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Not in the Ornamental Teapot is a masterful reimagining of woman. Strong-minded and surprisingly audacious heroines challenge and deconstruct the roles assigned to them by dominant narratives and preconceptions. Voices of older women, which have been traditionally neglected in literature, are granted with space and freedom to articulate their stories. In spite of the traumas inflicted upon them [or because of them] these quiet matriarchs rise to protect what they hold holy—family, home, love Praise for Not in the Ornamental Teapot Erato’s work is delicate and effortless. Setting her stories against the sprawling Cypriot landscapes, she, none the less, manages to address the minute concerns haunting her protagonists with un- matched intimacy. Delicious, languid, yet urgent, her prose is a de- light that never fails to impress and surprise. I absolutely enjoyed the stories. They make me feel so comforted and yet emotionally distressed all at the same time. I think this is what great literature is made of. Katya Kazbek, Editor-in-Chief, Supamodu Valiant, apocalyptic, as humble heroes of everyday life become the symbols of a generation that has outwitted the cryptic demons of their metamorphosis. The green line that defines the soliloquy of the lonely individual now a melodic quartet of voices that praise the lives given to them, sometimes as a gift, others as a curse; it all comes down to the way the eye of a yiayia observes. Christos R. Tsiailis, Author With graceful precision and fierce imagination, Erato Ioannou negotiates painful Cyprus topics with the greatest possible tender- ness. She succeeds to breathe new life into long-standing issues, to reveal their hidden or underestimated parameters, and to expand the reader’s understanding and compassion. Nasia Dionysiou, Author
