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).
I have always been fascinated by Henry VIII and his six wives. In fact, I have read several books on the subject. Catherine Howard: Henry’s Fifth Failure is the story of the king’s penultimate wife, from her birth to her death. She spent her childhood and teenage years with her step-grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. She was raised with other young nobility, and they could do pretty much what they wanted,…
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,…
This historical fiction tells the story of 5 families in different parts of the world: Wales, England, Russia, America and Germany. It takes place before, during and right after World War I. Ethel and Billy Williams are siblings in the poor mining town of Aberowen, and they want to make a better life for themselves. Earl and Maud Fitzherbert are brother and sister in the English aristocracy but they don’t agree on…
