Victoria Hislop Boeken

Thessaloniki, 1917. Terwijl Dimitri Komninos wordt geboren, legt een vlammenzee de welvarende multiculturele stad in de as. Het is de eerste in een reeks dramatische gebeurtenissen die de stad ingrijpend veranderen. Vijf jaar later vlucht een jonge vrouw, Katerina, in een wrakkig bootje naar Griekenland. Haar dorp in Klein-Azië is verwoest door Turkse troepen, waarbij ze haar moeder uit het oog verloor, en ze staat er alleen voor. Vanaf het moment dat Dimitri en Katerina elkaar ontmoeten, raken hun levens onlosmakelijk met elkaar verbonden…

Alexis Fielding staat op het punt een belangrijke beslissing in haar leven te nemen, en daarom wil ze meer weten over het verleden van haar moeder. Het enige wat Sofia kwijt wil, is dat ze haar jeugd doorbracht in een klein dorpje op Kreta voordat ze naar Londen verhuisde. Als Alexis besluit om naar Kreta te reizen, geeft Sofia haar een brief mee voor Fotini, een oude vriendin. Op Kreta vertelt Fotini wat Sofia al haar hele leven verborgen houdt: hoe haar familie verscheurd werd door ongeluk, oorlog en passie. Alexis ontdekt dat het verleden van haar familie nauw verbonden is met het kleine eiland Spinalonga, maar ook dat sommige geheimen hun nog altijd in de weg staan…

A dramatic and moving story set in the same world as the international bestseller The Island from the celebrated novelist Victoria Hislop. The absorbing story of the Cretan village of Plaka and the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga - Greece's former leper colony - is told to us by Maria Petrakis, one of the children in the original version of The Island. She tells us of the ancient and misunderstood disease of leprosy, exploring the themes of stigma, shame and the treatment of those who are different, which are as relevant for children as adults. Gill Smith's rich, full-colour illustrations will transport the reader to the timeless and beautiful Greek landscape and Mediterranean seascape.

Athens, 1941. As Nazi forces occupy Greece, the nation descends into chaos. This gripping narrative explores the darker days of Greek history through the eyes of Themis, a courageous fifteen-year-old caught in a family divided by political ideologies. The German invasion exacerbates existing tensions, leading to widespread famine and the loss of friends, which compels Themis to engage in acts of resistance. Following the occupation, she joins the Communist army during the civil war, confronting the extremes of love and hatred as Greeks fight against one another. Imprisoned on the notorious islands of Makronisos and Trikeri, she meets another prisoner, and their lives become intertwined in unforeseen ways. Themis grapples with her principles and her yearning for freedom. Reflecting on her life, she discovers the intricate connections between personal and political struggles. While some wounds may heal, others deepen, revealing the complexity of her experiences. This narrative sheds light on Greece's traumatic past and tells the epic story of an ordinary woman navigating an extraordinary life amidst turmoil.

Four novels selected and condensed by Reader's Digest.

The acclaimed million-copy number one bestseller and winner of Richard & Judy's Summer Read 2006 from Victoria Hislop is a dramatic tale of four generations, rent by war, illicit love, violence and leprosy, from the thirties, through the war, to the present day. 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 Fotini, 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...

In her irresistible new novel, Sunday Times No 1 bestselling author Victoria Hislop shines a light on the questionable acquisition of cultural treasures and the price people - and countries - will pay to cling on to them.Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors - and looters - alike.When Helena inherits her grandparents' apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime's generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them?Helena's desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island. Their finds fuel her determination to protect the precious fragments recovered from the baked earth - and to understand the origins of her grandfather's collection.Helena's attempt to make amends for some of her grandfather's actions sees her wrestle with the meaning of 'home', both in relation to looted objects of antiquity ... and herself.

The NEW Sunday Times Number One bestseller from Victoria Hislop, author of multi-million-copy bestsellers, including The Island, The Sunrise and Cartes Postales from Greece.