-
Burning Island
- Narrated by: Diana Croft
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Historical Fiction
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
My Name Is Eva
- An Absolutely Gripping and Emotional Historical Novel
- By: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrated by: Diana Croft
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evelyn Taylor-Clarke sits in her chair at Forest Lawns Care Home in the heart of the English countryside, surrounded by residents with minds not as sharp as hers. It would be easy to dismiss Evelyn as a muddled old woman, but her lipstick is applied perfectly and her buttons done up correctly. Because, Evelyn is a woman with secrets, and Evelyn remembers everything. She can never forget the promise she made to the love of her life to discover the truth about the mission that led to his death, no matter what it cost her.
-
-
Disappointing in every way
- By Roberta H. de Regt on 11-01-19
By: Suzanne Goldring
-
The Outcast Girls
- A Completely Heartbreaking and Gripping World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Shirley Dickson
- Narrated by: Rosie Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1937: After a devastating childhood at Blakely Hall Orphanage, 15-year-old Sandra is released. She finds work as a housemaid, finally able to put her past behind her. But the start of World War Two throws the country into turmoil, and her brother, Alf, is sent away to fight, leaving her completely alone. Germany, 1939: Eleven-year-old Frieda is about to board a ship bound for England with her brother, Kurt. But at the last moment, as Frieda stands on the deck crammed with frightened children, she spots her brother jumping off, back to land.
-
-
Heartbreaking and Poignant
- By Jan M on 03-11-20
By: Shirley Dickson
-
The Lost Mother
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Stephanie Cannon
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1934. Homes once filled with laughter stand empty as the Nazi party’s grip on the city tightens. When Anna Tiegel’s beautiful best friend catches Reich Minister Goebbels’ special attention, an impulsive act to save her brings Anna under his unforgiving scrutiny. First, she loses her job, then slowly, mercilessly, she finds her life stripped away. After her father is killed by the Nazis, Anna’s final hope is to escape to America with her boyfriend Eddy, but when she reaches his apartment on the agreed date, she finds it deserted.
-
-
Great
- By Sybil Brown on 09-26-21
By: Catherine Hokin
-
What Only We Know
- A Heart-Wrenching and Unforgettable World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A door slammed and the unmistakable sound of boots came crashing up the hall. Liese held her little daughter’s hand so tightly, the tiny fingers had turned purple. The SS officer’s hand was at Liese’s throat before she saw him move. "I can kill you easily, then I can kill your daughter." He relaxed his grip a little. "Or perhaps I could kill her first?" England, 40 years later. When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart.
-
-
Amazing!!
- By Erin on 06-05-20
By: Catherine Hokin
-
Her Darkest Hour
- Beautiful and Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction
- By: Sharon Maas
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the small French town of Colmar, swastikas hang from lampposts, tanks are lined up outside the town hall, and 21-year-old Marie-Claire is in love. She will do anything for her childhood friend Jacques, including spying on her German boss, Dietrich Kurtz. Anything to make Jacques see her in a new light, as something more than just a silly little girl. But when Jacques rejects her, everything changes. Mortified and stung, Marie-Claire feels the need for revenge. She turns her back on those she loves and is catapulted into a new life.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Kellie on 09-16-20
By: Sharon Maas
-
The Fortunate Ones
- Beautiful and Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1941. Felix Thalberg, a printer’s apprentice, has the weight of the world on his shoulders. His beloved city is changing under Nazi rule, and at home things are no better - Felix’s father hasn’t left the house since he was forced to wear a yellow star, and his mother grows thinner every day. Then one night, Felix meets a mysterious young woman in a crowded dance hall, and his life is changed forever. Hannah is like a rush of fresh air into his gloomy, stagnant life, and Felix finds himself instantly, powerfully infatuated with her.
-
-
So disappointed
- By Amazon Customer on 03-10-20
By: Catherine Hokin
-
My Name Is Eva
- An Absolutely Gripping and Emotional Historical Novel
- By: Suzanne Goldring
- Narrated by: Diana Croft
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evelyn Taylor-Clarke sits in her chair at Forest Lawns Care Home in the heart of the English countryside, surrounded by residents with minds not as sharp as hers. It would be easy to dismiss Evelyn as a muddled old woman, but her lipstick is applied perfectly and her buttons done up correctly. Because, Evelyn is a woman with secrets, and Evelyn remembers everything. She can never forget the promise she made to the love of her life to discover the truth about the mission that led to his death, no matter what it cost her.
