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The Spice Box Letters

Eve Makis (Goodreads Author)

3.97 · Rating details · 617 ratings · 144 reviews

Katerina longs to know why her late grandmother, Miriam, refused to talk about the past, especially when she inherits a journal and handwritten letters stashed in a wooden spice box, cryptic treasures written in Armenian, Miriam’s mother tongue.

On vacation in Cyprus, Katerina finds the key to unlocking her grandmother’s secrets and discovers a family legacy of exile and lo ...more

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ebook, 272 pages

Published September 13th 2016 by Thomas Dunne Books (first published February 19th 2015)

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Sep 15, 2016 Cheri rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, 2016, arc, family-relationships, history

“Our world was a dangerous place, my father warned, and he was not alone in voicing his fears. Dire predictions resounded in every Armenian backyard and coffee house.”

Opening with a view through Mariam’s eyes in 1914, Eastern Turkey, the reader travels with her on an errand with her father. The town baker receives a vicious blow to the head from the baton of the police commandant. Mariam’s father, a doctor, assists in getting the baker revived, only to have him hauled up on his feet and dragged ...more

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Oct 26, 2016 Jess rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley-reviews

My first impressions with this book was that it was an interesting story; very similar to other books along the vein of other displaced individuals during WWI. I say this not to minimize the story or the impact it can have. That was my first impression and I kept reading. The more I dove into it; the more the ache in my chest grew. I was so sad for the families that didn't get this happy ending to a horrific group of circumstances that no family should ever have to experience. My heart still hu ...more

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Aug 12, 2016 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-book-read, dtb-book

Every once in awhile you come across those stories, those novels that leave a huge impact on your life when you are done reading them. Those that open your eyes, make you think, and those that make you feel. The Spice Box Letters is one such story.

Shamefully I know very little about what occurred in Turkey to the Armenian community during the first world war and the events that took place are shocking and heartbreaking and are ones that should never be forgotten. Over shadowed by the horrors of ...more

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Aug 30, 2016 Pamela rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley, 2016-books

3.5 stars What I did find interesting was learning about the Armenian conflict - something that I knew nothing about. The story was just okay for me, it seemed to be a little disjointed. The characters didn't seem to be fully developed. It did have potential though.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.** ...more

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Aug 30, 2016 Angie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley

3.5-4 stars...

For some reason, I didn't know much about the book when I started it. I read the first few pages and was worrying what I had gotten myself into. It just didn't seem to my taste. Then I read a bit more, and found myself quite interested in the story unraveling... By some rare coincidence, I watched about a week prior to starting this book a Genealogy reality show with the ancestors being Greek/Turkish refugees to the US during the same time period as written here. Before that exposu ...more

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Jun 16, 2015 Daphne Kapsali rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the first book I truly loved in a long time. The sort of book I didn't want to end. The sort of book I'll recommend, and lend to my friends, but expect to get back. I will say no more. Read it. ...more

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Oct 24, 2016 Joanna Park rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Fans of Victoria Hislop

Shelves: netgalley

When Katerina inherits a wooden spice box after her beloved Grandmother's death she is intrigued to discover a journal and some unsent letters inside. At her mother's encouragement she sets out to translate the diaries and discovers that her grandmother's childhood was marred by the Armanian atrocities of 1915, when she was seperated from her mother and brothers. Deeply saddened by this revelation, Katerina is determined to learn as much as possible about her Grandmother's culture, family and to When Katerina inherits a wooden spice box after her beloved Grandmother's death she is intrigued to discover a journal and some unsent letters inside. At her mother's encouragement she sets out to translate the diaries and discovers that her grandmother's childhood was marred by the Armanian atrocities of 1915, when she was seperated from her mother and brothers. Deeply saddened by this revelation, Katerina is determined to learn as much as possible about her Grandmother's culture, family and to discover if, against all the odds, there were any survivors.

