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…

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...

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.

'Intelligent and immersive... a poignant, compelling family saga' The Sunday Times The No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller from the million-copy best-selling author of The Island, The Thread, and The Return. In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island's most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the Özkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city's façade of glamour and success, tension is building. When a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos, Cyprus faces a disastrous conflict. Turkey invades to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, and Famagusta is shelled. Forty thousand people seize their most precious possessions and flee from the advancing soldiers. In the deserted city, just two families remain. This is their story. Praise for The Sunrise. . . 'Fascinating and moving' The Times 'An imaginative tour de force, and a great read' Daily Mail 'An absorbing tale about family, friendship, loyalty and betrayal' Good Housekeeping 'Heartbreaking' Essentials 'Vibrant... Hislop brings history to life in this compelling tale' Tatler 'Fascinating' Sunday Mirror

'I think few of the stories in Loss will leave readers cold...' Victoria Hislop, bestselling author and champion of the short story, has chosen her favourite short stories by women writers. Here are prizewinners, famous wits, well-known feminists, national treasures and rising stars. All the stories in this volume are about loss: lost lives, lost loves, lost innocence, even a lost leopard. The many ways in which loss touches our lives are shown in these varied stories. CONTRIBUTORS: Katherine Mansfield, Elizabeth Bowen, Dorothy Parker, Shirley Jackson, Flannery O'Connor, Elizabeth Taylor, Jean Rhys, Anna Kavan, Muriel Spark, Ellen Gilchrist, Penelope Fitzgerald, Lorrie Moore, Hilary Mantel, Susan Hill, Colette Paul, Yiyun Li, Helen Simpson, Edna O'Brien, Edith Pearlman, Emma Donoghue, Carrie Tiffany and Lucy Wood.