Brandy Sour
by Constantia Soteriou & Lina Protopapa (translator)
Brand Sour by Constantia Soteriou tells the story of Cyprus’s turbulent twentieth century, played out by the occupants of the iconic Ledra Palace Hotel in Nicosia. Among those we meet are the king in exile who drowns his sorrows with a cocktail disguised as tea; the war photographer who seeks solace in cold beer; the UN officer who drinks lemonade to deal with the heat and the lies; and the cleaning lady who always carries her holy water with her. They are reluctant actors in history, evocatively captured in this moving, highly original portrait of civil strife and division. The book won the Cyprus National Book Prize in 2023.
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“Brandy Sour by Constantia Soteriou tells the story of Cyprus’s turbulent twentieth century, played out by the occupants of the iconic Ledra Palace Hotel in Nicosia. Among those we meet are the king in exile who drowns his sorrows with a cocktail disguised as tea; the war photographer who seeks solace in cold beer; the UN officer who drinks lemonade to deal with the heat and the lies; and the cleaning lady who always carries her holy water with her. They are reluctant actors in history, evocatively captured in this moving, highly original portrait of civil strife and division. The book won the Cyprus National Book Prize in 2023.” Read more...
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