Books Like The Island

Apart from its rich history, Greece has numerous heritage sites, beautiful mountains, and a thriving tourism industry. This has made it a popular destination for holidaygoers as well as authors who want to set their stories somewhere exotic and steeped in history. For example, The Island by Victoria Hislop is set on the Greek island of Crete, where a woman named Alexis Fielding hopes to unravel the hidden past of her mother, Sofia. Alexis travels to her mother's childhood home in Plaka to do so and discovers how intimately her family is connected with the island. For more novels that use Greece as a backdrop, check out the following books like The Island.

The Thread

By Victoria Hislop

The Thread is another novel by Victoria Hislop and is set in the turbulent Greek city of Thessaloniki. This epic novel spans nearly a century and covers nearly everything from fire and civil war to Nazi brutality and economic collapse. While the story focuses on friendship and a love that endures through catastrophes, it also captures the essence of this singular Greek city.  

Corelli's Mandolin

By Louis de Bernieres

The setting for Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres is the Greek island of Cephallonia. The story takes place during the Italian and German occupation of World War II. A young woman named Pelagia finds herself anxiously awaiting the return of her fiance, a fisherman named Mandras when he leaves to fight on the front lines. Her feelings are further complicated by the arrival of Italian and German soldiers as she is forced to host a young captain named Antonio Corelli in her home. However, the war and shifting alliances make the future uncertain for everyone. 

The House in the Olive Grove

By Emma Cowell

The House in the Olive Grove by Emma Cowell is the story of three very different women who form a bond in the village of Petalidi, Greece. It is the home village of Chef Maria, who runs a cooking school, but despite her success, she still runs from the secrets of her past. Maria is joined at her cookery school by Kayla, a food journalist, and Alessandra, a jewelry maker. For Kayla, it was going to be just another work trip until she discovered before leaving for Greece that her whole life was built on a lie. Alessandra also had some devastating news, and as these three women come together at the house in the olive grow, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom. 

My Family and Other Animals

By Gerald Durrell

Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is set on Corfu, an island off Greece's northwest coast. The Durrell family is originally from England, but after no longer being able to endure the gray English climate, they sell their house to live on the sun-soaked island of Corfu. For ten-year-old Gerald Durrell, this is paradise, as he gets to pursue his interest in natural history while exploring everything the island has to offer. It's not long before things like bats, butterflies, scorpions, geckos, octopuses, and more become familiar sights around the Durrell villa. 

The Names

By Don DeLillo

The Names by Don DeLillo uses Greece as a backdrop for its multifaceted story. The cast of characters includes the narrator, his estranged wife, who is an archaeologist, and their precocious six-year-old son. The story also features a string of murders that are apparently being committed by some type of cult that has an obsession with language. The Names explores a range of different aspects while using the setting of Greece with its rich historical and cultural backdrop to highlight some of the themes. 

The Book of Fire

By Christy Lefteri

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is set deep in an ancient forest in present-day Greece. It is home to Irini, a musician, her husband, Tasso, and daughter Chara. However, a wildfire destroys their home, leaving Tasso's hands burnt and unable to paint. By chance, Irini encounters the man who started the fire for his own selfish reasons and makes a decision at that moment that will haunt her. 

Truly, Madly, Greekly

By Mandy Baggot

Corfu is the setting for Truly, Madly, Greekly by Mandy Baggot, which stars a capable, confident, and career-driven woman named Ellen. Her life was good, and her future set until everything fell apart. Fortunately, her sister, Lacey, is getting married, so Ellen is whisked off to Greece to help plan the wedding. Ellen hopes that doing so will help her to clear her head and heal her heart, but she finds it difficult to let go of the past. However, despite not looking for love or lust, when Ellen encounters the brooding Yan at the hotel Blue Vue, things begin to look up.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop

By Rebecca Raisin

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin is set on the Greek island of Santorini. It is the tale of Evie, a hopeless romantic who loses her job as a book scout. In search of a fresh start, Evie decides to visit her eccentric grandmother, who had just taken on a small bookshop in Santorini. Evie expects life on the island to be idyllic, but unfortunately, her grandmother has a turbulent relationship with her landlord. Evie is drawn into the fight when her grandmother asks her to fake date the landlord's grandson, Georgios, to smooth things over with the family. With threats of the bookshop being taken away, Evie reluctantly agrees but doesn't expect to fake date her way to love while saving the shop.