Victoria Hislop's fascinating new novel, The Sunrise, is set in 1972 in the tourist city of Famagusta on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. Aphroditi and Savvas Papacostas are preparing for the opening of their new hotel, The Sunrise, the most extravagant hotel on the island. Greek and Turkish Cypriots may work together in harmony at The Sunrise, but elsewhere tensions are rising. It all comes to a head when a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos. Turkey invades Cyprus and Famagusta is shelled. Locals leave in their droves and holidaymakers flee The Sunrise for the safety of home. Even Savvas and Aphroditi are forced to leave their beloved hotel. In amongst the ruins only two families remain and they will hang onto their homes as long as they can. Caught up in this conflict are two families from either side, and central to the story is an unlikely love affair, an affair that has repercussions for these two families for many years. Fascinating and moving... Hislop writes unforgettably about Cyprus and its people." - The Times (UK)

Moving and, at times, nail-biting...Book groups who enjoyed... The Kite Runner and Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale will dig into this novel in which politics trumps privilege but not family." - Booklist At the end of the work, there’s a little bit of hope and optimism that results. So it was a mixture of pleasure and pain, like a lot of jobs.” Philby, Charlotte (3 January 2009). "My Secret Life, Independent Magazine 3 January 2009". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022 . Retrieved 5 January 2009.

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The novel itself really conjures up the lost city of Famagusta in it's hey-day. How amazing it must have been to be wealthy and to go and play there. To watch it fall apart through the story was sad and touching and to know that part of that city is still out of bounds is incredible all those years later. The idea came out of a conversation with some school teachers in Crete.” said Victoria “They commented that there were so many themes in the story that were as relevant to children as to adults but felt that the original novel was a little too grown-up for many of them. I realised that much of the book is actually about children and their experiences of stigma and loss, so this has been a wonderful experience for me, to look at things through their eyes. Writing for children requires a whole different set of skills and I hope they will enjoy reading it.” Savvas Papacosta has big plans. Not content with one hotel he has now found the perfect spot to build another combining breathtaking views with opulent luxury. It is 1972 and Famagusta is a popular holiday destination. With his glamorous wife Aphroditi by his side, Savvas is determined to make The Sunrise the hotel to beat. Whilst her husband is fully occupied with his new venture, Aphroditi is bored and feels redundant so she starts to seek happiness outside of the confines of her marriage.

The fallout sends the island's inhabitants spiraling into fear and chaos, and the Papacostas join an exodus of people who must abandon their idyllic lives in Famagusta and flee to refugee camps. In the end, only two families remain in the decimated city: the Özkans and the Georgious. One is Turkish Cypriot, the other Greek Cypriot and the tension between them is palpable. But with resources scarce and the Turkish militia looming large, both families must take shelter in the deserted hotel as they battle illness, hunger, fear, and their own prejudices while struggling to stay alive.

Victoria became an ambassador for LEPRA, the international leprosy charity, which enabled her to travel to India and see the work it carries out. In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island's most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the Özkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city's façade of glamour and success, tension is building. In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island's most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the OEzkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city's facade of glamour and success, tension is building. Intelligent and immersive… Hislop’s incisive narrative weaves a vast array of fact through a poignant, compelling family saga ( The Sunday Times) Famagusta a seaside resort city thriving with tourists, with expensive shops, luxury hotels, people thirsty for money, thirsty for more.

These postcards are originals from 1972 (before the Turkish invasion), when the city of Famagusta was a kind of paradise. These were the early days of tourism as we know it now, when people discovered the joys of flying to a Mediterranean country and enjoying a vacation. At the time of the invasion, in August 1974, there were 40,000 inhabitants (mostly Greek Cypriots) and the number was swelled in the summer by the thousands of holidaymakers who came from all round the world to enjoy the warm climate, stunning beach and clear, azure sea. Famagusta was once a thriving city of forty thousand people. In 1974 its entire population fled when Cyprus was invaded by Turkey. Forty years on, Varosha, as the modern city is known, remains empty, sealed off behind the barbed wire put up by the Turkish army. It is a ghost town”.Turkish soldiers man this watchtower. I think they spend most of the time surveying women in bikinis on the beach, but they are officially there to ensure that nobody goes beyond the barbed wire fence into the ghost town. There are signs saying ‘No Photographs’ everywhere (even painted on the walls of the abandoned hotels), so another part of their job is to shout aggressively at people who take pictures, including me of course. Vibrant… Hislop brings history to life in this compelling tale’ ( Tatler)Hislop brings her consummate storytelling skills to this enthralling tale of love, marriage and a community all put to the test ( Woman & Home) Sometimes poignant but never upsetting, this book highlights the strength of love, friendship and resilience over adversity. Complemented wonderfully by Gill Smith’s beautiful illustrations, this is an ideal book for older early readers who are ready explore more complex themes associated such as coping with adversity and having respect for others who may be different from themselves. When a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos, Cyprus faces a disastrous conflict. Turkey invades to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, and Famagusta is shelled. Forty thousand people seize their most precious possessions and flee from the advancing soldiers. In the deserted city, just two families remain. This is their story.