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Product Description
Review
'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 senstive, 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 )Product Description
An atmospheric, vibrant and moving first novel from an exciting new author.
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... (20060416)
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... (20060416)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
116 of 123 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is certainly a quality book but without being heavy like an old classic. It is well-researched and contains powerful imagery and detailed descriptions of Crete. It makes you want to go and look up the places on the internet so you can see exactly where the novel is set. It is tragic without being upsetting. This novel makes you think about how we treat people today with certain illnesses and explores class, prejudice and discrimination wonderfully. It also makes you consider those who put themselves at risk for the sake of others and humbles the reader.
The story is well structured and I was not able to guess what was going to happen in the end, but the book was so enjoyable throughout that I certainly wasn't hankering to see what would happen at the end. This is one of those books I was sad to finish and will be pushed to find one so good to read next. I will definately be buying the author's next book and would highly recommend this to anyone who likes books that let you escape abroad in your own home but with a bit of substance.
The story is well structured and I was not able to guess what was going to happen in the end, but the book was so enjoyable throughout that I certainly wasn't hankering to see what would happen at the end. This is one of those books I was sad to finish and will be pushed to find one so good to read next. I will definately be buying the author's next book and would highly recommend this to anyone who likes books that let you escape abroad in your own home but with a bit of substance.
37 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was a little dubious about this book because it seemed like so much beach holiday pulp, just the title suggests a short flight holiday with sand in everything.
I decided to give it a try though and I was pleasantly surprised. I was not overwhelmed by the character Alexis who is our way into the story, but once we went back in time to her great grandparents and the meat of the story I was engrossed.
I thought the characters were very well written, and you felt empathy with all of them, even those who were behaved badly. I thought her descriptions of places were very good and not too long, as I have a habit of wandering off during descriptive ramblings.
The pace was also good with days sometimes stretching for many pages and other times several years passing in a paragraph.
I enjoyed it very much.
I decided to give it a try though and I was pleasantly surprised. I was not overwhelmed by the character Alexis who is our way into the story, but once we went back in time to her great grandparents and the meat of the story I was engrossed.
I thought the characters were very well written, and you felt empathy with all of them, even those who were behaved badly. I thought her descriptions of places were very good and not too long, as I have a habit of wandering off during descriptive ramblings.
The pace was also good with days sometimes stretching for many pages and other times several years passing in a paragraph.
I enjoyed it very much.
38 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very touching and well written story. Hislop evokes real empathy for her characters' battles with the 'curse' of leprosy. The story details how the shame of the disease touched the lives of all affected family members, as well as the wider community. It is impossible not to feel the wrench of those who were exiled onto the leper colony of Spinalonga.
This is so well researched, that the events of the novel seemed real, without falling into the trap of writing a historical account. The plight of the central characters is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. Further enhanced by beatiful depictions of it's Cretan setting, this book will encourage tourists to trek to Crete and the infamous Spinalonga. Sit back and enjoy...
This is so well researched, that the events of the novel seemed real, without falling into the trap of writing a historical account. The plight of the central characters is so compelling that I couldn't put this book down. Further enhanced by beatiful depictions of it's Cretan setting, this book will encourage tourists to trek to Crete and the infamous Spinalonga. Sit back and enjoy...
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
CHEAP AND UNINSPIRING
Fixed frame:
Beautiful girl falls in love with handsome, strong man, though poor.
Marries instead rich man, though not so handsome. Read more
Beautiful girl falls in love with handsome, strong man, though poor.
Marries instead rich man, though not so handsome. Read more
Published 3 days ago by borge
None
this was a good book but would have been better if the text to speech was not disabled as there are many readers on the kindle find it hard to read, for example dyslexic... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Sue Mckenzie
Loved it!
I read this book on a recent holiday and can honestly say I couldn't put it down - a real page turner. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Di Lowe
fantastic
best book i have read in a long time. couldnt put it down, heart warming and heart wrentching all at the same tine
Published 12 days ago by Tilly
Great book - well worth reading
I really enjoyed this book and actually re-read it after another book or two. It also gave me some knowledge regarding leprosy and the situation regarding the disease in Greece... Read more
Published 23 days ago by Mrs. Lyn Thomas
I thought it couldn't get any worse but then we had the ending......
This was chosen for my book club's read and having recently read 'The Thread' and loved it, I was really looking forward to this. The synopsis sounded interesting. Read more
Published 1 month ago by C. Rucroft
Brilliant read
I enjoyed this book tremendously. It is a heart-rending and heart-warming story about a biblical illness in modern (relatively modern, anyway) times. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Happy Kindler
The Island - fantastic
This is one of the best books i have read and i would thoroughly recommend it. It was hard to put it down and i almost did not want to finish it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by janey
Captivating story
Thoroughly enjoyed this tale within a tale - it had everything. Beautifully written and enveloped the reader within the scenes, even feeling the characters' emotions during the... Read more
Published 1 month ago by galaxy2012
The Island by Victoria Hislop
I and my reading group chose this, none of us could put it down, it is absolutely superb and same author's other books were immediately put on our reading list. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Lottie
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