My Big Greek Family, the gloriously entertaining debut novel by Maria Constantine, explores life, love, family and food amidst a lively Anglo-Cypriot household, as three sisters search for new beginnings despite the strong emotional pull of home and heritage.
Georgina Andreou is at a crossroad in her life; professionally she’s successful, but her personal life is unfulfilled and lacking.
There has to be more to life; I am alive, but not living – these are the thoughts that torment Georgina as she prepares to celebrate her thirtieth birthday. Taking stock of her life would require challenging some of the Greek values and traditions she has been raised with. And she isn’t the only sibling in the Andreou household who’s facing a culture clash; Katherina falls for an unlikely suitor at work, despite her family’s relentless mission to get a ring on her finger and she is forced to face a secret she has kept buried for many years in order to take a risk on love again. Meanwhile, Sophia, the youngest of the sisters, and the most rebellious, discovers a new spiritual direction in her life.
The sisters’ bond is strengthened when the three of them decide to go on holiday together; secrets unravel and hidden emotions finally surface. The trip acts as a catalyst for change in the girls’ lives and provides them with the courage they need in order to move forward. For Georgina, it helps her to find the strength to lead the life she wants to lead as opposed to the life she is expected to lead.
But back in London, the sisters will have to steel themselves against opposition from their parents who find it hard to understand the cultural challenges their children face. Will their responsibility to the family prove impossible to resist?
The captivating novel was influenced by the author’s own experiences of growing up in a lively Greek Cypriot family in North London (she was born and raised in Muswell Hill and currently lives in Southgate). She drew inspiration from the strong sibling bond she shares with her own sisters, and like the sisters in the book, Maria herself had to learn how to balance two cultures; an experience which is undoubtedly shared by many second-generation women.
My Big Greek Family will be available from 7th October 2013 from all major ebook retailers including Amazon. For further information, please visit www.mariaconstantineauthor.com