The Back of Beyond with Forty Cyprus Theme Illustrations

Harry and Sheila Hawkins, after having had two, three-year tours of duty with the Royal Air Force in Cyprus, opted for an early retirement and returned to the island in 1984 to settle in a remote village where donkeys were the main form of transport and ploughing was done by oxen and a wooden ploughshare. The Back of Beyond is the picturesque and unspoilt Akamas region far from all the main towns. It was here that they built their dream home and, in this warm and funny book, Sheila Hawkins portrays a rapidly disappearing way of life as she follows events in their lives up to the present day. The sheer beauty of the area is captured in many of the descriptive passages and the author's love of nature and wildlife shows clearly through. Local characters and customs come to life and her sense of humour is infectious, whether she is recalling the demise of a Christmas pig or their own attempt at keeping chickens which they could never bring themselves to eat. A book for everyone who loves Cyprus.