Raw and honest this is a story that really gets under your skin. I am still thinking about it days after finishing it. I always enjoy a book where i learn something new and the persecution of the Armanian people is a subject i knew nothing about. Some of the passages relating to this are quite brutal and harrowing, particularly those relating to the children. The author shows skill in not shying away from these moments but not putting the reader off by being overly graphic. The characters in this book are very colourful and varied which makes the story very interesting. Your are interested in their story and keep reading to find out what happends to them. I particularly liked Gabriel who i found utterly hilarious. His exploits with his friends and his persuit of the snake where brillian and had me laughing out loud. It also helped to provide some light relieft to the more difficult passages. I found his battle to try and maintain his Armanian culture very interesting as it must be a struggle a lot of people face. The story is told from three seperate points of view and the author cleverly uses a different tone and style for each person which makes it very easy to differentiate between the characters. The book does lose its way a little in the middle as it focuses purely on Gabriel's story and away from the main story but keep reading as it is well worth it!

This is the first book by Eve Makis I have read but it definetly won't be my last. I would recommend this book to everyone not only because it is a great book but also because i feel it is important for everyone to know the plight of the Armanian people.

Huge thanks to St Martin's Press, the author and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book. ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 KarenK2 rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-netgalley

I received this ARC from netgalley.com.

This story bounces between early 1900's to present day, Mariam and her great-granddaughter Katerina. When Mariam dies, Katerina inherits her old spice box, full of letters written in Armenian. Katerina visits Mariam's birth country to discover her heritage and answers to the letters. I loved the descriptive writing and could feel, see and smell, I was pleasantly dragged into the story.

" Heat steals up through the balls of my feet as I step across the tile ...more

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Jun 15, 2016 catherine ♡ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs-and-requests, contemporary, young-adult, historical

From the first page, I knew that this story was promising.
Sadly, I had never even had an inkling about the tragedy in Armenia. Now I do, and I am so glad that I was introduced to it in such a sweet, yet heartbreaking way.

The Spice Box Letters was a beautiful story about how families are ripped apart by tragedy and tradition, and about how it's possible to put these pieces back together again.

While I did get a little lost with the different perspectives, I did thoroughly enjoy this book (this is ...more

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Apr 26, 2020 Isa (Pages Full of Stars) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: bring-your-tissues, hard-to-put-down, cover-love, european-setting, z_cover-colour-blue, trigger-warning-abuse, trigger-warning-disease, trigger-warning-death, trigger-warning-violence, contemporary

"Now, I see that every relic, however battered, every scratch on every knick-knack, is engraved with a timeless story of someone's life."

This book took me completely by surprise. I've seen it in a bookshop many times and always passed by, unsure if I want to read it or not. But when I finally picked it up, the story ended up being so much more than I expected.

It starts with a young woman Katarina, who together with her mother find a journal and a wooden spice box full of letters written in A "Now, I see that every relic, however battered, every scratch on every knick-knack, is engraved with a timeless story of someone's life."

This book took me completely by surprise. I've seen it in a bookshop many times and always passed by, unsure if I want to read it or not. But when I finally picked it up, the story ended up being so much more than I expected.

It starts with a young woman Katarina, who together with her mother find a journal and a wooden spice box full of letters written in Armenian - all belonging to her late grandmother. Katarina decides to find a way to translate her grandmother's journal and learn her story, the story that she kept a secret from her family.

What hit me first was how full of fragrances and flavours this book was. They jump off the pages and are so vividly described, you could almost taste and smell them yourself. There was also a lot of descriptions of Armenian culture, which I found very interesting and informative. The writing and the story although quite simple, were engaging and transported me back to the past and Mariam's story. The present chapters, set in 1980s are intertwined with the past and the story from the journal.

What I didn't expect is that this book will touch upon a very difficult and bloody time in the history - the Armenian Genocide in 1915. I admit that I've never heard of it, as it's not usually taught in our schools, but after reading this book I decided to learn more about it. I found it very striking how even in the book, one of the characters comments that this event in the history was overshadowed by WWI and how true it is in my case, and possibly other people too, who never heard of it. In The Spice Box Letters, we weren't given many historical facts, but instead we've seen it happen through child's eyes, which was even more impactful and horrifying.

