As if possessed by the power of the music, he rose from his seat… The movements were personal but the tradition of the zeibékiko was known to everyone. From the synopsis I expected there to be drama, suspense (from the confrontation of the stigma and scandal) and lively dialogue. Her first novel, The Island, held the number one slot in the Sunday Times paperback charts for eight consecutive weeks and has sold over two million copies worldwide. Although it’s an event that will be no surprise to those who have read The Island, One August Night concentrates on the ramifications for those involved, for their families and friends, as well as for the wider community.

Having read all of Victoria's books and really enjoyed them, I was keen to read this sequel to The Island. I must admit I thought this One August Night would carry on from one of my favourite books ever The Island. At just 240 pages this is a short book and here’s where the problem lies, Victoria Hislop has written a book that is steeped in Greek island atmosphere, but sadly I found the characters and the plot lacked the depth I expect from this author. I think if you read and loved The Island you may be slightly disappointed with One August Night, but that’s only my humble opinion. In recounting its consequences, the author explores the strong ties of family that underpin Greek society including the concept of philótimo, or honour.Victoria Hislop's first novel, 'The Island' has stayed with me since it was written in 2005 and inspired my own visit to Spinalonga. However, anyone who has read Hislop’s previous novels will have the same expectations of a deep, history rich, evocative story - and this book is nowhere near that league. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island. Though this mentions the closing of the leper colony on Spinalonga, the remainder of the story is unrelated.

Blue hardback (two small dents and nick on the edges of the cover, gilt lettering to the spine) with Dj cover (a couple of small creases, nicks and scratches on the edges of the Dj cover), both in near fine condition.No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins. White hardback (white lettering to the spine) with Dj (small nick on the edges of the Dj cover), both in fine condition.

Paper browning, normal reading/storage marks, pages clean, overall in good condition, signed by the author. Victoria Hislop read English at Oxford, and worked in publishing, PR and as a journalist before becoming a novelist. The dialogue was mostly gentle and sanguine - no family dramas, despite the fact the families had been ‘splintered’. Focusing particularly on the lives of Maria and Manolis in the years that follow, the author takes the reader beyond Plaka, and indeed beyond the island of Crete, as both Maria and Manolis struggle with the legacy of that eventful August night.For more infomation please review our use of cookies in our Cookie Policy and then Accept and Close this bar. This novel focuses on the story of Anna, Manolis, Andreas and Maria - maybe because I wasn’t invested in any of the characters enough (even Maria, who was so central to The Island), it felt like I was reading a novel based on a soap, or something a lot less substantial. In the whole, the book did not introduce any new storyline, intriguing enough for the reader, and it lacked in quality, compared to the Island. 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. Having said that, in just 240 pages, there is not as much room for the intricate depth and range of characters as in 'The Island'.

The historical element which gives us details regarding the island where the leprosy patients were treated has taught me something also that i didnt know. A short story collection, One Cretan Evening, was published in September and both a third novel, The Thread is published in English in October and in Greek in November 2011.As someone who has loved all of Hislop’s previous books, including ‘The Island’, I was so excited when I saw that she was releasing this sequel. Anyone expecting to experience the same deep psychological insight into the characters of The Island', may feel a slight sense of disappointment by this sequel.