Novel set on HYDRA

29th July 2024

The Island Love Song by Emma Cowell, novel set on Hydra.

Hydra: “It was such a beautifully romantic corner of Greece, almost from another era, as if time had stood still. No cars, only mules, or a dreaded boat to provide transport….”

Hydra – the island – is very firmly placed at the heart of this novel as family secrets start to unfurl.

Ella and Georgia are sisters and they are on their way to Hydra, an island that is very important to their family. They have their mother’s ashes carefully packed and they intend to scatter her ashes on the sea off the island. Accompanying them is Phoenix, Georgia’s daughter.

Georgia has booked them into a 5* luxury resort, set back, requiring boat access and this 2 week sojourn will enable them to bond over the sad death of their much-loved mum.

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Ella had a shattered romance in earlier years and was ghosted by her then soul-mate in the late 1990s, before that was even a thing – she was about to join her musician boyfriend Harrison on tour, she had chosen to give up her place at college but as she went to find him at King’s Cross, he had disappeared into the ether. His growing fame over subsequent years was a constant reminder of their passionate affair, and in order to outrun her still very strong feelings for him, she built her career as a photographer, touring the world, never settling down. Georgia became a home maker for Phoenix and has led a more traditional life. Two very different sisters and at the heart of their relationship is a heart-rending secret that very few know about.

As they spend time together and try and juggle their different temperaments, events conspire to bring so many secrets out into the open.

This is very much a story of family and deeply hidden secrets which are gradually exposed. The author handles the development well – life shattering revelations could potentially be explosive on family dynamics – but here things are soon assimilated and smoothed over and new adjustments are made.

This is an enjoyable story with heart and positivity. I listened to this as an audiobook, beautifully narrated by Kristin Atherton, and I was always keen to pick up after a break, where I left off.

A good and engrossing read that will transport you to Hydra.

Tina for the TripFiction Team

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Catch the author on Twitter X @EmmaCowellBooks

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