Book Description

This blackly comic story of a Greek Cypriot family living on a council estate in 1980s Nottingham is told through the eyes of Anna, a first generation teenager who works in the family fish and chip shop. Anna feels frustrated and isolated, and is struggling to break with tradition and escape a life behind the counter but her formidable, extremely protective yet hilarious mother Tina thinks that education is wasted on a girl - all Anna needs to do is to cook well, wear terrible frilly blouses and keep out of trouble so that she attracts a nice, suitable Greek-Cypriot husband. wise grandmother, Yiaya, who reads coffee cups and practices rudimentary magic, much to Tina's disapproval. Through Yiaya's storytelling, Anna learns about the turbulent history of her ancestral island, her grandfather who went missing in the war of 1974 and finally discovers the secrets that have shaped her family. delicacies) and sadness (the family have to cope with the cruel bigotry of those around them). But is not until tragedy strikes that Anna begins to take control of her own destiny instead of complying with her loveable but domineering mother, who is all too willing to map out her daughter's life for her.