Historical novel set around ENGLAND (Birmingham)
Ten Great Books set on the GREEK ISLANDS
2nd February 2026
Ten great books set on the Greek Islands. The Greek Islands comprise an estimated 6,000 islands and islets scattered across the Aegean and Ionian Seas, though only about 227 are inhabited. These islands are traditionally organised into distinct clusters, including the iconic Cyclades, the lush Ionian Islands, and the beautiful Dodecanese.
Each group offers a unique identity: the Cyclades are famous for the blue-domed churches of Santorini and the nightlife of Mykonos, while Crete, the largest island, is a treasure trove of Minoan history. Beyond their turquoise waters and sun-drenched beaches, the islands serve as a living museum of Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman influences, making them a cornerstone of Mediterranean culture.
Here are ten of our favourite books set on the Islands.
Beautiful Animals by Lawrence Osborne – HYDRA
On a hike during a white-hot summer break on the Greek island of Hydra, Naomi and Samantha make a startling discovery: a man named Faoud, sleeping heavily, exposed to the elements, but still alive. Naomi, the daughter of a wealthy British art collector who has owned a villa in the exclusive hills for decades, convinces Sam, a younger American girl on vacation with her family, to help this stranger. As the two women learn more about the man, a migrant from Syria and a casualty of the crisis raging across the Aegean Sea, their own burgeoning friendship intensifies. But when their seemingly simple plan to help Faoud unravels all must face the horrific consequences they have set in motion.
In this brilliant psychological study of manipulation and greed, Lawrence Osborne explores the dark heart of friendship, and shows just how often the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions.
My Map of You by Isabelle Broom – ZAKYNTHOS
Holly Wright has had a difficult few years. After her mother’s death, she’s become expert at keeping people at a distance – including her boyfriend, Rupert.
But when Holly receives an unexpected letter explaining that an aunt she never met has left her a house on the Greek island of Zakynthos, the walls she has built begin to crumble. Arriving on the island, Holly meets the handsome Aidan and slowly begins to uncover the truth about the secret which tore her family apart.
But is the island where Holly really belongs? Or will her real life catch up with her first?
Prospero’s Cell by Lawrence Durrell – CORFU
A magical evocation of Durrell’s experiences on Corfu – before WW2. A slow sensuous life style – enjoying the elemental pleasures of daily life under the mythical Greek sun. Local villagers, intellectuals, illustrious visitors, all offer food for thought and stimulating conversation on an island Durrell suggests was the inspiration for Prospero’s island in the Tempest. The title reflects Durrell’s own identification with Prospero, who has achieved a unity of being and has developed artistic consciousness thanks to his sojourn on the island. The first of Durrell’s atmospheric writings about Greece. This book partly provided the basis for the popular TV series The Durrells.
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis – CRETE
Set before the start of the First World War, this moving fable sees a young English writer set out to Crete to claim a small inheritance. But when he arrives, he meets Alexis Zorba, a middle-aged Greek man with a zest for life. Zorba has had a family and many lovers, has fought in the Balkan wars, has lived and loved – he is a simple but deep man who lives every moment fully and without shame. As their friendship develops, the Englishman is gradually won over, transformed and inspired along with the reader.
Under the Lemon Tree by Emma Cowell – AGISTRI
Could rediscovering her roots help Kat rebuild a life without her brother…?
Shattered by the sudden loss of her beloved twin, Nik, Kat is struggling to find meaning in a life turned upside down. The comfort of family is both smothering and soothing, but when an unexpected inheritance surfaces ― a house on the breathtaking Greek island of Agistri from a mysterious uncle she’s only just heard of ― she dares to dream of a new beginning.
Arriving in Agistri, with its crystalline waters and endless blue skies, Kat finds herself surrounded by lush pine forests, secluded coves, and the scent of citrus in the air. Among white-washed houses, the warmth of the island’s people begins to heal the emptiness in her heart. And in their company, she finds both the courage to face her grief ― and maybe even the spark of unexpected love…
But as she slowly unearths her family’s buried past, Kat must confront her own fears about belonging, forgiveness, and the possibility of rediscovering happiness in the unlikeliest of places.
