DRAMA

Stella's family is tricked into a bad deal for her marriage. She tries to make the best of her abusive new husband, but is thankful for the day he abandons her and their two kids. She saves for years to escape impoverished Cyprus in order to follow her husband to Australia as she is legally stuck to him. Stella finds love on the ship and gets pregnant and has to figure out how to avoid scandal in her new home across the world.

GOOD

THIRD PERSON

Authors Writing Style: GOOD

Characterization: FAIR

Commerciality: GOOD

Franchise Potential: GOOD

Pace: GOOD

Premise: GOOD

Structure: GOOD

Theme: FAIR

Yes, the book profile accurately follows the book's story. The logline might mention Stella's motive for moving to Australia as different from what is currently said given that she planned to go for years due to lack of opportunity in Cyprus not just because her deadbeat husband was there and he never wrote to her.

The setting up Cyprus in the 1940s is exotic as is unexpected charm of finding a new home so far away from home. It is interesting to see how Stella's community helps her grow and how even moving a village away is as much a change for her as moving to Australia.

Thomas can feel a bit one note as it is unclear why he is so selfish, off putting and oblivious to empathy. Knowing Thomas' motivation for his selfishness and adding more layers to why he treats others the way he does would make his meanness seem more realistic in how he is still able to have friends and function in society before he turns to his gambling and brothel business.

THE STORY DOES NOT RELY ON SPECIAL EFFECTS

The hook is that Stella is the perfect Cypriot wife to an awful abusive man and she falls in love after she is married to a man that is not her husband on a journey where they both will be halfway across the world for the first time.

This could have a decent fanbase as more of a romantic drama rather than as historical fiction. Focusing more of the love triangle rather than devoting a large first part of the story to the awful marriage would create marketable tension faster.

This could have more potential for awards depending on which themes are focused on. The romance and abuse storylines may not gain notice, but other aspects of Stella's story are quite unique.

MEDIUM BUDGET

MISSING FETINE, BROOKLYN, THE DRESSMAKER, THE WAITRESS, THE COLOR PURPLE, SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY

The originality stems from Stella making the best situation out of each trial and adapting to a new community through staying authentically herself.

Stella is strong, independent and virtuous with a spirit that can't be broken. Thomas is a miserable and grimy selfish excuse of a man. Simon is supportive and helpful as is Pavlo.

The relationship between Cyprus and Australia as well as old school matchmaking are uncommon, but the base love triangle is a common trope.

Film: Studio, Indie, Streaming

WORK IN PROGRESS

While the story has many positive points, it has room for improvement (see possible paths below). If you can't change the story at this point, my suggestion is using your notes as a guide to highlight the best aspects of it when taking the next steps, either putting a pitch page together, a treatment, or a presentation.

Restructuring the Athena subplot to have a greater purpose in Stella's storyline would help quicken the pacing. More focusing on Stella's actions rather than just her reactions to Thomas, but making Thomas more three dimensional would also help create more even tension. The ending subplot is reuniting with Thomas a third time after her gets his daughter involved with the brothel is confusing without more character development for Marina.