Thank you to @netgalley for a copy of this eARC for review.

This is a heavily character driven novel mainly focusing on the characters Androulla and Giannis. This book is set in the backdrop of Cryprus and discussing heavy themes of PCOS, marriage, relationships, and self identity. It felt like an extremely personal way for the author to express a story that I'm sure many could relate to. Heavy trigger warnings for the previous themes and infertility and pregnancy loss. I would recommend this to someone looking for their next heart pulling story but would warn of these important triggers.

This felt like an intensely personal book for the author, telling the story of a young woman's struggles with identity, family, her body and relationships. It addresses some challenging subjects such as infertility, eating disorders and sex addiction.Knowing little about Cyprus, I found the setting and history interesting.
I enjoyed the story and cared about the characters but found some of the writing quite jarring, particularly the overuse of unnecessary adjectives. I was a little non-plussed about the 38 days of rain premise. If it only rains in Cyprus for an average of 38 days a year, it seems rather contrived that it should be raining on all the important days in the plot development. I found myself distracted from the story waiting for the rain to appear on each day!
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me access to this book as an e-ARC.

It's not difficult to appreciate this beautifully written and thought provoking book. Asprakis has a midas touch with words that is clear.
It is a book that will resonate with a lot of women who have navigated their way through relationships, political opinion ( I still have a few) and family dynamics, not withstanding a good dose of guilt along the way.
The book is written from the perspective of Androulla , a young wife who is desperate to gain Cypriot citizenship, so much so that she has undergoes adoption by her step father. Unknown to the migration department she is actually living with her husband, Giannis, who must shuffle his time as a foreign student between Australia and Cyprus in order to live with her. We follow her story as she learns that she is infertile as a result of a condition polycystic ovary syndrome while dealing with the politics of attaining her visa. We become invested as she attempts to write and become published and remain so until we weep during her ordeal in the final chapters.
A wonderfully executed book which I highly recommend.

¨A story about family and finding yourself when the world around you is unravelling and turn into something you have a hard time to comprehend. I feel like this book was about trying to find oneself. The hard things in life, so to speak.

I can tell that this was a very personal story. That shone through the whole book and that’s admirable.