-
-
Disappointing in every way
- By Roberta H. de Regt on 11-01-19
By: Suzanne Goldring
-
The Outcast Girls
- A Completely Heartbreaking and Gripping World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Shirley Dickson
- Narrated by: Rosie Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
England, 1937: After a devastating childhood at Blakely Hall Orphanage, 15-year-old Sandra is released. She finds work as a housemaid, finally able to put her past behind her. But the start of World War Two throws the country into turmoil, and her brother, Alf, is sent away to fight, leaving her completely alone. Germany, 1939: Eleven-year-old Frieda is about to board a ship bound for England with her brother, Kurt. But at the last moment, as Frieda stands on the deck crammed with frightened children, she spots her brother jumping off, back to land.
-
-
Heartbreaking and Poignant
- By Jan M on 03-11-20
By: Shirley Dickson
-
The Lost Mother
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Stephanie Cannon
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1934. Homes once filled with laughter stand empty as the Nazi party’s grip on the city tightens. When Anna Tiegel’s beautiful best friend catches Reich Minister Goebbels’ special attention, an impulsive act to save her brings Anna under his unforgiving scrutiny. First, she loses her job, then slowly, mercilessly, she finds her life stripped away. After her father is killed by the Nazis, Anna’s final hope is to escape to America with her boyfriend Eddy, but when she reaches his apartment on the agreed date, she finds it deserted.
-
-
Great
- By Sybil Brown on 09-26-21
By: Catherine Hokin
-
What Only We Know
- A Heart-Wrenching and Unforgettable World War 2 Historical Novel
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 12 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A door slammed and the unmistakable sound of boots came crashing up the hall. Liese held her little daughter’s hand so tightly, the tiny fingers had turned purple. The SS officer’s hand was at Liese’s throat before she saw him move. "I can kill you easily, then I can kill your daughter." He relaxed his grip a little. "Or perhaps I could kill her first?" England, 40 years later. When Karen Cartwright is unexpectedly called home to nurse her ailing father, she goes with a heavy heart.
-
-
Amazing!!
- By Erin on 06-05-20
By: Catherine Hokin
-
Her Darkest Hour
- Beautiful and Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction
- By: Sharon Maas
- Narrated by: Naomi Frederick
- Length: 13 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the small French town of Colmar, swastikas hang from lampposts, tanks are lined up outside the town hall, and 21-year-old Marie-Claire is in love. She will do anything for her childhood friend Jacques, including spying on her German boss, Dietrich Kurtz. Anything to make Jacques see her in a new light, as something more than just a silly little girl. But when Jacques rejects her, everything changes. Mortified and stung, Marie-Claire feels the need for revenge. She turns her back on those she loves and is catapulted into a new life.
-
-
Wonderful
- By Kellie on 09-16-20
By: Sharon Maas
-
The Fortunate Ones
- Beautiful and Heartbreaking World War 2 Historical Fiction
- By: Catherine Hokin
- Narrated by: Jasmine Blackborow
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Berlin, 1941. Felix Thalberg, a printer’s apprentice, has the weight of the world on his shoulders. His beloved city is changing under Nazi rule, and at home things are no better - Felix’s father hasn’t left the house since he was forced to wear a yellow star, and his mother grows thinner every day. Then one night, Felix meets a mysterious young woman in a crowded dance hall, and his life is changed forever. Hannah is like a rush of fresh air into his gloomy, stagnant life, and Felix finds himself instantly, powerfully infatuated with her.
-
-
So disappointed
- By Amazon Customer on 03-10-20
By: Catherine Hokin
-
In Darkness, Look for Stars
- By: Clara Benson
- Narrated by: Daphne Kouma
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paris, 1941: Going against her mother’s orders, spirited Maggie devotes herself to the Resistance. Her life is a whirlwind of forged passports and secret midnight runs, helping Jews escape. Much to her high-society mother’s disapproval, she has fallen in love with Emil, a Jewish Resistance fighter who is wanted by the Nazis.
-
-
Very different type of story.
- By paula wright on 05-10-20
By: Clara Benson
-
Under a Sky on Fire
- A Gripping and Utterly Heartbreaking WW2 Historical Novel
- By: Suzanne Kelman
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the German Luftwaffe begin a terrifying bombing campaign that will come to be known as the Blitz, thousands are evacuated to safety. But Lizzie Mackenzie finds herself heading toward London. She knows she must help in the war effort. But she has another reason for leaving the security of her Scottish village: the illegitimate child she gave up for adoption nearly five years before is somewhere in the city. And - as the bombs rain down - she will stop at nothing to find her and make sure her little girl is safe.
