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Aphrodite's Child
This is the first book in the revised edition of The Aphrodite Trilogy
Cyprus 1991
Emily Blackwell is an RAF officer’s wife and has never fitted in with military life, but when her husband, Luke is posted to Cyprus, she sees it as an escape from a job she hates and maybe somewhere she can have her longed-for third child.
The reality of living on a military camp hits her hard - it’s a time before FaceTime, emails and WhatsApp and she’s lonely and cut off from her previous life.
When she makes friends with Sophie, her life takes a turn for the better: she begins to throw herself into the social scene. The new blond-haired, tanned, slimmer version of herself embraces everything that Cyprus has to offer.
But Luke’s love of all things Air Force, his desire to restrict their family to two children and his off-hand ways culminate in her finding love in someone very different.
After a terrible tragedy that befalls them all, her life on the island begins to unravel. Trust is broken, friendships shatter and Emily is torn between her family and forbidden love.
She has fallen in love with Cyprus, the lifestyle and … another man but she’s lost herself. Can she find herself again before it’s too late?
Cyprus 1991
Emily Blackwell is an RAF officer’s wife and has never fitted in with military life, but when her husband, Luke is posted to Cyprus, she sees it as an escape from a job she hates and maybe somewhere she can have her longed-for third child.
The reality of living on a military camp hits her hard - it’s a time before FaceTime, emails and WhatsApp and she’s lonely and cut off from her previous life.
When she makes friends with Sophie, her life takes a turn for the better: she begins to throw herself into the social scene. The new blond-haired, tanned, slimmer version of herself embraces everything that Cyprus has to offer.
But Luke’s love of all things Air Force, his desire to restrict their family to two children and his off-hand ways culminate in her finding love in someone very different.
After a terrible tragedy that befalls them all, her life on the island begins to unravel. Trust is broken, friendships shatter and Emily is torn between her family and forbidden love.
She has fallen in love with Cyprus, the lifestyle and … another man but she’s lost herself. Can she find herself again before it’s too late?
Kindle Edition
First published February 11, 2014
127 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Catherine Knights
18 books14 followersSarah Catherine Knights is a British novelist, short story writer and photographer. She has written five novels: the Aphrodite Trilogy, made up of Aphrodite’s Child, Now is All There Is and Shadows in the Rock and also the standalone novel, Love is a State of Mind. Her latest novel, Life Happens was published on May 26th, 2022. This is also a standalone novel but she is thinking about a sequel. She is also working on a collection of short stories.
Sarah has lived in the beautiful town of Malmesbury since 1985. She came to Wiltshire, like so many others, because her husband was in the Royal Air Force at Lyneham.
Sarah’s main interest is obviously writing but she reads avidly and always has a book on the go: Clare Chambers, Ann Tyler, Kristin Hannah, Elif Shafak, Matt Haig, Jeanine Cummins, Meg Mason are just a few of the authors she’s read in the last few months. She also loves modern music and listens to Coldplay, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, Tom Walker, George Michael and Ed Sheeran, just to name a few! On the active side, she loves walking, swimming (in the sea if possible, but she does lengths in the pool to keep fit) and going to the gym; she spends hours ambling through the surrounding fields with her black labrador, Mabel and as she walks, she thinks about her next writing project. Sarah’s always had dogs and couldn’t imagine life without one.
Sarah studied English Literature at Birmingham University from 1972 to 1975, did a postgraduate certificate of teaching immediately afterwards and went on to do a Creative Writing MA at Bath Spa University in 2012. It was here that she started writing her debut novel, 'Aphrodite's Child' which was self-published at the beginning of 2014.
The story grew out of the family's posting to Cyprus with the RAF in the early nineties. While there, Sarah realised it would make a great setting for a novel – with its microcosm of English life, the camp was a strange place to live. At that time, there was little or no communication with the UK and being somewhat cut off from the island too, life inside the camp became intensified. It sometimes felt like a prolonged Mediterranean holiday with dramas thrown in. It was easy to dream up a fictional storyline.
