The Mother-in-Law

Very nice book! I enjoyed it a lot! It’s not only about the mother in law but it also talks about important topics such as how the life of a family changed in Cyprus after the invasion in 1974 or about how a family is tormented by alzheimer. It’s the second one of Eve Makis that I read and I like her writing a lot!

You meet an author. You listen to her talking enthusiastically about her work. You find her delightful, a charming person who answers questions frankly and honestly. So you are fascinated and left wondering how good her book really is. I have to read it, I promised myself. But it is five months before I find a copy on the library shelves. I pounce, whip it quickly through the self-checkout system and carry it home. 'The Mother in Law' is a must-read for everyone considering marriage, getting married or has ever been married. It didn't come up to my expectations ... it exceeded them! Her characters are so well portrayed that they spring off the page and into one's life. You feel that at some stage or other you must have met them. You empathise with the generous warm-hearted wife. You sympathise with her considerate English husband caught between loyalty to his cold snobbish mother and the deep affection he feels for his passionate young wife. Inside your anger grows at the pointless, senseless, uncaring attitude of Margaret, the mother-in-law towards her younger son's chosen partner. Why does she have to wage a xenophobic vendetta against Electra, the talented and attractive Greek Cypriot wife of her son? Eve Makis writes beautifully, clearly and with an unpretentious style that makes reading her work a pleasure. The book is unusual in that the story is told by more than one character. In turn the reader sees events unfolding through the eyes of the wife, her husband, a single mother with a problem child and eventually the mother-in-law herself. Just when you are beginning to grow impatient with Margaret to the point of outright loathing, Eve Makis plays a trick on you. Margaret herself reveals the disappointments of her life and why she is as she is. Almost ... almost, but not quite. you begin to understand and feel sorry for her. But how can you ever forgive a mother who favours her apparently successful first son at the expense of the younger one who truly cares? There is no doubt that Eve Makis tells an excellent story and her observation of the human condition is razor sharp. Don't fail to read it for it's a certainty you'll recognise the traits of people you know.Michael John Smedley

I bought this book and thought lets see what all the fuss about mothers-in-law is about. It turned out to be a pleasant read and full of laughs that i read out parts to my husband and we laughed together at the humour that comes with cultural differences. I found the book very interesting, taught new things about different cultures/countries as well as a new twist to the classic mother/daughter-in-law war, which can sometimes be very funny. I'm waiting for my mother-in-law's first visit in a few weeks, so wish me better luck than Electra!