The Island - by Victoria Hislop (Paperback)

About the Book

Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mothers past. When she decides to visit her mothers native Crete, she discovers her great-grandmother and a family rent by tragedy, war, and a secrecy that holds them all in its powerful grip.

Book Synopsis

A number one bestseller in the UK, this captivating and epic tale of family ties, romance, war, disease, and history is set on the beautiful Greek Island of Crete.

On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding plans a trip to her mother's childhood home in Plaka, Greece hoping to unravel Sofia's hidden past. Given a letter to take to Sofia's old friend, Fotini, Alexis is promised that through Fotini, she will learn more.

Arriving in Plaka, Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone's throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga--Greece's former leper colony. Fotini at last reveals the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters, and a family rent by tragedy, war, and passion. Alexis discovers how intimately her family is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip.

Atmospheric and captivating, The Island transports readers and keeps them gripped to the very last word.

From the Back Cover

The Petrakis family lives in the small Greek seaside village of Plaka. Just off the coast is the tiny island of Spinalonga, where the nation's leper colony once was located--a place that has haunted four generations of Petrakis women. There's Eleni, ripped from her husband and two young daughters and sent to Spinalonga in 1939, and her daughters Maria, finding joy in the everyday as she dutifully cares for her father, and Anna, a wild child hungry for passion and a life anywhere but Plaka. And finally there's Alexis, Eleni's great-granddaughter, visiting modern-day Greece to unlock her family's past.

A richly enchanting novel of lives and loves unfolding against the backdrop of the Mediterranean during World War II, The Island is an enthralling story of dreams and desires, of secrets desperately hidden, and of leprosy's touch on an unforgettable family.

Review Quotes

"War, tragedy and passion unfurl against a Mediterranean backdrop in this engrossing debut novel." - You magazine (UK)
"At last--a beach book with heart...packed with family sagas, doomed love affairs and devastating secrets." - The Observer (UK)
"...the new Captain Corelli..." - Sunday Express (London)
"A rich narrative awash with authentic detail." - Daily Mail (London)
"Gripping and carries real emotional impact." - Daily Telegraph (London)