I am sure I am not alone as someone who read and loved The Island - but it was some time ago, so I was intrigued to pick up One August Night, the sequel to The Island, after all this time. I was a little bit concerned that so much time had passed, would I remember enough to really enjoy the sequel and would it live up to my high expectations?

i needn’t have worried - it didn’t take me long to remember why I love Hislop’s writing, It is so evocative and transports you to Greece so effectively, and the historical element is added with such a light, but fascinating, touch. Cleverly, Hislop opens the book slightly before the end of The Island, filling in the gaps about exactly what happened, and then goes on to explore the aftermath of the events. She allows us to revisit the characters we got to know and love in The Island and follow their lives as they try to move forward after all that has happened. It is a different book to The Island and less about Spinalonga, but I for one loved the opportunity to hear more about Manolis, Maria, Andreas and Antonis. It’s a relatively short book but it had me swept up while I was reading it - I was absorbed from the beginning and my only minor criticism would be that I would have liked more.

'One August Night' is a sequel to @The Island' but can be read as a standalone.
As several events collide in August, so many lives are changed forever.
Victoria Hislop brings island life on Crete to life, the close family connections, traditions and the beautiful countryside.
When the story moves further afield, the new characters merge effortlessly into the storyline. some moral issues are deftly dealt with, allowing the reader to see all sides of the situations.
I enjoyed this novel and recommend it even if you have not yet had the pleasure of reading 'The Island'.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Review for allowing me to read ##OneAugustNight by #VictoriaHislop.
Having seen some poor reviews for this book I was a bit unsure about reading this but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
No it doesn’t have the depth of The island but it completes the story and is well worth reading.
I would recommend reading The Island first.

Fantastic! Brilliant!
This long awaited sequel to “The Island” will not disappoint you.
I have read this book today in one sitting - the writing draws you straight in, you feel like you are there alongside these characters. The characters come alive, the descriptions of Crete make you feel like you can feel the heat of the sun and smell the delicious food cooking in the tavernas.
What can I say, a fabulous book, a fabulous story executed with perfection! I rated it a strong 5 stars and a must read book for this summer!!

This brings closure to the book The Island . It was not the intense read that the former . It showed how the families were broken apart by further tragedy.

This is of course the much awaited followup to The Island. For many reasons The Island is almost a classic, it has history and personal stories, emotion and a beautiful location. Any follow up was always bound to do well. Its just that in my eyes it didnt quiet live up to expectation. I think i should have just reread The Island and left it at that.

On the whole I do love Victoria Hislops books, I wonder was she asked to write this? I wasnt as invested in the characters as I was with The Island. I desperately wanted to love them, having been to Crete and Spinalonga after reading the Island.

It is a pity and i wanted to like it but was disappointed.

The Island would have to be my all time favourite book. I’ve lost count the number of times I have recommended the story. Receiving the ARC of the 2nd instalment was like winning the lottery to me. I waited until I could set aside a day with no interruptions so I could immerse myself into the story and characters.
However, the book fell flat. It didn’t grip me and the time line just kept jumping from weeks to months. At times it was a struggle to keep up. To be fair it felt more like a story about Manoli with a bit of Maria thrown in to keep you happy. The events that happened on that August night didn’t sweep you up with emotion. Personally, I think this sound not be seen as a follow up as it’s not a patch on the first. However, it might just be that the The Island was a book that no other piece of literary can compete against.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to see an arc.

One August Night is the sequel to Victoria Hislop’s 2005 novel, The Island.

The book begins in 1957, when the discovery of a cure for leprosy finally allowed the Island’s inhabitants to return to their former lives on the mainland. Somewhat surprisingly, although the attitudes that Maria encounters upon her reintegration in society do feature, this is not the focus of the novel. Rather, we concentrate on the characters of Anna, Andreas and Manolis and the events that follow that “One August Night”.

Finding a satisfactory balance between historical setting, plot and characterisation is a challenge faced by all writers of historical fiction and I have found some of Victoria Hislop’s more recent works decidedly lacking in this regard, often feeling more like history textbooks. Thankfully this is not an issue with One August Night – here the characters are firmly at the forefront and have stayed with me beyond the final page.

This book is inevitably less powerful that its predecessor, but is a worthwhile and enjoyable read nonetheless.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sequel to The Island, set in Crete it follows up on the lives of people we met in the first book, very descriptive you feel you are on the island with them, after the evacuation of the leper colony and how their lives now develope including a murder, time in prison and a move away by one character.
But a secret that has been kept for many years, appears to come forward too late to change anything as the person who needs to know it as moved on.

I read and enjoyed the previous book in the series, The Island, some time ago, so I was thrilled to see a sequel. And i wasn't disappointed - this book starts where the previous finished.
The author reminds you of how The Island finished eloquently and without labouring the point or missing any important detail out. Then we move into the swing of the book, and it is another page turner. What makes it even more interesting is the historical detail, which the author has spent a lot of time researching - and it shows.
If you enjoyed The Island, you will enjoy this. If you haven't read The Island, I suggest you read it before this one, as it will make a lot more sense.

