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The Island

By Victoria Hislop

Fiction, Historical, General, Women, Romance | 300 pages
3 recommendations
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'This is one of the most touching, gripping and inspiring books that I have ever read. Hislop seamlessly weaves an accurate history of a Greek island with a forbidden love story' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

INSPIRED BY TRUTH, THE STORY THAT HAS CAPTIVATED THE WORLD.

This was not the start of a short trip to deliver supplies. It was the beginning of a one-way journey to start a new life. Life on a leper colony. Life on Spinalonga.

Fifty years later, making a life-changing journey of her own, Alexis Fielding feels the pull of the abandoned island. A distant shadow off the coast of Crete, she knows it holds the secrets of her mother's past, buried for so long but surely not forgotten . . .

Discover for yourself why 10 million readers and critics worldwide love Victoria Hislop's books . . .

'Passionately engaged with its subject . . . meticulously researched' The Sunday Times

'Hislop carefully evokes the lives of Cretans between the wars and during German occupation, but most commendable is her compassionate portrayal of the outcasts' Guardian

'A page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary of circumstances' Sunday Express

'The story of life on Spinalonga, the lepers' island, is gripping and carries real emotional impact. Victoria Hislop . . . brings dignity and tenderness to her novel about lives blighted by leprosy' Telegraph

'Vivid, moving and absorbing' Observer

'A deeply moving, captivating, humane and beautiful story of enduring love, and life' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'The most powerful and gripping story I've ever read!' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'An intriguing and unusual story that keeps you turning the pages . . . The descriptions of Crete are beautiful, and you can just imagine yourself there with the blue sea and sun shining. It is a triumph in many ways, and a part of history I was unaware of' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Victoria Hislop has created a collection of wholly believable characters woven around the factual history of Spinalonga . . . A gripping and moving tale' Real Reader Review, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

*Victoria Hislop's most recent novel, THE FIGURINE, is out now.*

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Latest recommendations
Samantha O'Keefe
22nd Nov 2024
"Anyone who has been to Crete has probably taken a boat trip to Spinalonga. The island was used to house people who had contracted leprosy to keep them separate from the Crete mainland. They formed their own community on Spinalonga where they lived and died away from their family who were not affected by leprosy. Although the characters in The Island are fictional, the premise behind the story is true and the book brings to life what families went through when they were split up and the consequences. Although it is a sad story, it is also uplifting as you can imagine how the people on Spinalonga made the best of their situation and made new families."
Vittoria Doyle
6th Sep 2024
"I had such an image of the location and it made me want to visit Greece myself. I love the fact that Victoria Hislop books, although fiction are based on historical facts so you learn a lot about the areas she sets her books. I recommend reading all of her books!! Am heading to Crete this year to specifically to go to Spinalonga to see where the people affected by leprosy lived because of her book, set there."
Aimee White
4th Sep 2024
"In this book, we follow Alexis, who returns to her hometown of Plaka, a small village in Crete. Plaka faces Spinalonga - an island off the coast of Crete that was once home to a devastating part of history. From the storyline to the setting, I learned so much from reading this book. The beautiful descriptions paint a vivid picture of this part of Crete and I'd love to visit for myself one day."
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