-
-
OMG! SO GOOD
- By Happy customer on 01-21-21
By: Suzanne Kelman
-
Chateau of Secrets: A Novel
- By: Melanie Dobson
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A courageous young noblewoman risks her life to hide French resistance fighters; 70 years later, her granddaughter visits the family’s abandoned chateau and uncovers shocking secrets from the past. Gisèle Duchant guards a secret that could cost her life. Tunnels snake through the hill under her family’s medieval chateau in Normandy. Now, with Hitler’s army bearing down, her brother and several friends are hiding in the tunnels, resisting the German occupation of France. But when German soldiers take over the family’s château, Gisèle is forced to host them as well.
-
-
Unexpected Twist
- By Chastity Lee on 06-14-20
By: Melanie Dobson
-
When We Were Brave
- A Completely Gripping and Emotional WW2 Historical Novel
- By: Suzanne Kelman
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Present day, London: When Sophie discovers a photograph of her great aunt Vivi from World War II, it throws her into a world of confusion. Because, as she learns about this secret relative, she quickly realizes that the photograph doesn’t fit with her family’s story. It shows Vivi leaving an address associated with a spy network in London - a place she had no reason to be - and it is dated right before she disappeared.
-
-
One of THE best ww11 spy novels with 4 main characters
- By paula wright on 04-06-20
By: Suzanne Kelman
-
The Traitor
- By: V.S. Alexander
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1942, as war rages across Europe, a series of anonymous leaflets appears around the University of Munich, speaking out against escalating Nazi atrocities. The leaflets are hidden in public places, or mailed to addresses selected at random from the phone book. Natalya Petrovich, a student, knows who is behind the leaflets - a secret group called the White Rose, led by siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends. As a volunteer nurse on the Russian front, Natalya witnessed the horrors of war first-hand. She willingly enters the White Rose's circle....
-
-
Not all the Germans are guilty.
- By Judy Harley on 09-18-20
By: V.S. Alexander
-
The Child on Platform One
- By: Gill Thompson
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Prague, 1939. Young mother Eva has a secret from her past. When the Nazis invade, Eva knows the only way to keep her daughter, Miriam, safe is to send her away - even if it means never seeing her again. But when Eva is taken to a concentration camp, her secret is at risk of being exposed. In London, Pamela volunteers to help find places for the Jewish children arrived from Europe. Befriending one unclaimed little girl, Pamela brings her home. It is only when her young son enlists in the RAF that Pamela realises how easily her own world could come crashing down.
-
-
The child on platform one
- By Karen Hickman on 08-20-20
By: Gill Thompson
-
The Secret Letter
- By: Debbie Rix
- Narrated by: Jacqueline King
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Germany, 1939. A tumbledown farmhouse, on the outskirts of a close-knit village in the heart of the rolling hills of Bavaria. A once happy family home torn apart by Nazi rule. And one young girl who refuses to give up on what she believes in...London, 2018: When 94-year-old Imogen receives a letter addressed to her in neat, unfamiliar handwriting, she notices the postmark is stamped from Germany - and it sends shivers down her spine....
-
-
Compelling
- By Book Nerd on 01-06-20
By: Debbie Rix
-
Under Darkening Skies
- By: Ray Kingfisher
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Norway, 1940. Nazis pour into Oslo, a shroud of dread looms over the city, and eighteen-year-old Ingrid Solberg fears the worst. Under German rule, harsh rationing and the exorbitant cost of medicine threaten the lives of many, including Ingrid’s mother. And when Ingrid meets a young SS officer, she’s forced to make a desperate choice. Seventy years later, after the death of Ingrid in her adopted country of Canada, her son, Arnold, finds a disturbing letter in her belongings. He embarks on a journey to Oslo to understand his family’s history....
-
-
Very Good but Very Disturbing
- By Debbie Mathisen on 02-06-20
By: Ray Kingfisher
-
Daughter of the Reich
- A Novel
- By: Louise Fein
- Narrated by: Marisa Calin
- Length: 14 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As the dutiful daughter of a high-ranking Nazi officer, Hetty Heinrich is keen to play her part in the glorious new Thousand Year Reich. But she never imagines that all she believes and knows about her world will come into stark conflict when she encounters Walter, a Jewish friend from the past, who stirs dangerous feelings in her. Confused and conflicted, Hetty doesn’t know whom she can trust and where she can turn to, especially when she discovers that someone has been watching her.
