taxi fares from Heathrow into London were eye- wateringly expensive. I know this is nit-picking and that every work of fiction uses artistic licence, but for me all of these little issues accumulated to ruin the storyline of a book I really wanted to like.

Art Malik's narration is as professional as ever and helped me get through the book but, another niggle, why wasn't he coached on the pronunciation of the Greek words/names

AMAZING 😊

from the first word the Narrator had me, such a beautiful way to pull us into this perfectly descriptive story. I jumped through a cocktail of emotions and wandered through a land I've never seen, thank you for such a rich experience. 😍

Is it me?

I really, really wanted to like this book. I had listened to the Bee Keeper of Aleppo and enjoyed it, and with Art Malik's narration I thought I was in for another treat. However, I only managed to get two thirds of the way through before I gave up on this book. It just felt too bitty, I had trouble defining the characters. I may come back to this book, but not for now ..

Gorgeous book

A poetic, moving and beautiful story full of the sadness of war and all its horrors, the intricacies of family history, love, loss, reconciliation and the very current issue of the plight of refugees. I love the narrator, got lost in the evocative descriptions of the island of Cyprus, the people and the food and the horrors of the invasion in the 1970s. I love the little links made throughout the book which help weave the story together. I totally recommend this book. - but be prepared to be saddened, horrified, deeply moved and often in tears. There are some lighter moments- but a lot of it is very sad.

Another moving tale

Another moving tale of war and refugees told in the detail of the life of the ordinary people. Slightly confusing to follow the change of dates and location at first but gradually understanding came. Art Malik is the perfect narrator with a very sympathetic voice.

Another beautifully written Christy Lefteri novel

The narrator has a soothing voice and brings energy to the story. The characters are written so well and you know each of them and care about them. I really enjoyed this audio book.

A very good listen!

Lovely story,and interesting to learn more about the troubles between the Turks and the Greeks during the 1970’s in Cyprus.

A tapestry of words

I love the way Art Malik narrates a story so it was no fault of his that the storyline and characters are complex. There is no doubt that Christy Lefteri has a unique way with language and you feel you are part of the scene. After a very enjoyable read of The Beekeeper of Aleppo I was eager to learn about the situation in Cyprus, which to a great extent I did. But at times my mind wandered and after so much elaboration throughout the book, the lead up to the ending was sketchy and vague.Nevertheless, I did enjoy it and learnt something of interest.

Interesting Story

Liked the story as lived in Cyprus a long time ago. Loved the voice of Art Malik but the long long descriptions I found irritating! Some insight to surroundings is obviously necessary but with this particular book it was rather over the top.

Outstanding

A book for our time. I wish schools over the world would make Lefteri compulsory reading. She shakes us all by our inaction. Her stories do not allow us to feel comfortable with ignoring the politics unfolding all around us. Her ability to conjure from words the characters, scents and sounds of a place makes for an immersive experience. Read excellently well. 10/10