The Island (by Victoria Hislop)

I had never read anything by Victoria Hislop, although two or three friends had recommended her books to me. Even when I saw a couple of the books on a church stall,  I hesitated, as they looked long and perhaps a bit heavy. But I decided to try them, although it’s taken me nearly three years to pick one of them up to read.

The one I chose was ‘The Island’, although I had no idea what it was about. Apparently it was the author's debut novel. It starts with a brief prologue set in 1953 as a you...