Highly enjoyable read - highly recommended.

I absolutely loved The Island and the sequel instantly transports you back to Greece. I love Victoria Hislops writing, it is so evocative and really draws you into the story. It is compelling and I am absolutely loved it. One small thing is that I was a bit disappointed by the ending, it didn't quite wrap things up the way I had hoped - maybe I just wasn't ready for the book to end..

As a continuation to the very successful book The Island I started reading with a little bit of apprehension, I found my fears were unfounded because I really loved the book. The story flowed well and the setting was idyllic. It could easily be read as a stand-alone, although snippets of the island came back to me even though it was a long time since I read it.

3 ½ stars really. I had not read 'The Island' so was reading both books at the same time. There is a slight overlap and this sequel covers partly the same story but from Maria's eye view. Weirdly, I have just finished 'Ariadne' and as well as the Greek setting, Anna & Maria rather reminded me of Phaedra & Ariadne. 'One August Night' seems a much shorter book and unlike 'The Island', did not reduce me to tears. Many years ago, I visited a small place in Cyprus specifically for leprosy sufferers. Nothing like Spinalonga but one very elderly lady had been there since a teenager, very sad. Excellent storytelling by Hislop, I have read many of her books and none have disappointed but this does seem to lack something. Like the first, it is full of detail regarding the clothes, traditions, food etc. I do think you need to have read 'The Island' before starting this one. Leaves you a bit hanging at the end and may disappoint some readers. I did enjoy the story but not really quite so much! Thanks to Netgalley.

The story is set on the island of Crete during the 1950s and is the follow up book to The Island. The island is celebrating the end of leprosy and a big party is being held to welcome home the survivors. But with the stigma of the disease it was never going to be straightforward.

I really enjoyed this book and being transported to the Greek Islands. It was nice to revisit the story again and find out what happened to the characters. I always enjoy books that add some factual elements to a story and learning more about leprosy and the consequences of the disease were an eye opener.

The follow up to The Island was definitely worth the wait. One August Night follows the characters we met in The Island and deals with the aftermath of the return of the people cured of leprosy from Spinalonga. It is such a moving story of love and tragedy - I was so invested in all of the characters that I didn't want the story to end.

So disappointed with this book. I read and loved the island and was really looking forward to the sequel. I found the writing colourless and pedestrian and by chapter 5 I really didn’t care what happened to the one dimensional characters. Such a shame as the Island was outstanding.

One August is the sequel to the hugely popular The Island by Victoria Hislop. I was really excited to get the opportunity to review this book but unfortunately I have to say I didn’t really enjoy One August. I felt the plot was weak and overall didn’t live up to The Island

Twelve years ago Victoria Hislop published her debut novel ‘The Island’ that became a sensational million copy best seller set on the island of Crete. It told the story two families, the Vardoulakis family and the Petrakis family, and features a poignant story set in the Leper Colony of Spinalonga. ‘One August Night’ is the sequel to ‘The Island’ and tells the story of the 25th August1957 release and closure of the Lepers exiled to Spinalonga. Anna and her rich husband Andreas Petrakis are preparing to welcome Anna’s sister Maria back home, now completely cured of Leprosy by the island’s doctor who she has married.
Lepers carried a stigma of mistrust and fear as the disease is highly contagious and unsightly. It can also be fatal if it is not properly treated. It is that iconic night in August that changes the direction of two men’s lives forever. They are both broken and devastated by the violent happenings of that night and the two families will never live down the shame, scandal and gossip generated from what happened. Manolis decides to flee from his home and build a new life for himself, never to return to his beloved island of Crete again. Andreas stays put, resigned to waiting quite alone and despondent for justice to be done. The two families are tainted by the tragedy wrought through jealousy and adultery and friendships are crushed. There will be a trial and dire consequences for the actions that occurred on one single night.
I was impressed with the way this author tied the stories together so that each historical novel can easily be read as standalones because of the seamless overlap bridging the two novels. I enjoyed meeting the characters created for ‘The Island’ once again and seeing how their lives were further developed. Once again the research was painstakingly conscientious, adding factual information that greatly enhanced the novel and gave it authenticity. I like reading novels like this one because as well as the enjoyment of the story, I learn interesting facts about historical events. I have visited Crete and seen the bewitching island of Spinalonga, but the human legacy of isolation and searching for a cure for leprosy is shameful and cruel. I received this novel through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Review in return for an honest review. Thank you. All the opinions in my review are my own with no influence from other parties. I am happy to recommend the novel as a good read.
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I really enjoyed the Island and when I found out about the sequel one August night. I was delighted to read the book. I really enjoyed it and it was nice to hear what happened to Manolis, his friend and what happened to Anna husband. It was nice to get more information on Marie her visits towards Anna husband. There is omniscient narrative going through the book. Straight away I got back into the characters I left in the island. I found this book an easy read and could not put it down. I enjoyed be back in Greece. Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.