Having been an English teacher of both secondary level children and foreign business people, Sarah has now retired to concentrate on photography and writing. Her three children have flown the nest but often come home for chaotic weekends of dog walks, laughter and noisy meals around the large kitchen table. Her oldest daughter now lives in San Fransisco with her husband and three young children so they were sorely missed during the pandemic. Sarah and husband Peter have visited several times and can’t wait to go back. Her son lives in London and is a photographer and musician and her youngest daughter lives in Brighton and is about to become a detective.
The whole family, especially Peter her husband, have been very supportive and patient with Sarah's late career change as a novelist, always willing to help with the plot or reading a new draft.
Sarah regrets not finding writing earlier in life but is certainly making up for lost time now.
Sarah has lived in the beautiful town of Malmesbury since 1985. She came to Wiltshire, like so many others, because her husband was in the Royal Air Force at Lyneham.
Sarah’s main interest is obviously writing but she reads avidly and always has a book on the go: Clare Chambers, Ann Tyler, Kristin Hannah, Elif Shafak, Matt Haig, Jeanine Cummins, Meg Mason are just a few of the authors she’s read in the last few months. She also loves modern music and listens to Coldplay, Sam Smith, Billie Eilish, Tom Walker, George Michael and Ed Sheeran, just to name a few! On the active side, she loves walking, swimming (in the sea if possible, but she does lengths in the pool to keep fit) and going to the gym; she spends hours ambling through the surrounding fields with her black labrador, Mabel and as she walks, she thinks about her next writing project. Sarah’s always had dogs and couldn’t imagine life without one.
Sarah studied English Literature at Birmingham University from 1972 to 1975, did a postgraduate certificate of teaching immediately afterwards and went on to do a Creative Writing MA at Bath Spa University in 2012. It was here that she started writing her debut novel, 'Aphrodite's Child' which was self-published at the beginning of 2014.
The story grew out of the family's posting to Cyprus with the RAF in the early nineties. While there, Sarah realised it would make a great setting for a novel – with its microcosm of English life, the camp was a strange place to live. At that time, there was little or no communication with the UK and being somewhat cut off from the island too, life inside the camp became intensified. It sometimes felt like a prolonged Mediterranean holiday with dramas thrown in. It was easy to dream up a fictional storyline.
Having been an English teacher of both secondary level children and foreign business people, Sarah has now retired to concentrate on photography and writing. Her three children have flown the nest but often come home for chaotic weekends of dog walks, laughter and noisy meals around the large kitchen table. Her oldest daughter now lives in San Fransisco with her husband and three young children so they were sorely missed during the pandemic. Sarah and husband Peter have visited several times and can’t wait to go back. Her son lives in London and is a photographer and musician and her youngest daughter lives in Brighton and is about to become a detective.
The whole family, especially Peter her husband, have been very supportive and patient with Sarah's late career change as a novelist, always willing to help with the plot or reading a new draft.
Sarah regrets not finding writing earlier in life but is certainly making up for lost time now.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 18, 2016
I was quite disappointed by this book and found myself binge reading it just to get it over with. It really wasn't what I was expecting.
I have never disliked a central character more than Emily. She's so vain and selfish and I just found myself feeling anger towards her!
The story is both inconsistent and repetitive and there are many typos.
I have never disliked a central character more than Emily. She's so vain and selfish and I just found myself feeling anger towards her!
The story is both inconsistent and repetitive and there are many typos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2022
I really like Sarah Catherine Knights' books and Aphrodite's Child is no exception in terms of it being a good read with a clear purpose and direction.
Emily and her husband, Luke arrive in Cyprus with their two young children after Luke has been posted there with the British Royal Air Force. It is a strange world very different from the life that they have all left behind in Britain. Cyprus is hot with an abundance of beaches and the chance of a much more alfresco lifestyle, almost like being on holiday every day. Emily is concerned about how she will fit in and make friends but she soon discovers that the world of the armed forces is quite contained, being centred on the "camp" where they live, the accommodation and facilities that are provided by the British government for their military abroad. The same people are encountered over and over again and this is both a curse and a blessing.
Emily struggles at first to fill her days as the children are at school but she soon finds activities to fill her day, of an outdoorsy and athletic nature like polo and windsurfing. And the evenings are as entertaining as it is a life almost verging on hedonism, there being frequent parties with free-flowing booze and dancing into the early hours of the morning. Her confidence grows as her time there continues and she finds herself acting in ways that she never thought she would, endangering all that she holds dear.
