Come With Me

Come With Me is a series of intimate conversations between a mother and her daughter. These conversations document the mother's life growing up on the island of Cyprus to her present-day life in the United States. This eighty-year nostalgic journey details the resilient life of Roula Panayides-Santamas as seen through her personal reflections and recollections. Included are added side conversations that showcase the tightly knit bond between Roula and her daughter, Irene. Sparked by a series of deaths among the elders in her family, Irene was inspired to document her family history while the stories could still be told by her mother. From an arrest for being an accomplice to a murder at the age of fifteen during Cypriot political turmoil, to family customs, recipes, and traditions, this memoir chronicles the life of a young girl growing up on the island, the challenges she faced, life as an immigrant, and the eventual joy she found raising her family in America.

Come With Me is a heartwarming journey that will allow readers to get to know Roula on a more intimate level. A story that will stir up feelings of nostalgia, empathy, and love.