I mentioned that the story was quite simple in my opinion, and I predicted a lot of what happened, but ultimately it didn't matter. Because in the end, The Spice Box Letters was a story of loss and tragedy but also endurance, of strong family ties and the importance of your roots. I truly enjoyed it and would recommend it, if the description soundsi intriguing to you. ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 TamElaine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2016, netgalley

3 stars - I liked it....though I didn't love it quite like I thought or I would

Here's what I loved:
- The back and forth volley between time periods was done very well, though I will say I felt more invested in the past than the more recent story
-How the past and present connected, easily seen from the start, though a slight change in what you might assume in the beginning by the time you finish
-The premise of the story
-The education I got on a time and place I knew so very little about

Here's wha 3 stars - I liked it....though I didn't love it quite like I thought or I would

Here's what I loved:
- The back and forth volley between time periods was done very well, though I will say I felt more invested in the past than the more recent story
-How the past and present connected, easily seen from the start, though a slight change in what you might assume in the beginning by the time you finish
-The premise of the story
-The education I got on a time and place I knew so very little about

Here's what I didn't love:
- the characterization - I didn't feel as vested in the characters as I would have like to - I loved the characters, but didn't feel as if I knew them like I wanted to know them - having said that, I loved Gabriel and felt his character was developed a little better than the rest - loved his wit - he reminded me of an Armenian Archie Bunker in some ways - grumpy old man with deep prejudices and opinions and a good quick wit, mixed with a Golden-Girl's-Rose story-telling ability that takes some figuring out to get to the point he is trying to make, and loving man, brother, husband
-that the story line didn't stay more on the Miriam track....I loved Gabriel's story, but by the time we started reading his story I felt like we had moved onto another book, waiting to get back to Miriam and the journal
- at first I had a hard time reminding myself that Miriam was only 7 in the first part of the book because her voice was much more adultified - I can't think of any 7 year old that would talk with that language, then we learn that the journal was written in her later years thinking back on her 7-year old self, which was more reasonable, but frustrating that I didn't know that in the beginning - or maybe I should have and I missed that - ???

And the in-between:
-the writing - mostly smooth and easy, though I did find it went a little overboard on the food and recipes - but inspired me to look up new recipes

I just really wanted to love this book - and I ended up liking it - not a loss - still a win !

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this book...such an honour for me. ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Katerina inherits a scented wooden spice box after Mariam her Grandmother dies. It contains a diary and some letters that were written in Armenian. Katerina discovers her Grandmothers childhood was shattered by the 1915 Armenian tragedy. Exiled from her country (Turkey) she is separated from her brother.

Katerina tries to find a resolution to her life by completing her Grandmothers story. A journey that will have her traveling across Cyprus to New York.

What a fantastic heart warming story that co ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Donna rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Historical Fiction lovers; Armenian Diaspora readers

Recommended to Donna by: Donna M.

I had this typed out, and it totally disappeared....Let me try again!!

A friend recommended this book, knowing how much I loved Chris Bohjalian's The Sandcastle Girls.
I LOVED THIS BOOK, too!!! Another journey with the Armenian Genocide...learning more through the stories I read. I can see Grandma Rose and her older brothers in this tale, as well as my husband's հորեղբայր...Mihran, as he waited with every hope in the orphanage, for family to find him....

Gabriel (from the story) talks about, "the p ...more

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Mar 20, 2015 Paula Savvides rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A wonderful read - something for everyone in here. What I expected might be a sad, difficult read is in fact a hopeful, good feel story. The book's beginning is a little disjointed but quickly finds it's feet and lifts off for a smooth read through to the heart warming finish. The many threads are skilfully woven to produce a fine finished product that wraps up all loose ends and leaves you satisfied. The book speaks to the intellect with a wealth of research and historical backdrop that lend it ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 Melanie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This tale of love, loss, survival and hope was enthralling and beautifully told. I felt the love, the pain and the longing with every page. I could almost smell the delicious food and feel the sun and see the stars. I cried hard at the end and was sad it ended. The best read in a long time. Thank you to Eve Makis and netgalley for the copy in return for an honest review.

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Sep 02, 2019 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ok I may have teared up - although I knew where this story would end, it’s hard to believe so much loss and grief could be brought upon one family.

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Jun 20, 2016 Fermentum rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Review The Spice Box Letters by Eve Makis

Before you start to read…. Get a box of tissues handy!

Katerina inherits a scented, wooden spice box after her grandmother Mariam dies. It contains letters and a diary, written in Armenian. As she pieces together her family story, Katerina learns that Mariam's childhood was shattered by the Armenian tragedy of 1915.

