Shannon's Library

LET’S GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS BOOK!

Just off the coast of Crete is a tiny island, formally known as Spinalonga. This barren place housed exiled Greek lepers from 1903-1957. The Petrakis family lives in a small coastal village just miles ashore from Spinalonga. When Eleni Petrakis is sent to the island in 1937, she is forced to leave her husband and two daughters. Over the next few generations, Spinalonga continues to play an integral part in the lives of the Petrakis women. This novel is a moving family drama, set against the intriguing backdrop of Greek culture and traditions. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Keep reading below for my full review and a more in-depth look into the history of Spinalonga.

Shannon’s Rating — PG-13

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LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK!

I first read this book over a decade ago. I remember liking it enough that it ended up on my “Favorites Shelf” when I created my library a few years ago. I’ve been wanting to re-read it for a while now. Well, I finally did. And… I still love it! (Such a relief to know that it hasn’t been residing on the “Favorites Shelf” undeservingly!) I have a problem now, though. Everyone I know who has read this book, read it years ago. Now that it is fresh in my mind again, I REALLY need to discuss some parts of it with somebody. It’s driving me crazy! So, here is my plea…please, someone, read this book and then message me, call me, text me, or email me! I need to chat!

“The Island,” by Victoria Hislop, follows the story of four generations of Greek women. They are part of the Petrakis family, who live in a small seaside village on the island of Crete. Just off the coast of their village is Spinalonga, a tiny, barren island where lepers from all over Greece are exiled. Eleni Petrakis is sent to Spinalonga in 1939 and separated from her husband and two daughters, Maria and Anna. Years later, in 2002, Eleni’s great-granddaughter, Alexis, travels to Crete searching for long-buried answers about her mother’s family. As she learns about these Petrakis women and their connection to the island of Spinalonga, family secrets are uncovered, and old wounds are healed.

Before reading this book, I had never heard about Spinalonga or the leper colony that resided there. Learning about this small island’s sad, yet resilient, history was inspiring.

During the 19th century, misconceptions about leprosy abounded. In the Greek islands this was especially true. At first, the disease was thought to be hereditary. When it was proven to be infectious, fears about lepers grew and the decision was made to remove those infected with the disease from the mainstream population. The island of Spinalonga, just off the north coast of Crete, became Greece’s main leper colony. Spinalonga eventually came to hold over 400 inhabitants. At first, living conditions were abysmal. People were sent to the island with no infrastructure, no running water, no heat or electricity – to simply wait out their deaths in misery. In 1936, however, things on the island began to change. A young man named; Epaminondas Remountakis contracted leprosy and was exiled to Spinalonga. As a student of law, he spent years advocating for the rights of Spinalonga’s inhabitants and eventually their living conditions greatly improved. Shops were opened, gardens were planted, homes were built, and they even constructed a theater where the latest movies were shown a few times a week. Spinalonga became a functioning community and a more bearable place to live. People fell in love, got married and raised children. It was now a place to live, not merely a place to survive. By 1957, medicine had improved to the point where leprosy was curable, and the island was evacuated. It is now a heavily visited tourist site, where thousands of travelers come to see the ruins of this once vibrant leper colony.

Spinalonga was known throughout the years as The Island of Tears, or The Grave of the Living. Through following the characters in this novel, it was fascinating to learn how life on Spinalonga was so much more than just unending misery. Congratulations, Victoria Hislop, for writing such an inspiring piece of historical fiction! Well done!

On a side note…There is a Greek television series called, “To Nisi” based on this novel. It premiered in October 2010 to record ratings in Greece! Here’s the trailer for the series…