The Island

LoveReading Says

I came to this wonderful book late in the day – the idea of reading a book about an island set aside for leprosy sufferers at a time when there was no cure available, just didn’t seem like the sort of uplifting book I enjoy. 

How wrong can you be? Very, it turns out. 

Alexis Fielding is eager to learn about her mother’s family, when she arrives in Greece, she becomes fascinated with a connection to the island of Spinalonga, the former leprosy colony. The books goes from present to past, it details the lives of Elena and her daughters. The past is shrouded in secrets and lies, jealousy and tragedy but above all, it is a story of love and kindness and the courageousness of spirit is truly heartening.

It is, I have to say, an unlikely beach read, there were times when it undid me, emotionally – pain and separation slid from the page in abundance as I read some sections. However, I was absolutely rooting for several of the main characters and the author did not let me down. Ultimately, there is hope and of course, the fact that we’re reading it from present to past, means we know that somehow things panned out and they do… of course, you’ll have to read it to find out how exactly!

Guest Editor Faith Hogan

A 2013 World Book Night selection.

Winner of Newcomer of the Year at the Galaxy British Book Awards 2007.
Something a bit different, a bit special. A well-researched family history which takes the present day characters back to Crete and the horrors of leprosy. From 1939 to today we follow a tragic and eventful story with believable characters and a believable storyline. I really enjoyed it. Incidentally she is Ian Hislop’s wife.

Similar this month: Joseph Boyden, Rachel Hore.

Reviewed by Sarah Broadhurst
Sarah Broadhurst spent her early working life in the book trade in both retail and wholesale until the arrival of children forced her to look for freelance work she could do from…
More reviews by Sarah Broadhurst

About The Island

'A moving and absorbing holiday read that pulls at the heartstrings' Evening StandardThe acclaimed million-copy number one bestseller and winner of Richard & Judy's Summer Read 2006. Victoria Hislop tells a dramatic tale of four generations, illicit love, violence and leprosy, from the thirties, through the war, to the present day.On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London. When Alexis decides to visit Crete, however, Sofia gives her daughter a letter to take to an old friend, and promises that through her 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. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears 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. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip...Praise for The Island. . .'A vivid, moving and absorbing tale' Observer'Victoria Hislop . . . brings dignity and tenderness to her novel about lives blighted by leprosy' Telegraph'Wonderful descriptions, strong characters and an intimate portrait of island existence' Woman & Home'War, tragedy and passion unfurl against a Mediterranean backdrop in this engrossing debut novel' You magazine'Hislop's deep research, imagination and patent love of Crete creates a convincing portrait of times on the island'Evening Standard'A page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary of circumstances'Sunday Express 'A beautiful tale of enduring love and unthinking prejudice'Express

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