The research, and historical details were great! I plan on reading up on more of this subject. It was heartwarming, funny, tragic, and upliftin ...more

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Jan 28, 2018 Barb rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book. Katerina is with her mom looking at her grandmother's belongings after she passed and found a journal and a box of letters. They are written in Armenian so they could not read them. Katerina takes a trip to Cyprus with her friend and meets a guy and he reads it to her and the story of WWI is revealed. ...more

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Feb 21, 2015 Book Addict Shaun rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015

Having tried to write this review for ages now, I just can't seem to put my thoughts into words without giving away spoilers, or without feeling as if I haven't done the book justice. So I'm just going to write and hope it makes sense.

When Katerina's grandmother Mariam dies she leaves behind a wooden spice box, containing letters and a diary written in Armenian. Katerina travels to Cyprus where she meets Ara who starts to translate the diary for Katerina, revealing secrets that Mariam had kept t Having tried to write this review for ages now, I just can't seem to put my thoughts into words without giving away spoilers, or without feeling as if I haven't done the book justice. So I'm just going to write and hope it makes sense.

When Katerina's grandmother Mariam dies she leaves behind a wooden spice box, containing letters and a diary written in Armenian. Katerina travels to Cyprus where she meets Ara who starts to translate the diary for Katerina, revealing secrets that Mariam had kept to herself her whole life. A life that started with her being exiled from her home in Turkey and separated from her brother Gabriel, her life then marred by grief and the loss of her first love.

The Spice Box Letters is being published in 2015 to mark the centenary year of the Armenian genocide. I am ashamed to admit that I don't know all that much about that time, and whilst the book was difficult reading in places, it was absolutely necessary to highlight the pain and suffering these people went through, and makes the emotional connection that I felt as a reader to these characters all the more powerful. The characters in this book are fictional, but the basis for the story lies in fact and the story has so much more of an impact because of that. It is an incredibly realistic read, the research having gone into the book evident on every page, but it never felt like a history lesson, though I learnt a lot whilst reading this thought-provoking book. This is a timely and important release highlighting and making sure people never forget about this tragedy.

With mostly short chapters in the beginning we go back and forth between time periods quite often, but I found this worked very well, especially in the beginning as we were just getting to know Katerina. We would have extracts from Mariam's diary, before quickly moving back to the present day. Mariam's story was quite difficult to read in places, so not having the whole thing told to you at once helped break the story up, and allowed us to see Katerina's reaction, and the impact that the diary began to have on her own life. I wish I could talk about all of the characters in this book, but that would definitely ruin the story for readers, as this is a book you should all discover for yourselves. It's sad how different the story could have turned out for certain characters but that's why the story is so believable, with so many families torn apart perhaps living around the world unaware of where their siblings, parents or friends were after this awful tragedy.

Eve Makis is a truly wonderful writer, and the book is beautifully descriptive when Eve is talking about Cyprus, which is my favourite place in the whole world. She really captures the setting, and I loved her descriptions of the food consumed by her characters. I was practically salivating reading about all the foods that I love so much. On the other hand her harrowing descriptions of the genocide, the horrible deaths of the characters, and the emotional turmoil those who survived went through left a lump in my throat, and towards the end of the book tears streamed down my face I'm not ashamed to admit. The book is an emotional read, but there's also positives to be taken from it as well. For me it's not to take life for granted, to appreciate the loved ones that we do have in our lives, and in the case of Mariam, I would perhaps say it's about finding the bravery to share those secrets you might be hiding, before it's too late, as it was for Mariam.

I'm not very good with words, so I'll just share this quote from Eve's website which I feel explains what the book is essentially about, better than I can!

"I would like to think of the book as a spice box, not only peppered by tragedy, but also evoking a distinct sense of culture through food, folklore and customs, an attempt to balance a dark, turbulent past with a lighter, more hopeful present. It is essentially a story about intimate family secrets, slowly unraveled and the enduring quality of love."

The Spice Box Letters is probably one of the best books that I have ever read, and if it doesn't make my Top 5 Books of the Year, I'll be very surprised. I honestly can't recommend this book enough, it is absolutely incredible and I urge anybody who is reading this review not to simply add it to your TBR and then forget about it as more books are released but buy it now, start it today, and then tell all your family and friends to do so as well. Some books just deserve to be read, and The Spice Box Letters is one such book. ...more

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Sep 20, 2016 Theresa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-challenge, historical-fiction, advance-reads-won

In compliance with FTC guidelines -- I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine.

