Two Roads pre-empts debut novel from Mary Karras

Hachette imprint Two Roads has pre-empted a debut novel from Mary Karras, in a two-book deal. 

Publisher Lisa Highton acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Eleanor Birne at PEW Literary. The first title, The Making of Mrs Petrakis, will be published in 2021. 

The Making of Mrs Petrakis centres on two generations of women in Cyprus during the 1960s and 1970s. Maria Petrakis flees the island and her brutal marriage and opens a bakery on Green Lane in Harringay, at the centre of a small Greek Cypriot community. The novel is a story of hope, love and healing. 

Karras is the daughter of Greek Cypriot immigrants, as a child, Mary and her sisters would visit their grandparents in Harringay, spending time in the Greek Cypriot grocery shops and bakeries which, in part, inspired her book. 

Karras commented: "This exciting imprint is the perfect home for The Making of Mrs Petrakis. Mrs Petrakis is feisty and funny. She’s a celebrated baker and an excellent listener. She also has a story of her own to tell and the time has come for her to share it. Maria Petrakis holds a special place in my heart and I’m thrilled the world will get to meet her."

Highton added: "Maria Petrakis is indomitable. The appeal of mother-daughter stories is timeless and this is a wonderful blend of the joy and heartbreak of family and the courage and spirit it takes to escape the past and make a better future with equal parts pastry and love."