-
-
PROFANITY KILLED THE BOOK
- By Amazon Customer on 12-16-20
By: Louise Fein
-
The Girl Who Escaped From Auschwitz:
- A totally gripping and absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 novel
- By: Ellie Midwood
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nobody leaves Auschwitz alive. Mala, inmate 19880, understood that the moment she stepped off the cattle train into the depths of hell. Edward, inmate 531, is a camp veteran and a political prisoner. They are locked up for no other sin than simply existing. But when they meet, the dark shadow of Auschwitz is lit by a glimmer of hope. Edward makes Mala believe in the impossible. That despite being surrounded by electric wire, machine guns topping endless watchtowers and searchlights roaming the ground, they will leave this death camp.
-
-
Very sorrowful book
- By paula wright on 03-30-21
By: Ellie Midwood
-
The Stolen Letter
- By: Clara Benson
- Narrated by: Daphne Kouma
- Length: 13 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Italy, 1938: When Stella arrives in Florence, it’s love at first sight. She is wowed by the rolling hills dotted with olive trees, the buttermilk villas with shuttered windows and terracotta roofs that glow gloriously in the sunlight. Even the breeze holds the scent of freedom - freedom from England, where the shadow of her past haunted her.
-
-
Brilliant writing from Clara Benson
- By NICK J. on 10-06-20
By: Clara Benson
-
The Girl from the Mountains
- By: Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
1938: Magda has led a sheltered life in her small village until the day she is forced from her home by the invading Nazi army. Torn away from her family and the only place she has ever known, she is offered refuge in an alpine villa owned by brilliant Dr, Tauber and his talented, beautiful wife. But despite having friends in high places, the Jewish Taubers are living on borrowed time. When the Gestapo come to arrest them, Magda is asked to protect something more precious than the silver and jewels they leave behind. Their newborn son Samuel.
-
-
thank you
- By BarbieAlaska on 04-08-21
Publisher's Summary
They were not her children. But she would protect them with her life....
Corfu, 1943. Though they don’t know it, five-year-old Matilde and three-year-old Anna have kissed their mother for the last time. The Nazis have reached their sun-scorched home, and they are being taken to a place of safety, on the northeastern tip of the rocky island. They are to be hidden, at great risk, by kindly Agata and her husband, until the terrible war is over.
Matilde and Anna’s tears are soothed by Agata’s bedtime stories, but she is always alert. So far, no soldiers have ventured down the steep rocky hillside to their secret haven, but Agata knows they are constantly scouring the island for missing Jews. And then, on a day when Agata’s husband is away, a German soldier appears.
Corfu, 2016. Under a baking June sun, Amber and her husband arrive in Corfu from England, hoping for a fresh start. But not everyone is pleased by their arrival, and with the pressures of pregnancy, the couple grow further apart.
Desperate to find a sense of belonging for herself and her unborn child, Amber finds herself drawn to the local story of two little girls, left by their parents and hidden for their own protection. But there are some who would rather Amber left Corfu’s terrible history well in the past.
Can Amber uncover the heart-breaking truth about the two little girls, and what happened after a German soldier took a swim in the bay by their house? If she does, can the secrets of the past help her find happiness or send her running from the island, alone?
A gripping, heart-wrenching, and compelling listen about the shadows at the heart of the sun-drenched island of Corfu and survival against all odds.
Fans of Victoria Hislop's books, The Nightingale, and The Tattooist of Auschwitz will fall in love with Burning Island.
More from the same
What listeners say about Burning Island
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carolyn R. Price
- 10-24-20
Most Excellent Read
Loved this book by Suzanne Goldring, as much as I did her book Eva. Hard to put down.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mindy H
- 02-26-20
Grabbed me from the beginning.
This heartbreaking story is told over the course of two different eras. 1944 and 2016. The transitions are seamless and easy to follow. The narrator does very well to keep the reader following along. Grab your tissues and settle in! There is a curse word or two but not enough to be offensive. All around excellent read and I will look forward to more by this author.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jan M
- 02-22-20
Secrets of the Past
Burning Island by Suzanne Golding is a compelling listen that focuses on Corfu, Greece in 1943 and 2016. I loved how the author entwined the two timeframes in this heart-wretching listen. The imagery pulled me in immediately with the tragic storyline of good vs evil. The book has some great suspense. The new perspective of Nazi occupied Greece was eye-opening to me. Diana Croft was wonderful bringing the characters to life with her voice. She painted some vivid imagery with her voice and expressions.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Becky Hales
- 11-02-20
WW II Historical Fiction
Enjoyed the book as I’m a fan of WW II historical fiction. This story goes back and forth starting w 2007 and 1944. I felt like most of the story was modern day, but the glimpse back to the war years were well written and combined in the end with the modern day characters. The author included an ending reviewing the war years for the Jews in Corfu which was insightful.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Toiannette1
- 09-22-20
Loves the story but long and drawn out.
