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The Island
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Product Description
On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her motherâs 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 stoneâs throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga â Greeceâs former leper colony. Then she finds Fortini, 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... (20070101)
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #187 in Books
- Published on: 2006-04-10
- Binding: Paperback
- 496 pages
Editorial Reviews
Review
âAt last â a beach book with a heart... Meticulous research into Cretan culture...packed with family sagas, doomed love affairs, devastating secrets... She also forces us to reflect on illness, both the nasty, narrow-mindedness of the healthy and the spirit of survival in the so-called âuncleanâ. Her message seems as relevant today as it would have been a century agoâ Observer (Observer 20060416)
âWar, tragedy and passion unfurl against a Mediterranean backdrop in this engrossing debut novelâ You magazine (You magazine 20060430)
âPassionately engaged with its subject...the author has meticulously researched her fascinating background and medical factsâ The Sunday Times (The Sunday Times 20061203)
âA promising debutâ Grazia magazine (Grazia )
âA page-turning tale that reminds us that love and life continue in even the most extraordinary of circumstancesâ Sunday Express (Sunday Express )
âWonderful descriptions, strong characters and an intimate portrait of island existenceâ Woman & Home (Woman & Home )
'A moving and atmospheric tale' The Scotsman (The Scotsman )
'Hislop's deep research, imagination and patent love of Crete creates a convincing portrait of times on the island. She writes evocatively of the minutiae of traditional life... She...manages to milk the dramatic potential of each unexpected twist and broken engagement, of the ruined and resurrected lives of her characters... A moving and absorbing holiday read that pulls at the heart strings' Evening Standard (Evening Standard )
'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
(Telegraph )
'A heartrending tale of love, loss and passion'
( Good Book Guide )'A beautiful tale of enduring love and unthinking prejudice'
(Express )'A must-have on every intelligent holiday-maker's beach towel'
(Books Quarterly )'Adding depth and colour to the story is the description of Cretan life... in particular, the vividly detailed account of life on Spinalonga... It is one of the achievements of this thoughtful novel that it presents the lives of the island's inhabitants with such empathy. The result is a fascinating work that combines a moving love story witha plea for more understanding about this most cruel of diseases.'
(The Times )'This is a vivid, moving and absorbing tale, with its sensitive, realistic engagement with all the consequences of, and stigma attached to leprosy, elevating it beyond holiday literature.'
(Observer )'Gently gripping tale'
(Scotsman on Sunday )'Brings dignity and tenderness to her novel'
(Telegraph )'a compelling story that has rarely left the bestseller list this year and deservedly so'
(Sunday Express )
Synopsis
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 Fortini, 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...
About the Author
Victoria Hislop is a writer and journalist. She writes travel features for the Sunday Telegraph, the Mail on Sunday and a number of magazines. She also writes regular features on education for the Daily Telegraph, and celebrity profiles for Woman & Home. Victoria lives in Kent with her husband, Ian Hislop, and their two children. (20070101)
Customer Reviews
The prose lets down the story
The Island was a fascinating read completely let down by bad writing. I read once that a book "worked at the level of the sentence" and this is a novel that definitely does NOT work at the level of the sentence. Some of it was embarrassingly amateur. However, the story held my attention so I persevered. If only some great writers could have access to Hislop's ideas or Hislop could have access to their writing skills! Worth reading on a lazy holiday, but not if time is precious.
AMAZING!!!!
I read this book whilst on holiday in Greece and I was totally absorbed. It is beautifully written, I felt that I was there in Plaka and could visulise Spinalonga in my mind so clearly. I am very sad that I am nearly at the end. I would recommend this to everyone. Fantastic!! & a must.Well done to Victoria Hislop I can't wait to read the next book.
Fab Read, for a holiday or not
I loved this book: I found it beautifully, sensitively written, and obviously thoroughly well-researched. Highly recommended. A fantastic achievement for a first novel. The Island far exceeded my expectations. Looking forward to reading her new book.