Emily is our narrator throughout and so, we follow her as she grows into her life in Cyprus. One of the strengths of this is that we develop empathy for her as she constantly battles between what she thinks she should (or shouldn't) do and her struggles to reconcile the person who she has become with the wife and mother role which she values. However, having read other books written by Knights, I did not feel that the characters were as well developed or as vivid as they have been in her other books. I did not feel as emotionally invested in the action and read it with more detachment than I have done other novels I have read by her.
Saying this, it is well-written throughout and is still an easy read, perfect to curl up with on a cosy Autumn evening.
Emily and her husband, Luke arrive in Cyprus with their two young children after Luke has been posted there with the British Royal Air Force. It is a strange world very different from the life that they have all left behind in Britain. Cyprus is hot with an abundance of beaches and the chance of a much more alfresco lifestyle, almost like being on holiday every day. Emily is concerned about how she will fit in and make friends but she soon discovers that the world of the armed forces is quite contained, being centred on the "camp" where they live, the accommodation and facilities that are provided by the British government for their military abroad. The same people are encountered over and over again and this is both a curse and a blessing.
Emily struggles at first to fill her days as the children are at school but she soon finds activities to fill her day, of an outdoorsy and athletic nature like polo and windsurfing. And the evenings are as entertaining as it is a life almost verging on hedonism, there being frequent parties with free-flowing booze and dancing into the early hours of the morning. Her confidence grows as her time there continues and she finds herself acting in ways that she never thought she would, endangering all that she holds dear.
Emily is our narrator throughout and so, we follow her as she grows into her life in Cyprus. One of the strengths of this is that we develop empathy for her as she constantly battles between what she thinks she should (or shouldn't) do and her struggles to reconcile the person who she has become with the wife and mother role which she values. However, having read other books written by Knights, I did not feel that the characters were as well developed or as vivid as they have been in her other books. I did not feel as emotionally invested in the action and read it with more detachment than I have done other novels I have read by her.
Saying this, it is well-written throughout and is still an easy read, perfect to curl up with on a cosy Autumn evening.
March 20, 2025
Read this book quickly but I skimmed through a lot of it. Would have liked to have heard more about Cyprus. Can relate to parts of the RAF life, but not all of it. All in all an ok read.
November 11, 2015
I found this book on my kindle and decided to give it a go. The only problem was once I started my whole world had to go on hold as I couldn't put it down.
May 13, 2025
Couldn't put this book down.
The background to this story was so different touching on family life in Cyprus with the Army and Airforce families and their social lives. I loved the friendships the three couples shared and ultimately the love affair between Emily and James. There were some very touching moments and some very sad moments which made me cry. I can honestly say this is the best book I have ever read and have now downloaded the two follow-up stories.
The background to this story was so different touching on family life in Cyprus with the Army and Airforce families and their social lives. I loved the friendships the three couples shared and ultimately the love affair between Emily and James. There were some very touching moments and some very sad moments which made me cry. I can honestly say this is the best book I have ever read and have now downloaded the two follow-up stories.
December 29, 2017
An enjoyable story, giving some insight into the life of a Force's wife. However, goodness knows who proof read this book or if it ever was. Any word of more than one syllable was often hyphenated, really irritating, hence the low rating.
May 20, 2020
Why did I bother? This is not a book I would recommend reading As I live in Cyprus, I thought it would give me some insight into life on a British Base. I did not expect a poorly written romance.
February 16, 2024
I'm really not entirely sure how this came into my TBR pile but I finished it so there's that.
April 11, 2015
2.75 stars
With a setting in the Mediterranean and the promise of classic mythology, I was so excited when I found that I was a Goodreads giveaway winner for "Aphrodite's Child".
The location and setting in Cyprus was all that it promised to be. Sarah Catherine Knights is also a new author as this was her first published work (and self-published at that). With this in mind, she did well. However, the book was long (almost 500 pages) and there were a few typos. An editor would be beneficial for this and to aid the plot-progression.
After getting into the main content of the story, it took a very long time for us the main character, Emily, to make it Aphrodite's Rock. While it was mentioned in the beginning of the book, it was almost 200 pages before she got there. Also, I felt that a lot of occurrences were shoved into the final 100 pages of the novel.
