This shopping feature will continue to load items when the enter key is pressed. We just couldnt have a book corner without including the awardwinning author, journalist, selfconfessed lover of all things greek and honorary greek wives club member victoria hislop after reading english at oxford, victoria worked in publishing, pr and as a journalist before becoming a novelist. She divides her time among rural kent, london, and crete. Victoria hislop talks to james naughtie about her debut novel the island, a fictional account of a real life leper colony on the island. The novel is beautifully written and hislop has a descriptive style with the ability to evoke beautiful imagery for the reader. The book brought back fond memories of my trip to crete a few years ago and i regret now not having visited spinalonga. The island victoria hislop paperback harpercollins publishers. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. After a spanish sojourn in her followup, the return, hislop is back in the greece she clearly so adores. Radio 4s bookclub is on at 4pm this sunday 2 september and is repeated on thursday 6 september at 3. The official fan page of bestselling author victoria hislop, brought to you by her uk publishers, headline. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
She worked as a journalist and in publishing before writing her first novel, the island, inspired by her love of greece. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. But the difference between this book and hislops previous offerings is that it is not. Just off the coast is the tiny island of spinalonga, where the nations leper colony once was locateda place that has haunted four generations of petrakis women. As bad as the situation was in the island, the author produced a memorable and enjoyable novel. But the group did find spinalonga to be very interesting. Victoria hislop s first novel the island is an international bestseller. First published in 2005, the island has now sold over a million copies. After reading english at oxford, victoria worked in publishing, pr and as a journalist before becoming a novelist. Diane gave us a good summary of all that she liked about the book, and the subsequent discussion showed that most members found it a good read.
The novel, successful in britain, will probably be a popular beach read and book club selection this summer. We all agreed that greek village life and the cretan landscape were well written, and felt that the. From novels like the island, the sunrise, the thread, and the return to short story collections like the story. Keen to preserve the integrity of the book and to give something back to the mediterranean island on which it is based, hislop spurning hollywood, the author settled for. Just off the coast is the tiny island of spinalonga, where the nations leper colony once was. The return by victoria hislop book club discussion. We also try to associate books, where possible, with.
September 2, 2012 victoria hislop talks to james naughtie and readers about her debut novel the island, a fictional account of a real life leper colony, the island of spinalonga, just off the coast of crete. The book was also nominated for the book of the year award at the same event. Just off the coast is the tiny island of spinalonga, where the nations leper colony once was locateda place that has haunted four generations of. Victoria hislop, author of the island, returns with. The aim of the bad bugs book club is to get people interested in science, specifically. Victoria hislop has 31 books on goodreads with 142 ratings. One of the best things about this novel is the way.
Apparently, victoria hislop visited spinalonga and was fascinated by the island and its history and got inspired to write a family saga where part of it takes place on spinalonga. Inspired by a visit to spinalonga, the abandoned greek leprosy colony, victoria hislop wrote the island in 2005. The island by victoria hislop the aim of the bad bugs book club is to get people interested in science, specifically microbiology, by reading books novels in which infectious disease forms some part of the story. Beautifully imagined, wellresearched and evocatively told, victoria hislops the island recreates a leper colony of the 1930s and follows its inmates and neighbors on the island of crete through the second world war to the present day.
The frame for the story is alexis fielding, a young woman whose greek mother sofia is. Richard and judy introduce cartes postales from greece by. The island victoria hislop, 2005 harpercollins 480 pp. Victoria hislops novel, the island, a bestseller that seemed to come from nowhere uses that place to spin a marvelous yarn. In that novel, i thought the author handled a horrid historic event without being overly oppressive or depressing. The sunrise by victoria hislop i became a major fan of victoria hislop after reading the island. The island is definitely on my best read books list. Victoria hislop talks to james naughtie and readers about her debut novel the island, a fictional account of a real life leper colony, the island of spinalonga, just off the coast of crete. Born in bromley, kent now part of london, she was raised in tonbridge, kent, and attended tonbridge grammar school. It has won several awards including newcomer of the year at the 2007 british book awards. This book gave us scope for a very successful discussion. It became an international bestseller, published in thirty languages with over 3 million copies sold worldwide, and was turned into a 26 part greek tv series.
The island, victoria hislop readingbook group discussion points. Just off the coast is the tiny island of spinalonga, where the nations leper colony o. We felt that there could have been more development of many of the characters in the book and also some felt the. The island by victoria hislop posted on july 23, 20 by kimberlykrobeson ill start by saying that this novel is set in greeceand for that reason alonei was interested. It has been translated into more than 20 languages. Richard and judy talk to victoria hislop about her summer book club 2012 title the thread. Plots are so strong that even the occasional cliche doesnt jar too much. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors. The island victoria hislop this is a story that follows the lives of four generations of women in the same family and their connection with the greek leper colony that was situated on the cretan island of spinalonga up until 1957. The island by victoria hislop reading guidebook club.
The island victoria hislop this book gave us scope for a very. Thank you to everyone else for their suggestions some great ones which may turn up on other months. It takes a brave writer to set her first novel on a greek island, to populate it with an. She studied english at st hildas college, oxford and worked in publishing and as a journalist before becoming an author. It takes a brave writer to set her first novel on a greek island, to populate it with an assortment of eccentric characters and follow the.
Victoria hislop is the internationally bestselling author of the island and the return. Diane gave us a good summary of all that she liked about the book, and. Bestknown for her evocative and thoroughly researched historical novels, set against the backdrop of southern europe particularly greece victoria hislop is one of the uks bestselling novelists. The petrakis family lives in the small greek seaside village of plaka. Weve chosen the island by victoria hislop a classic and perfect for the holiday and the sort of book you can read time and again. It held the number one spot in the sunday times paperback chart for eight consecutive weeks and has sold over one million copies. At last a beach book with a heart books the guardian.
Buy a cheap copy of the island book by victoria hislop. Greece beguiled her many years ago and her novels are a hymn of passion to the country. Bringing out her first fictional novel in 2005, the writer victoria hislop had only written nonfiction up until that point. Set on the island of spinalonga, off the coast of crete, and on the village of plaka which lies within swimming. Spinalonga, the last leper colony in europe, inspired a bestseller but meeting exsufferer manoli proved even more inspiring victoria hislop fri 20 may 2011 19.
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