Under a Croatian Sun is set to be 2014’s most charming and unusual memoir, the true story of a couple who move from London to the idyllic but rustic Croatian island of Vis, and the extraordinary tale of the formation of Croatia’s first cricket team.
Anthony and Ivana launch themselves into island life on Vis with great enthusiasm, but initially their efforts to make friends are rebuffed, the authorities block their projects, and they are made to feel pointedly unwelcome.
This soon changes. Surrounded by a boisterous cacophony of local characters, Anthony comically details daily life: dodgy business deals, local Mafiosi, fearsome local grannies, family dramas, bitter rivalries and local love affairs – including a Romeo and Juliet romance that divides the island.
Anthony finally makes a breakthrough discovery: Nelson’s navy occupied the island and played cricket there for years.
A keen cricketer, he canvasses the island for recruits for a team.
Once assembled, he shows them how to play – and in doing so learns more and more about the islanders themselves.
As the team garners more support, they gain funding and eventually, both local and national celebrity. In a fantastic set of events, a historic match is set up against the world’s most prestigious cricket club.
Under A Croatian Sun is as much a story about cricket and being the Brit abroad as it is about cultural difference and acceptance. For fans of Driving Over Lemons, Under a Tuscan Sun and A Year in Provence, this is a funny and heart-warming holiday read for people of all ages.
Anthony Stancomb is the author of several books on art, and has written reviews for Arts Review, Arts Today and Art Business Now.
He worked in film and television for years. In the eighties, he left TV and founded a company that promoted and sold works of British artists to art galleries throughout the world.
He now spends half the year in London and the other half on Vis with his wife Ivana.
The book will be available from 26th June but you can pre-order here.
