Right from the start we realise this is a Montague/Capulet situation; a feud between families, in this case from Crete, that spills blood only here our Juliet (Poppy) lives and has a child. It is this London born girl, Angelika, who goes in search of her past and unearths the tragic tale which she shares with us. She is due to get married and would like her estranged family at her wedding. Her mother left Crete before Angie was born and has severed herself from her previous life. Why? Angie finds her grandmother, aunts and uncles and is very slowly told of the atrocities of the Nazi occupation, civil war and then the junta. Graphic, bloody and horrific much is described in gory detail. Families are torn apart. Angie has problems of her own. As her wedding day draws close so the revenge and secrets of the two families come poring out. We race to the end with our hearts thumping. Full of local colour and tradition this is a little slow to start but certainly builds to unexpected conclusions. Terrific stuff. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
If you love Victoria Hislop and Rosanna Ley, you will love this perfect summer read. 'The story started at dawn on the fourteenth of September, 1943 ...' All her life, London-born Angelika has been intrigued by her mother's secret past. Now planning her wedding, she feels she must visit the remote Crete village her mother grew up in. Angie's estranged elderly grandmother, Maria, is dying. She welcomes Angie with open arms - it's time to unburden herself, and tell the story she'll otherwise take to her grave. It's the story of the Nazi occupation of Crete during the Second World War, of horror, of courage and of the lengths to which a mother will go to protect her children. And it's the story of bitter secrets that broke a family apart, and of three enchanting women who come together to heal wounds that have damaged two generations.
'This is a beautiful, heartbreaking story of sacrifice and love in the face of evil' For The Love of Books
'Island of Secrets is a book full of raw emotions, family vendettas, hidden secrets and three very strong women. It's a book I enjoyed very much and one which fans of Victoria Hislop and Debbie Rix are sure to enjoy.' That Thing She Reads
Author
About Patricia Wilson
Patricia Wilson lived in the village of Amiras in Crete where the book is set. She was inspired to write when she unearthed a machine gun in her garden - one used in the events that unfolded in September 1943, and much of the novel is based on real stories told to her by the oldest women of Amiras. Women who've never spoken of their experiences before. Patricia still spends much of her time in Greece. This is her debut novel.
