She Came to Stay, Eleni Kyriacou
She Came to Stay, Eleni Kyriacou
21 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

She Came to Stay
The debut novel from the author of THE UNSPEAKABLE ACTS OF ZINA PAVLOU, a BBC2 Between the Covers pick

Author: Eleni Kyriacou

Narrator: Daphne Kouma

Unabridged: 12 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/05/2020

Synopsis

A story of friendship, family, love and loss set against the grimy and glittering streets of fifties Soho. For fans of Kate Furnivall and Rachel Rhys.

In a city of strangers, who can you trust?

London, 1952. Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus for a better life. She's certain that excitement, adventure and opportunity are out there, waiting - if only she knew where to look.

Her passion for clothes and flair for sewing land her a job repairing the glittering costumes at the notorious Pelican Revue. It's here that she befriends the mysterious and beautiful Bebba.

With her bleached-blonde hair and an appetite for mischief, Bebba is like no Greek Dina has ever met before. She guides Dina around the fashionable shops, bars and clubs of Soho, and Dina finally feels life has begun.

But Bebba has a secret. And as thick smog brings the city to a standstill, the truth emerges with devastating results. Dina's new life now hangs by a thread. What will be left when the fog finally clears? And will Dina be willing to risk everything to protect her future?

(P) 2020 Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

About Eleni Kyriacou

Eleni Kyriacou is an award-winning editor and journalist. She has worked in various roles across publishing and her writing has appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, Marie Claire, Grazia, You, Stella and Red, among others. Eleni was the Editor of national magazines New Woman and Looks and has also worked in digital media. The daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrant parents, Eleni has never felt completely British nor Cypriot, but has always felt a Londoner. She was born and grew up in Camden, then Elephant & Castle, Finsbury Park, Tottenham and now lives in Ealing. She has lived north, south and west. East London is another country to her. Every year, she has long conversations with friends and family about leaving London but probably never will. Eleni is now freelance so knows where all the plug points are in London cafés. She Came to Stay is her first novel. You can find her on Twitter at @elenikwriter.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Anne on October 20, 2022

I absolutely adored this book. I was lucky enough to read it whilst in Cyprus last month, which was perfect as the story revolves around a young Cypriot woman who leaves the island in 1952 to travel to London for a better life. The 1950s era is one of my favourite periods to read about and I especia......more

Goodreads review by Emma on February 24, 2021

She Came to Stay is the debut novel from Eleni Kyriacou and it’s quite different from my usual kind of reads. It’s a real dark and atmospheric story which I found difficult to get into but once I reached the halfway mark, I really began to appreciate the complex tale unfolding. It’s an excellent sto......more

Goodreads review by Sam Knight on December 12, 2021

I really enjoyed this book. I found that this book would suit people who like history and also thrillers. I found it really interesting what it was like for people first coming to the uk in the 50s. I also liked the different twists throughout the story. Will recommend this to anyone :) so glad I re......more

Goodreads review by Yasmin on February 05, 2020

The story is set in 1952 in Soho and briefly in Liverpool. It captures the essence of post war London, including the terrible smog. I was born in 1958 with Soho on my doorstep and I recognised the sort of characters portrayed in the book. As a person of mixed heritage, I could identify with people co......more

Goodreads review by Liz on April 27, 2020

Dina Demetriou has travelled from Cyprus looking for a better life - and in London she finds it, or at least, the promise of it. Her new friend Bebba - bleached blonde, glamorous - seems to offer her a doorway into the life she's dreamed of. But Bebba also brings complications. Deadly ones. This book......more

Quotes

She Came To Stay is a gripping story about friendship, family and the meaning of home. An atmospheric page-turner perfectly set in the smoke and glitter of a vanished world.

Set in the dazzling world of 1950s Soho, She Came to Stay is an evocative page-turner full of memorable characters who stayed inside my head long after I had finished reading. Eleni Kyriacou has written a wonderful debut

Secrets and lies, poverty and elegance, old loyalties and new friendships all combine to make Eleni Kyriacou's debut novel a compelling page-turner, following Dina as she struggles to escape her past in rural Cyprus and make a better life for herself in 1950s Soho. Fiona Valpy, bestselling author of The Dressmaker's Gift

Compelling and beautifully observed. Kyriacou brilliantly evokes the violence and the grime beneath the sequins and surface glamour of 1950s Soho Rachel Rhys, bestselling author of Dangerous Crossing

An absorbing story of friendship, betrayal and resilience amongst the immigrant community where the struggle for survival brings out the best - and the worst - in characters who choose conflicting, often dangerous, ways to get ahead in a post war London. Sarah Maine, bestselling author of Beyond the Wild River

I absolutely loved it - a gripping, enthralling story with characters I loved (and hated!), and so atmospheric, I was completely engrossed in the world of 1950s Soho

A gripping, evocative story of the dangers facing a young Cypriot girl in 1950s Soho. Even breathing the air is a risk as the great smog descends. The descriptions of the louche world of cafés and strip clubs are well researched and utterly convincing. It's a real gem of a book. Gill Paul, bestselling author of The Lost Daughter

An intriguing tale that is supported by wonderful characterisation Woman's Own

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