I finished this book almost a month ago and still I haven't found the motivation to write a full fledged review. It's not that the book was bad (obviously-- I gave it 4 stars) but on the other hand it was not overly fantastic either (perhaps my 4 stars are incredibly generous?). Sigh In compliance with FTC guidelines -- I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review. The content of this review is not influenced by that fact. The feelings expressed are solely mine.

I finished this book almost a month ago and still I haven't found the motivation to write a full fledged review. It's not that the book was bad (obviously-- I gave it 4 stars) but on the other hand it was not overly fantastic either (perhaps my 4 stars are incredibly generous?). Sigh... As you can see I'm thoroughly conflicted. So I'll suffice to say what I liked and disliked about the novel.

I liked --

The flow of the story was smooth, easy and mostly unencumbered. Except it starts out with a young girl and somewhere along the line shifts significantly to her older brother's story. I guess I didn't mind too much since he was much more interesting anyway.

The characters for the most part where complete and believable. (See above)

I did love the historical setting and the chance to read about the Armenian genocide. I'm sure many who know me and know my love of all things Eastern European will be surprised this is the first book I've read with this theme. This book was indeed my first fictional foray into this period in history. My real life E.E. history also stopped just short of Turkey ---- went right up to the Black Sea but never ventured across the water. Yes, I knew a lot about the Turks because of their influence in Eastern Europe but never of their influence in Turkey or the Armenian plight. So for that maybe alone is where my 4 stars are being given?

What I didn't like--

I felt the entire book was written "down". The language was very simple and the sentence structures were not complex. Not necessarily that it was written for a young adult so much as for an adult who could not possibly be bothered with any words longer than two syllables. Also, the subject matter surely was not YA or at least should not have been so that I believe is not a plausible reason for the style. Although after reading about the author I noted English most likely was not her first language. (Ok--Cutting her a bit of slack accordingly). Also I noticed she is a journalist. Hmmm? Makes sense since that writing would be at this level since most articles or news stories must be written down for the hordes of people who cannot be bothered to read REAL news, and formulate opinions without being told what it is they should think.

So to sum up this admittedly disjointed review, I will say this book is definitely a worthwhile time investment for anyone who loves historical fiction and needs a quick easy read. I think it will appeal to readers who are looking for an era and region of the world that is not overly saturated in the historical fiction category. ...more

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Sep 13, 2016 ExLibris_Kate rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I heard that The Spice Box Letters had a plot involving the Armenian Genocide, I had to read it immediately. My great grandfather was a witness to the genocide and his involvement in relief efforts has always been a part of my family’s collective history. The Spice Box Letters really took me inside the events from the viewpoint of someone who was ripped from their home and family. The story is told in several different time periods, but starts in the 1980s as Katerina mourns the loss of her When I heard that The Spice Box Letters had a plot involving the Armenian Genocide, I had to read it immediately. My great grandfather was a witness to the genocide and his involvement in relief efforts has always been a part of my family’s collective history. The Spice Box Letters really took me inside the events from the viewpoint of someone who was ripped from their home and family. The story is told in several different time periods, but starts in the 1980s as Katerina mourns the loss of her grandmother and discovers a trove of letters, written in Armenian, that presumably hold a key to her history. The story then travels back to the time just before World War I when her grandmother was torn from a life and community she knew into horrifying circumstances. As the story goes back and forth, you will be drawn into both Miriam’s and Katerina’s lives. I was completely engrossed and invested in this book. The history, the sadness, and the will to survive gave this tragic story many moments of hope. It’s a part of history that we don’t hear about a lot in the US, and I was glad to see that the author chose to write a story involving the plight of the Armenian people.

