This is kindof a beach read type of book. At first I thought it was merely a romance type of book and almost didn't read it. I did read it and to some extent it was not a romance book. A woman returns to a small island off of Greece to see her grandmother and get married there. Each summer growing up she had lived with her grandmother. Upon her return now she is forced to "grow up" and make some choices. So it becomes a book of living your own life with passion. Daphne is a chef running a restaurant in New York. A restaurant she built after her husband tragically died leaving her a young widow with an infant daughter. She has spent the years since his death building the restaurant and trying to make a secure life for herself and little Evie. She has only just allowed herself to consider dating and now re-marriage. But something is calling her back to the island of her childhood, the home of her Yia-Yia - Erikousa, Greece. Instead of the big, fancy New York wedding she convinces her fiance that she NEEDS to get married there. She has to see her grandmother again.Once back she introduces Evie to the places she played as a little girl and Daphne starts to relax. She meets a mysterious friend of her grandmother's; a young man whom she never knew who knows secrets from her grandmother's past that Daphne does not. How can that be? They are, of course, like oil and vinegar. Slowly Daphne learns about her grandmother's WWII past and she can't believe she knew nothing of the horror that touched her island refuge.She also learns that her grandmother might be more connected to the island than Daphne ever knew. As the winds in the cypress trees tell their secrets Daphne needs to decide which is best path for her to take.There was much to like about When the Cypress Whispers; it is beautifully written and I found myself lost in the lure of a beautiful Greek island. But there is much that caused me a touch of aggravation as well. The book was so much more than a romance and yet we have a couple meeting in the oh so typical manner of boy meets girl, girl does not like boy. Boy does not like girl. SOMETHING HAPPENS. Each sees the other in a new light, blah, blah, blah. There was a rich history and the meeting was trite. The relationship was trite. I found it hard to believe that Daphne was supposedly so smart yet knew nothing of the WWII history of her precious island. The ending left much to be desired.Yet I found that I loved Erikousa and its crazy inhabitants. When writing of the Island the book was magical. Yia-Yia was also a beautifully written character. Only when dealing with Daphne and her love life did it fall flat for me.3.5
Do You like book When The Cypress Whispers (2014)?
full of description of lifr on an island lots of food prepintetesting greek.life
—Koypoo18
Still can't decide if I liked or hated the ending. The book was so so for me.
—bigpurpletractor7
Wonderful. I felt what the characters felt. Interesting Greek traditions
—paulth
liked the myths and greek food. Ending seemed rushed, not tied together
—aredon
One of the best books that I have read in a long time.
—kate
