When I posted my review of The Island, Victoria Hislop’s novel about Spinalonga, a couple of friends asked if I’d also read the sequel – One August Night. I hadn’t, but I’m very easily lead, so immediately bought it – and then saved it for when we were in Crete on holiday.

Here’s the blurb:

“25th August 1957. The island of Spinalonga closes its leper colony. And a moment of violence has devastating consequences.
When time stops dead for Maria Petrakis and her sister, Anna, two families splinter apart and, for the people of Plaka, the closure of Spinalonga is forever coloured with tragedy.
In the aftermath, the question of how to resume life looms large. Stigma and scandal need to be confronted and somehow, for those impacted, a future built from the ruins of the past.
Number one bestselling author Victoria Hislop returns to the world and characters she created in The Island – the award-winning novel that remains one of the biggest selling reading group novels of the century. It is finally time to be reunited with Anna, Maria, Manolis and Andreas in the weeks leading up to the evacuation of the island… and beyond.”

The sequel cleverly interweaves the final chapters of The Island – starting just as the leper colony is going to be disbanded – so you know some of the storyline already (but having said that, One August Night would work as a standalone book – but I would suggest you should read The Island first anyway!) I’d expected it to bridge the gap between the ‘present day’ and historic elements of The Island – but it’s actually only for a very short period, and doesn’t bring in the more recent characters at all. It focusses on Maria and Manolis and their supporting family and friends, old and new.

Maria has stayed locally – albeit just down the coast in Agios Nikolaos – whilst Manolis leaves immediately after that fateful August night – and his travels and subsequent new life are well described and evocative. The fall out from that evening is examined from all of the people it has affected, and it is really well written.

It was lovely to be reunited with all of the characters – and reading the book whilst being able to see Spinalonga from the hotel was amazing. We visited Spinalonga by boat one day, walked to Plaka another, and drove to Agios Nikoloas in torrential rain another day and Mum and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing both books brought to life. And obviously the rest of the family loved us sharing everything we knew!!