Do You Know Who I Am? - Adrianne Roy

This hilarious but moving story of Annie begins with her mother's journey back in time from a village life in rural Cyprus, riding her pet donkey and attending family weddings, to the steps of the East End of London in the late 1940s. Nothing prepared her for the new life that awaited her, being flung into a clash of cultures, language barriers and difficult domestic arrangements. Annie goes on to describe what it was like being brought up in Hackney, as a Cypriot girl in the 1960s by strict and controlling parents whose priorities were to maintain her virginity intact and groom her for a Cypriot husband. Annie's journey deals with her conflict against the strict control, double standards and egotistic chauvinism, including her take on weddings, education, religion, work and love. How she deals with the dramas and obstacles along the way leads her to ultimate power and self-discovery. The book is both earthy and nostalgic - taking you back down memory lane - and is equipped with a glorious sense of humour over some powerful events.