On The Island Of Aphrodite

About the Book

Two typical families, one from each of the two ethnic communities in Cyprus were destined to live side by side in harmony for many years. Their children were compelled by the colonial rulers to attend segregated ethnic schools where they learned that Greeks and Turks hated and mistrustedeach other. The two families are used to typify the relationships between the two ethnic communities. When the population stopped thinking of themselves as Cypriots and thought they were Greeks and Turks, the harmony in the Island was destroyed. The book chronicles events from the struggle for independence from the British until the Turkish invasion and forced partition of the Island into Greek and Turkish sectors. The British colonialism and its divide and rule policy, aggravated by the Greek desire for union with Greece, created suspicion and mistrust among the two communities. The struggle that followed caused the partition of the Island into two entities with dividing borders, and made its people refugees in their own land. Throughout the conflict, there are many instances when the human spirit triumphed and love survived on the Island of Aphrodite, where it was born.

About the Author

Chrystom G. Horattas was born and raised in Cyprus during the time the Island was under British rule. He immigrated to the United States in 1950; he served four years in the US Air Force. He graduated from Wayne State University (BSEE) and The University of Akron (MSEE). He worked for 36 years in the Defense Industry. He is married with four adult children and 11 grandchildren. His personal experiences while growing up in Cyprus and his love for its people are used to give the novel a personal aspect. He believes that, without external influences, the two communities can coexist and prosper as a single sovereignty.