When the Past Awakens: A Mother’s Pain

by Helena Kidd, Maria Avraam

When the Past Awakens’ is Maria Avraam’s real and brutally honest account of her life and thoughts, straight from the heart, with emotional intensity. If it wasn’t for Maria documenting her internal suffering in her diaries, her story, I believe, would not have been told. Her domineering mother was a constant battle of the mind and spirit. Maria endured mental and physical abuse from an arranged and forced marriage to a stranger. Arriving in Australia from her village in Cyprus presented even more challenges especially when she found herself alone, a deserted wife, with three small children to raise. Maria triumphs through the odds and proves to be a survivor. Following on, is ‘The Richmond House’ written by Helena Kidd, Maria’s first born. Helena brings a lighter tone, with her snippets of family life growing up in her uncle’s home. ‘The Richmond House’ is set in the 1960s and 1970s, overlapping in part to ‘When the Past Awakens’.

ebook

Published December 2, 2019

Reviews

[Mái Medina]

Book # 11/100
Rating: I don't rate memoirs.

Maria Avraam is an exceptional woman who created her own future despite numerous incredibly hard challenges life threw at her since her early years in Cyprus. When the Past Awakens is a recount of everything Maria went through in her life from forced to wed a man who since the beginning display no affection to her, then being left behind in Cyprus for full six years while her husband was enjoying a more comfortable life in Australia and her life in a new country when against her own husband's wishes she decided to come to Australia even if that meant to have to start a life on her own.

I was left with profound admiration for Maria Avraam, her tenacity and family values are not commonly heard of women of her generation.

I was very kindly sent a copy of the book by Maria's daughter and co-author of the book Helena Kidd. Thank you so much! I will make sure more people read about your mum's achievements.

[Reader]

Maria’s story is the key that has opened our eyes to the injustices brought on women in a past age, or so you may think. Her life is her own and brought to us all with her own words. She endured a life and managed to record her struggles, joy and finally peace through her determination which has been passed on to her children and grandchildren. If you are looking for an inspiring story you can’t go past this boo

[Koraly Dimitriadis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so powerful it had me in tears. That a woman of the generation previous to my mother's, is talking so openly of the patriarchal structures that caused her so much damage, is priceless. I can't believe this book is self published. The Australian publishing industry gatekeepers should hang their heads in shame. This book needs to be in every bookshop.