The Island: The million-copy Number One bestseller 'A moving and absorbing holiday read'

· Hachette UK
4.5
86 reviews
Ebook
300
Pages

About this ebook

'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.*

Ratings and reviews

4.5
86 reviews
Jayne Harrison
April 23, 2016
A very engaging story that is populated by realistic characters. Fascinating to learn about Crete's history and leprosy but you don't realise that you are learning because the plot carries you forward. A good holiday read.
1 person found this review helpful
Charlotte Chesman
October 21, 2014
One of the best books I've ever read. Victoria Hislop writes so beautifully, bringing fiction to life through factual history. Couldn't put it down and it inspired me to visit 'the island'. A must read.
A Google user
November 30, 2011
I loved this book. It was a brilliant read, full of emotion and thrill, yet at the same time educates you about greece in the war. Love it!

About the author

Victoria Hislop is the multi-million copy bestselling author of eight books, including The Island, The Return, The Thread, The Sunrise, Those Who are Loved, The Last Dance and Other Stories and Cartes Postales from Greece. Her books have been translated into forty languages. Her most recent novel, One August Night, returned to Crete in the long-anticipated sequel to The Island and spent twelve weeks in the Top 10 hardback fiction charts.

Victoria was executive producer on the adaptations of The Island, Cartes Postales and One August Night for Greek television - and recently took part in Dancing with the Stars, also on Greek television.

Victoria divides her time between England and Greece and, in 2020, was granted honorary citizenship by the President of Greece. She was recently granted an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Sheffield and is patron of Knossos 2025, which has raised funds to rebuild the new research centre at one of Greece's most significant archaeological sites. She is also on the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles.

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