When the Cypress Whispers (29 page)

Acknowledgments

My deepest gratitude to everyone at HarperCollins; especially Jonathan Burnham, Brenda Segel, Carolyn Bodkin, Hannah Wood, Heather Drucker, and Miranda Ottewell.

There are not enough words or pages for me to adequately thank my editor, Claire Wachtel. Your insight and careful guidance have transformed this book, and me, in the most wonderful ways.

My Greek partner in crime, Publicity Goddess Tina Andreadis. Working with you has been the sweet cherry on top of it all . . . or should I say baklava?

My agents, Jan Miller and Nena Madonia. It was indeed An Invisible Thread that brought us together. I am so lucky to have you both in my corner. Nena, you are a valued and trusted friend and one of the most beautiful people I know, inside and out.

Our invisible thread would not be complete without Laura Schroff. Look at the ripple effects from just one act of kindness. Thank you for sharing your thread, and your friendship.

To Dr. Spyros Orfanos, for filling in the blanks. Also, Isaac Dostis, whose documentary,
Farewell My Island
, allowed me to hear the stories of the surviving Jews of Corfu in their own words. And to Marcia Haddad Ikonomopoulos of the Kehila Kedosha Janina Museum and Synagogue for her support and tireless commitment to telling the stories of the Greek Jews of the Holocaust.

I’m blessed with the most incredible circle of friends and soul sisters. Bonnie Bernstein, my confidante and cohort whom I will never tire of talking to. Joanne Rendell, who kept me writing, page after page. To Karen Kelly, Kathy Giaconia, and the LPW Dinner Club; the Woods, Wettons, and Brycelands—Kelsey too. And of course, to Adrianna Nionakis and Olga Makrias, who taught me at the earliest age that you don’t need many friends in life, just the right friends.

Thanks also to my
Extra
family, the best producers and talent team in the biz. Special thanks to Lisa Gregorisch, Theresa Coffino, Jeremy Spiegel, Mario Lopez, Maria Menounos, A.J. Calloway, Hilaria Baldwin, Jerry Penacoli, Marilyn Ortiz, Nicki Fertile . . . and of course, Marie Hickey, the best boss, friend, and reader, a girl could ask for.

Everything I know about faith, family, strength, and kindness, I learned from my own family, especially my parents, Kiki and Tasso and my brother, Emanuel . . . aka Noli. My own
yia-yias
and
papous
set the bar so very high. To this day, my
yia-yia
Lamprini tells me that all she has to give me in this life is her blessing . . . and that’s all I’ve ever needed or wanted.

Like Daphne, I spent magical summers in Greece surrounded by a glorious posse of aunts, uncles, and cousins. This book is about you and for you, every single last wonderfully crazy one of you. Special thanks to Effie Orfanos, my Frousha, for answering endless questions and for all those candles you lit for me at Agios Spyridon. Once again, he answered our prayers.

To Christiana and Nico, every day you inspire me and make me so very proud. Mama loves you more than you can imagine. And, of course, to Dave. There would be no Alex without you. There would be no book without you . . . there would be nothing without you.

While this book is a work of fiction, it is inspired by my father’s birthplace, the real life island paradise that is Erikousa. During WWII, the islanders came together to hide a Jewish man and his daughters from the Nazis. Everyone worked together to save the family, not one person gave up the secret of Savas and his daughters, even as the Nazis searched house to house. The islanders shared what little they had and risked their own lives without hesitation because they were good people, and it was the right thing to do. There were no awards, accolades, or honors for the people of Erikousa after the war, the Jewish family survived and life on the island simply went on. I hope that in some small way, this book can finally help others recognize the beauty and bravery of the people of Erikousa. It’s a story I’m honored to tell, and an island family I’m proud to be a part of.

About the Author

Y
VETTE
M
ANESSIS
C
ORPORON
is an Emmy Award–winning writer, producer, and author. She is currently a senior producer with the syndicated entertainment news show
Extra.
With more than twenty years’ experience in television news, Yvette has written and produced for the most celebrated names in broadcasting and interviewed the most iconic newsmakers and celebrities of our time. In addition to her Emmy Award, Yvette has received a Silurian Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the New York City Comptroller and City Council’s Award for Greek Heritage and Culture. She is married to award-winning photojournalist David Corporon. They have two children and live in New York.

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Credits

Cover design by Richard Ljoenes

Cover photo composite: (woman) © Image Werks/Corbis and © Bloomimage/Corbis; (pier/water) © Chris Caldicott/Getty Images; (Greek Island) © Frank Lukasseck/Corbis

Copyright

WHEN THE CYPRESS WHISPERS.
Copyright © 2014 by Yvette Manessis Corporon. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

FIRST EDITION

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

    Corporon, Yvette Manessis.

        When the cypress whispers / Yvette Manessis Corporon.—First edition.

            pages cm

        1. Greek American women—Fiction. 2. Fiancés—Fiction. 3. Grandmothers—Fiction. 4. Greece—Fiction. 5. Domestic fiction. I. Title.

    PS3603.O7713W54 2014

    813’.6—dc23                              2013019676

EPUB Edition © APRIL 2014 ISBN 9780062267597

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