There are definitely some brutal and heartbreaking scenes in The Spice Box Letters. Even the refugees who survived or were rescued were not guaranteed fair treatment. They still had to struggle to maintain their cultural identities and their language as they were assimilated into new homes and new lives. One thing that really struck me about this story was how timely it is. As I sit reading about the plight of refugees who want nothing more than to be reunited with their homes and their families, I can’t help but think about the photos we see and the stories we hear about refugees today. That sense that history is closer than we think made it an even more emotional book. Using Miriam’s letters as a vehicle to tell the story in flashbacks gave it an air of mystery, as well, because what you think might be a simple accounting of what happened to one person ends up involving the pain and hope of many other people who were connected across time. The ending was like putting the last piece in a really big jig-saw puzzle, which is to say it was very satisfying. I became so invested in the characters and I really wanted them all to find the people and the peace they were looking for. Anyone who likes history and an absorbing story will love The Spice Box Letters. ...more

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Oct 28, 2016 Brian rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Note for FTC guidelines. My wife received this book from a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Lucky them! They get two reviews!

I had only read one other book that
mentioned the Armenian Genocide. This book was very good. While those terrible events are more of a back drop to a realistic modern life, I feel the author used them very judiciously and painted events quite accurately. The horrors and terrifying moments pop out very vividly. Meanwhile here in modern times the relatio ...more

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Mar 21, 2017 Deborah Ross rated it liked it · review of another edition

The Spice Box Letters is a classic example of a book with beautiful prose, lush sensory detail, and well-researched history that never comes together as a dramatic, emotionally engaging story. All the material is there, as Katerina (in 1985) explores her family’s personal tragedy during the Armenian genocide of 1915. So much of the story is told second or third hand, but that in itself does not account for the emotional distance. Perhaps another reader would fall in love with the characters and ...more

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Mar 14, 2018 Andrea rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Here is an Armenian Genocide story with its unique aftermath two generations later. Twists of fate lead to great joy. Eve Makis has written a beautiful story that had me in tears more than once. A new author to me, Makis is a fiction professor in England. I will read more by her.

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Mar 27, 2018 Windsofdestiny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Being of Armenian descent and first generation of Armenian genocide survivors, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't as gruesome as many other historical fiction novels ...more

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Mar 15, 2020 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Really great story based on historical facts that I didn’t know much about. Only took me a few days to read and left on a super happy ending! I really enjoyed the book!

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Aug 02, 2015 Marina Maidou rated it liked it · review of another edition

The writer says a story about a journey in an armenian woman's past in Minor Asia while First World War is on its zenith. Poetry and terror from a girl's diary written after long time and the lonely life of the lost siblings through the transformation of Ottoman Empire to Turkey. Even if the characters haven't mch difference between them (only in older Gabriel I found a complete personality), the story keeps its interesting for what's going to happen next. In the same time you can see what did A ...more

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Jun 30, 2016 R J Mckay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An old spice box and her Grandmother’s journal, written in Armenian, were the only things Katerina had to go on when she promised her Mother that she would try and search out the truth about Grandmother Miriam’s past.

But it took a vacation and a chance meeting with Ara for the tale of loss, love and a lifetime of separation to finally to be uncovered.

The Armenian genocide started in 1915 when Miriam was just a young girl. She witnessed the hanging of her beloved Father, and the death (she belie ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 SueK rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: net-galley

For me, this book started slowly. The early part of the book felt as though setting the scene for the story had too many similes, and I feared a rather predictable story line, albeit in a historical setting that was unfamiliar to me. At about the 30% mark, my interest picked up, and I stopped seeing structure and appreciated the story. By the 50% mark, I was engrossed and thoroughly loved the book. Now that I have finished reading the book, I've looked back, and still feel that it has a rather r ...more

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Jun 04, 2015 Mary rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh, my stars!
What a good story!
I'm always highly suspect of "long-lost connection" stories; usually they are overly sweet or incredibly predictable. The Spice Box Letters was gritty without being coarse, warm without being overly gushy, and quite frankly, one of the few books this year that I put down at the end with a sigh of satisfaction. I'm now going to read more about the historical Armenian events the book introduced and will read anything else Eve Makis writes.

Read the synopsis. Then re ...more

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About Eve Makis

Eve Makis

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Eve Makis studied at Leicester University and worked as a journalist and radio presenter in the UK and Cyprus before becoming a novelist. She is the author of four novels. Her first book Eat, Drink and be Married was published in five languages and awarded the Young Booksellers International Book of the Year Award. A screen adaptation of her third book, Land of the Golden Apple, is being filmed in ...more