I've not read the author's previous novel, the best-selling The Beekeeper of Aleppo, but having finished Songbirds I can say it is definitely going to be added to my wishlist.
Set in Cyprus, the author paints a picture of an island divided both physically, along the so-called Green Line, and socially, with the employment of maids - usually foreign women - commonplace amongst the well off.
Following Nisha's unexplained disappearance and the reluctance of the police to get involved, Petra's search for information leads her to speak to other foreign domestic workers who may have known Nisha and who perhaps may hold some clue to her whereabouts. In the process, Petra is forced to confront the fact that these women were largely invisible to her before. (In a clever use of irony, Petra is an optician who helps others to see better.) Petra hears their often shocking stories of abuse, mistreatment and exploitation.
Indeed, even in the small neighbourhood around Petra's house - in Mr Yiakoumi's antique shop, in Theo's Greek restaurant or Maria's bar - young women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines or Nepal are working long hours cleaning, preparing and serving food, or carrying out other domestic duties. And although Petra might think herself a generous employer in comparison to some, she still expected Nisha to work from 6am to 7pm six days a week, with a two-hour break in the afternoon, even stipulating that when not working in the evening Nisha rest in her room to ensure she is fresh to resume her duties the next day.
I liked the way the author explored the differences and similarities between Petra and Nisha. On the surface, the two women share similar experiences; they are both widows with young children. But Petra is financially secure and runs her own business whereas Nisha has been forced to leave her homeland to seek work as a maid, at the beck and call of others. Another difference is that Petra finds it hard to form the same effortless bond with her daughter, Aliki, that Nisha does. This is despite the fact that Aliki is close at hand for Petra yet Nisha's daughter, Kumari, is faraway in Sri Lanka and Nisha can communicate with her only in brief video calls.
Yiannis' involvement in the lucrative but illegal poaching of migrating songbirds - from which activity he admits he 'makes a killing' - neatly mirrors the 'migration' of foreign workers, such as Nisha, to Cyprus in search of work that will bring them greater financial reward than they could find in their own country. And in another deft connection, the reader is reminded of Cyprus's history of repeated occupation and colonisation by other nations.
Alongside the story of Petra and Yiannis' search for Nisha, are brief interludes set in a place which has an otherworldly feel to it but is still clearly in Cyprus. I found the contrast between the lush natural landscape and the signs of previous human activity quite unsettling. The significance of these sections became more apparent as the book progressed towards an ending I wasn't quite expecting.
I really enjoyed the beautiful writing in the book and the insight it gave into issues I had not thought about before.
Set in Cyprus, the author paints a picture of an island divided both physically, along the so-called Green Line, and socially, with the employment of maids - usually foreign women - commonplace amongst the well off.
Following Nisha's unexplained disappearance and the reluctance of the police to get involved, Petra's search for information leads her to speak to other foreign domestic workers who may have known Nisha and who perhaps may hold some clue to her whereabouts. In the process, Petra is forced to confront the fact that these women were largely invisible to her before. (In a clever use of irony, Petra is an optician who helps others to see better.) Petra hears their often shocking stories of abuse, mistreatment and exploitation.
Indeed, even in the small neighbourhood around Petra's house - in Mr Yiakoumi's antique shop, in Theo's Greek restaurant or Maria's bar - young women from Sri Lanka, the Philippines or Nepal are working long hours cleaning, preparing and serving food, or carrying out other domestic duties. And although Petra might think herself a generous employer in comparison to some, she still expected Nisha to work from 6am to 7pm six days a week, with a two-hour break in the afternoon, even stipulating that when not working in the evening Nisha rest in her room to ensure she is fresh to resume her duties the next day.
I liked the way the author explored the differences and similarities between Petra and Nisha. On the surface, the two women share similar experiences; they are both widows with young children. But Petra is financially secure and runs her own business whereas Nisha has been forced to leave her homeland to seek work as a maid, at the beck and call of others. Another difference is that Petra finds it hard to form the same effortless bond with her daughter, Aliki, that Nisha does. This is despite the fact that Aliki is close at hand for Petra yet Nisha's daughter, Kumari, is faraway in Sri Lanka and Nisha can communicate with her only in brief video calls.
Yiannis' involvement in the lucrative but illegal poaching of migrating songbirds - from which activity he admits he 'makes a killing' - neatly mirrors the 'migration' of foreign workers, such as Nisha, to Cyprus in search of work that will bring them greater financial reward than they could find in their own country. And in another deft connection, the reader is reminded of Cyprus's history of repeated occupation and colonisation by other nations.
Alongside the story of Petra and Yiannis' search for Nisha, are brief interludes set in a place which has an otherworldly feel to it but is still clearly in Cyprus. I found the contrast between the lush natural landscape and the signs of previous human activity quite unsettling. The significance of these sections became more apparent as the book progressed towards an ending I wasn't quite expecting.
I really enjoyed the beautiful writing in the book and the insight it gave into issues I had not thought about before.