Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Present day. Single mother Carrie arrives on the sun-drenched island of Santorini, her adored uncle Sol’s tattered sketchbook clutched to her chest. Heartbroken at his death, Carrie is certain Sol – who refused to speak about how he spent the war in occupied Greece – was hiding secrets all his life: and that the drawings he made of a striking young woman with wavy hair will hold the answers. Tucked away with the sketchbook was a beautiful diamond ring engraved in Greek, and Carrie cannot bear the thought that her uncle never had the chance to give it to his love.
Even as she explores the winding cobbled alleys Sol drew in his book, Carrie is filled with childhood memories. And asking around the close-knit locals, the elderly women Carrie meets speak of a brave young woman named Vassia, and a secret allied mission to rid their beautiful island of German troops. But when pressed, they refuse to say more…
Then she finds a letter written by Vassia herself. She’s shocked to read how Sol was left stranded, fighting for his life, and how Vassia risked everything to save him before a terrible betrayal tore them apart. When Carrie finally unravels the truth, the secrets will shatter the small community, and change the course of her life forever…
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of A Santorini Secret to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
Rose Alexander’s new book, A Santorini Secret, takes the reader to the stunning and majestic Italian island of Santorini. This is a dual timeline story set in the present day and during 1944 when the island was under German occupation. It’s a story of how ordinary people were caught up in extra ordinary events and found themselves forced into remarkable situations in the interest of regaining their freedom. The main female character Vassia initially did not know what she was capable of but when put to the test she demonstrates grit, courage, bravery and fierce loyalty. The prologue is brief but sets the scene as a woman writes a letter which will put a plan into action. As fear stalks the island she can’t leave the man she loves to die and she hopes her words will have the desired effect upon those who it is intended for and that the plan will be executed to perfection. She is making a great sacrifice as she is determined to follow her heart and do what she firmly believes is right.
In the present day Carrie is a single mum to Nell aged 15. She struggles to get by and feels a comfortable and easy lifestyle is well out of reach. With news that her mortgage is to increase she is constantly worrying as to how she will afford the basic necessities and there is a danger her little cottage will be repossessed. She has an up and down relationship with Nell as she is a typical teenager but she has always tried to do her best by her daughter especially after she suffered from heart problems after her birth. Carrie’s relationship with Jack (Nell’s father) is non existent and communication is kept to the bare minimum.
I found Carrie quite hard to warm to. There was just something about her that seemed a bit spikey when it came to discussing her love life or lack of it and I sensed there was a history that wasn’t being mentioned. This aspect of the story comes to fruition towards the end and to be honest I found her reasons for certain things made me mad at her because I felt she could have asked the questions that needed to be asked and perhaps not as much water would have flown under the bridge as it had if she had done so. It seemed a bit pathetic that she didn’t delve that little bit deeper because if he had things could have been very different for her. I will say though the romance element for Carrie was quite surprising and fair play to the author for going with it instead of what I had been expecting.
I much preferred the parts of the story set on the island in 1944. Although how the two strands were linked together was very well done and it was great to try and piece bits of the puzzle together and see connections and similarities appearing between the past and the present. Carrie begins talking to her mother about her Great Uncle Sol and what she learns inspires her to start writing again. She hopes that by telling his story that she can fill in the gaps regarding the man who meant so much to them all but one minute could be full of life and the next it was like he was lost in a distant past world. She thinks if she can find out the truth regarding Sol’s experiences during the war and then write his story that if successful it will earn some money for her and the bank can be kept at bay.
Carrie soon learns from her mother that Sol was a member of the SBS, Special Boat Squadron, and whatever occurred during that time had a lasting impact on him. There was something always haunting him and Carrie is determined to discover just what it was and solve the family’s history. An old cloth shirt and a sketchbook are found belonging to Sol and the images inside the sketchbook are fascinating particularly one of a beautiful woman. Who was she and how does she link to Sol? When an unexpected source provides the money needed for the trip to Santorini as invited by her friend Xanthe Carrie jumps at the chance to learn more about Sol and his time on the island and soon herself and Nell arrive and a journey begins to bridge the gaps between Sol’s time there and the life that Carrie and her family now lead.
I adored the story of Vassia and her family during 1944. Such rich descriptions brought the island to life. There was a real sense of the strength of the family unit and such community spirit that the islanders were determined to keep going even though they were under German occupation and life had changed dramatically since their arrival. There was a rich culture of seafaring, quarrying, wine making and agriculture but Vassia does feel stifled as she knows there is more beyond the confines of her island and one day she would love to explore it. For now she and her family must continue on with their daily lives in their little village of which her father Ianos is mayor. Her brother Andreas and his wife Athena are expecting a baby which they hope will bring much needed joy to their lives. But things are about to change as Vassia gets involved in something she never thought possible and all because she was asked to by her father whose health would not allow him to take part in the activities the islanders are determined to keep hidden from the Germans.
I had never heard of the SBS prior to reading this book and it’s always brilliant to discover a new and exciting aspect to the war and it proved to be interesting and intriguing. The SBS were a group of men who were sent to various areas to sneak in and out as quick as possible with one aim to disrupt German communication means and take out as many men as possible. Sol was part of this group and Vassia comes to know him as she brings food to the men hiding in the caves on the island. I thought these men were so brave to be in the heart of the lion’s den putting their lives on the line and the fact that the islanders helped also showed how committed they were to regaining their island and no longer having their freedom curtailed. I enjoyed the pacing of the friendship that developed into something more between Sol and Vassia. It felt natural and real and that it wasn’t just happening because of the situation they found themselves in. There are numerous twists and turns to Sol and Vassia’s story and a sense of urgency really develops. When push comes to shove Vassia really shows her true metal. I did have my suspicions which were proven to be correct as to how something unfolded but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the story. I found the latter half stronger than the first as I was racing through the chapters eager to see how things would eventually pan out.
A Santorini Secret was a really enjoyable read where the author brought a dangerous time for the islanders to life in a well written manner. The mixture of historical fact merged with fiction was seamless and the love story that featured was beautiful but bittersweet. Readers of Rose Alexander’s previous books will really enjoy this one and I am sure she will find many new readers also.
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