I loved the story but it was very long and drawn out. Too many chapters and could have been shortened without losing anything.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 06-29-21
Interesting Story
While I love WWII stories especially when based on true events, this one took a while to get into..it started out slow and I tried to get to know the characters..Eventually it became interesting when the story was in the June 1944 version. I could not warm up to 2008 timeline and the husband Greg.. and as the end of their story was unfolding I hated that wife became so hardened and how she handleded things especially with the baby and Dad..
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Irene Morales
- 02-19-21
Compelling, enthralling and emotional
Took a couple chapters to get my footing but then I was all in. Beautiful imagery and thoughtful stories.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DeRoseBreathe
- 07-27-20
I loved it
Once I figured out how we were jumping from story to story I was hooked. One of the best books.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- V
- 06-19-20
my review
interesting ,liked that it kept to the historical information, I liked the book, just not overly so.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- L.Long0112
- 02-23-20
It was ok.
The story was a bit difficult to follow for the first hour. After that it got better. The narrator was ok.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Maggie Kiely
- 02-06-20
Great read
This is the story of James and Amber in modern times with a split timeline to Matilda and Anna two Jewish children during World War II
The children were hidden and protected by an older couple in Corfu called Georgiou and Agnes
It is interesting to see how the two time periods are intertwined in the beautiful island of Corfu with the Mediterranean sea as a backdrop
James and Amber move to Corfu to start a new life yet they do not know what heartbreak faces them. They start a dream restaurant make new acquaintances and friends. What faces them is the breakdown of their lives together with the loss of their home and lifestyle
Amber learns of the story of the Jewish people living on the island during the war and how they were transported by cattle cars to Auschwitz. For most, the trip brought death and the gas chamber their destiny at their destination.
Both stories were well told and I wanted to read at every opportunity. It is thrilling and heartbreaking in equal measure.
It is particularly apt at the moment with the 75th Anniversary of Auschwitz-Birkenau liberation I loved this book and would recommend.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- TG
- 02-06-20
What a cracking listen!
5* for narrator who was excellent and 5* for the story. I was engrossed from the beginning, loved the characters and the two stories. A truly great book, thoroughly enjoyed it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall

- Christineb
- 02-02-20
Three Stars
I thought this story was ok not brilliant or too full not to finish but just ok The storyline did have a bit of substance near the end It did feature facts of Corfu involvement in WW2
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Amazon Customer
- 03-14-22
A must!
A compelling listen. Such a good insight into the suffering which occurred on Corfu and the after effects of the war there. Beautifully narrated.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Miriam
- 06-05-20
Excellent
Though it took me a while to sort out the two storylines. Well constructed and an enjoyable book.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Bethany Gordon
- 02-28-20
Interesting
A dual time frame novel, set in 1944 and the present on Corfu. It interweaved what happened to the Corfu Jewish population with a modern day story. The 1944 story was really interesting as it was a fiction version of what happened in 1944, a story I wasn't aware of in the Island's history. The modern day story brought to life the island and locations used in the story however I wasn't as keen on this element of the story as I didn't really connect with the characters, finding the historical aspects much more absorbing. The story moved along well and the historical notes at the end were interesting.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- niamh bonner
- 02-11-20
Interesting history of Corfu
Thus is an interesting book. It tells 2 stories set in Corfu. It made me wistful for vine draped terraces and good food. The stories are set 60 odd years apart. Both interesting and informative.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- SandraL
- 02-09-20
Heartbreaking
I have holidayed in Corfu a couple of times but knew nothing of what happened to the Jews during the German occupation in 1944.
The book takes place in two different periods, 1944 and 2006/7. Amber and James's story was given much more prominence in the book, and although I enjoyed hearing about how they ended up on Corfu, building up their business, it became a bit repetitive. The 1944 time period was much more absorbing and I wish this had featured more prominently. The plight of the Jews is sensitively written but Isaac, Perla and Rebekka's inhuman journey to Auschwitz was heartbreaking to read and quite a few tears were shed. Anna and Matilde's story was also totally engaging.
I didn't connect very much with the present day characters, apart from Inge and Marion, but the characters from 1944 were all brilliantly written.
The historical notes at the end of the book were very poignant. The author has obviously researched the subject very well.
Excellent narration by Diana Croft who did a great job with all the different voices.