When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon

When the Cypress Whispers by Yvette Manessis Corporon is one of the best vacation or summer read type of books I’ve read in a long time. I was immediately drawn in to the book and looked forward to picking it back up where I left off. This is definitely a book worthy of your summer reading, and also an author to keep track of!

Book Description

“On a beautiful Greek island, myths, magic, and a colorful cast of characters come together in When the Cypress Whispers, Yvette Manessis Corporon’s lushly atmospheric story about past and present, family and fate, love and dreams that poignantly captures the deep bond between an American woman and her Greek grandmother.

The daughter of Greek immigrants, Daphne aspires to the American Dream, yet feels as if she’s been sleepwalking through life. Caught between her family’s old-world traditions and the demands of a modern career, she cannot seem to find her place.

Only her beloved grandmother on Erikousa, a magical island off the coast of Greece, knows her heart. Daphne’s fondest memories are of times spent in the kitchen with Yia-yia, cooking and learning about the ancient myths. It was the thought of Yia-yia that consoled Daphne in the wake of her husband’s unexpected death.

After years of struggling to raise her child and pay the bills, Daphne now has a successful restaurant, a growing reputation as a chef, and a wealthy fiancé—everything she’s ever wanted. But across the ocean, Yia-yia can see through the storybook perfection of Daphne’s new life— and now she is calling her back to Erikousa. She has secrets about the past to share with her granddaughter— stories from the war, of loyalty and bravery in the face of death. She also has one last lesson to teach her: that security is not love, and that her life can be filled with meaning again.” – When the Cypress Whispers

My Thoughts

When the Cypress Whispers is about Daphne, who is a Greek-American who is torn between old-world family traditions, and the modern American dream she wants to live, too. When Daphne comes back to visit her grandmother in Greece, she learns about the past, but also more importantly about who she really is and what she really wants in her life. The important life lessons her grandmother is trying to teach her aren’t always easy for her to hear, or learn, but if she can mix in the magical island life in Greece with what her heart really wants, she’ll be one happy woman!

This is a beautifully written story that gives a stunning backdrop with the landscape, characters, and past and present stories. I adore this book and highly recommend it!

* Thank you to the publisher of When the Cypress Whispers, Harper, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.