Considering that infidelity becomes a focus for the majority of the story, I found myself very frustrated with Emily. Her lover refers to her as selfless, when in fact, we see nary a selfless action in all the book. Moreover, Emily becomes suspicious of her best friend (Sophie) for cheating with her husband (Luke) and this suspicion is never resolved. Emily undergoes extensive changes throughout the book and we learn everything about her, but she is a rather unlikable protagonist. She claims to love her family, but cheats on her husband and frequently disregards the children that she "cherishes". Lastly, she focuses on her husbands secret vasectomy and seemingly holds this as a worse act than her own repeated affair. It is these inconsistencies, combined with some condensing, that should possibly be worked out before a re-publishing.
The author does however, deal with some potentially sensitive subjects - from homosexuality, to infertility, to cancer, to attempted suicide, to death, and an array of others. Some of these are handled quite well. Though I felt that Emily's reaction to a miscarriage was disjointed. The homosexuality was portrayed well, though it seemed as though the author was trying to persuade the audience/make a statement, and that often distracted from the story.
In all, the setting was absolutely stunning. And Sarah Catherine Knights should be commended at a solid attempt at a first book - though some improvements could definitely be made.
Personally, I would have loved more of the mythology tied into the story and even seeing Emily go to Aphrodite's Rock much sooner.
Also, the ending was quite frustrating to me personally. After 500 pages, I felt that there should have been some answers and closure!
With a setting in the Mediterranean and the promise of classic mythology, I was so excited when I found that I was a Goodreads giveaway winner for "Aphrodite's Child".
The location and setting in Cyprus was all that it promised to be. Sarah Catherine Knights is also a new author as this was her first published work (and self-published at that). With this in mind, she did well. However, the book was long (almost 500 pages) and there were a few typos. An editor would be beneficial for this and to aid the plot-progression.
After getting into the main content of the story, it took a very long time for us the main character, Emily, to make it Aphrodite's Rock. While it was mentioned in the beginning of the book, it was almost 200 pages before she got there. Also, I felt that a lot of occurrences were shoved into the final 100 pages of the novel.
Considering that infidelity becomes a focus for the majority of the story, I found myself very frustrated with Emily. Her lover refers to her as selfless, when in fact, we see nary a selfless action in all the book. Moreover, Emily becomes suspicious of her best friend (Sophie) for cheating with her husband (Luke) and this suspicion is never resolved. Emily undergoes extensive changes throughout the book and we learn everything about her, but she is a rather unlikable protagonist. She claims to love her family, but cheats on her husband and frequently disregards the children that she "cherishes". Lastly, she focuses on her husbands secret vasectomy and seemingly holds this as a worse act than her own repeated affair. It is these inconsistencies, combined with some condensing, that should possibly be worked out before a re-publishing.
The author does however, deal with some potentially sensitive subjects - from homosexuality, to infertility, to cancer, to attempted suicide, to death, and an array of others. Some of these are handled quite well. Though I felt that Emily's reaction to a miscarriage was disjointed. The homosexuality was portrayed well, though it seemed as though the author was trying to persuade the audience/make a statement, and that often distracted from the story.
In all, the setting was absolutely stunning. And Sarah Catherine Knights should be commended at a solid attempt at a first book - though some improvements could definitely be made.
Personally, I would have loved more of the mythology tied into the story and even seeing Emily go to Aphrodite's Rock much sooner.
Also, the ending was quite frustrating to me personally. After 500 pages, I felt that there should have been some answers and closure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2014
It is a difficult balance to write about relationships and not fall into either bodice ripping romance, or cliff hanging soap opera. With this, her first novel, Sarah Catherine Knights has avoided those pitfalls and produced a solid story. We are steeped in Emily Blackwell's life with her children and her RAF husband, and their re-posting from England to Cyprus. The complexities of her relationship with her husband, her friends, and her children is built up layer by layer. When the unexpected, unwanted happens Emily is faced with making a decision that will permanently alter not just her life, but the lives of her children and husband as well. I enjoyed reading this book, and very much look forward to more from this author.
March 9, 2015
like the story but very slow would have liked more written about Cyprus
October 31, 2015
Good relaxing read. Excellent story of life and it's realisations. Excellent characters and descriptions.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews