While on vacation in Crete, Alexis Fielding arrives in Plaka to find out more about her mother’s secret past, linked to the abandoned island of Spinalonga, Greece’s former leper colony.
Quote
“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.”
Interesting Facts
Victoria Hislop finds inspiration for her books in physical places and old buildings. That’s what happened when she visited Spinalonga. The history and the atmosphere of the island made her want to tell a story set in this place. Her research took her about 2 years, and her writing another year.1
The author owns a home in Crete, and spends her summers there, writing and swimming. She also often rents an apartment in Athens. She spends as much time in Greece as she can, as she fell in love with its landscapes, its culture and its food.1
Victoria Hislop used to be a travel writer, and she visited more than 50 countries and 40 Greek Islands. She started travelling when she was 17 years old in 1977. She also travelled on book tours to countries she would never have thought of visiting otherwise.2
Victoria Hislop is an honorary citizen of Greece since 20203, and she now speaks Greek fluently.4
In 2021, the author wrote a children’s version of The Island, called Maria’s Island.3
Right after going through a lumpectomy and radiotherapy for breast cancer, Victoria Hislop participated in the Greek version of Dancing With the Stars. In her 60s, she beat contestants 30 years younger than her.4
Cécile Sune was born in Lyon, France, and her obsession with books started when she was 14. Her grandparents had lent her Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, and she spent part of the summer indoors reading. Needless to say, her tan didn't really improve that year! It was also around that time that Cécile fell in love with the English language. Several years later, in 1999, Cécile moved to Toronto, Canada, with her cat and 5 suitcases. Her love of reading greatly increased when she discovered that English books were much cheaper than French novels. In 2013, she decided to start a blog to share her passion. Cécile now lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband and their daughter, and works as a freelance translator (CS Revision).
Summary In 1739, 16-year-old Eliza Lucas’ father leaves her in charge of three plantations in South Carolina while he goes to Antigua to advance his military career. Eliza, who has a passion for botany, decides to try to grow indigo to better her family’s finances. However, extracting the dye from the plant is not a simple process, and she needs help which is hard to get when men don’t take…
Summary In 1868, Abigail Sinclair, the 17-year-old daughter of a plantation owner, arrives in the Outer Banks to spend the summer by the ocean with her family. Her father, Nolan, spends time with a local young fisherman, Benjamin Whimble, who helps him find the best places to hunt and fish. Eventually, Abigail is asked to teach Ben how to read and write. A friendship blossoms between the two young people,…
It is the end of summer 1876, and San Francisco has been struck by a heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. Jenny Bonnet, a frog-hunting woman dressed in men’s clothes, is riding her bicycle when she collides with Blanche Beunon, a burlesque dancer and prostitute. This is the start of an unexpected friendship that will end a month later when Jenny is shot dead in a saloon at San Miguel Station. Blanche is…