Afternoons in Ithaca by Spiri Tsintziras – ITHACA
A charming memoir of self-discovery, family, connection and the power of a tomato. ‘I remember crusty just-baked bread, rubbed with juicy tomato flesh, swimming in a puddle of thick green olive oil. I am seven years old. I sit on a stool in my grandmother’s house. It is the height of summer in a seaside village in the south of Greece. We little Aussies devour ‘tomato sandwiches’ as the family chats and laughs and swats flies …’ From the first heady taste of tomatoes on home-baked bread in her mother’s village in Petalidi, to sitting at a taverna some 30 years later in Ithaka with her young family, Spiri Tsintziras goes on a culinary, creative and spiritual journey that propels her back and forth between Europe and Australia. These evocative, funny and poignant stories explore how food and culture, language and music, and people and their stories help to create a sense of meaning and identity.
Aphrodite’s Tears by Hannah Fielding – SANTORINI
A young archaeologist who travels to the remote island of Helios (based on the island of Santorini) to investigate an ancient shipwreck, becomes caught in a web of dark obsession, mystery and seduction in Hannah Fielding s latest novel. In ancient Greece, one of the twelve labours of Hercules was to bring back a golden apple from the Garden of Hesperides. To archaeologist Oriel Anderson, joining a team of Greek divers on the island of Helios seems like the golden apple of her dreams.Yet the dream becomes a nightmare when she meets the devilish owner of the island, Damian Theodorakis. In shocked recognition, she is flooded with the memory of a romantic night in a stranger s arms, six summers ago. A very different man stands before her now, and Oriel senses that the sardonic Greek autocrat is hell-bent on playing a cat and mouse game with her. As they cross swords and passions mount, Oriel is aware that malevolent eyes watch her from the shadows. Dark rumours are whispered about the Theodorakis family. What dangers lie in Helios: a bewitching land where ancient rituals are still enacted to appease the gods, young men risk their lives in the treacherous depths of the Ionian Sea, and the volatile earth can erupt at any moment? Will Oriel find the hidden treasures she seeks? Or will Damian s tragic past catch up with them, threatening to engulf them both?
One August Night by Victoria Hislop – CRETE
Beloved author Victoria Hislop returns to Crete in this long-anticipated sequel to her multi-million-copy Number One bestseller, The Island.
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.
Hearts of Stone by Simon Scarrow – LEFKA
The fierce courage of the men and women of the Greek Resistance is brought to vivid life in Sunday Times bestseller Simon Scarrow’s powerful novel of World War II. ‘Gripping… [a] moving narrative of friendships broken by war and betrayal’ Sunday Times
1938. A perfect summer on the Greek island of Lefkas for three young people untroubled by the simmering politics of Europe. Peter, visiting from Germany while his father leads an archaeological dig, has become close friends with locals Andreas and Eleni. As the world slides towards conflict and Peter is forced to leave, they swear to meet again.
1943: Andreas and Eleni have joined the partisan forces resisting the German invasion. Peter has returned – now a dangerously well-informed enemy intelligence officer. A friendship formed in peace will turn into a desperate battle between enemies sworn to sacrifice everything for the countries that they love…
The Greek Holiday by Maeve Haran – THE CYCLADES
Four old university friends, Dora, Penny, Nell and Moira, reunite to relive that first hippy-dippy trip together to a beautiful, unspoilt, romantic Greek island looking for sun, sand and sea.
But it’s not just about going back to when they were young. Maybe they do have dreams like Shirley Valentine, because, ultimately, they’re all looking for something to help them through some difficult times in their lives – whether it’s with their career, family or relationships.
What they discover in Kyri is an opportunity to reinvent, be themselves, contribute to a community who wants their help, at the same time as having fun, being happy and even finding love. But, crucially, they discover the most valuable lesson of all – understanding the true importance of female friendship.
(the fictional locations were researched in Lindos on Rhodes and Milos)
We hope you enjoy our selection of books set in the Greek Islands.
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