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| I’m looking for books, both novels and non-fiction, that take place – mostly or entirely – on small islands. There doesn’t have to be isolation involved, but the fact that it takes place on an island must be important.
In fiction I already have: And then there were none – Agatha Christie
In non-fiction: Bitter Lemons of Cyprus – Lawrence Durrell (don’t some of his novels also take place on islands?)
Can you name more for me? I would quite like to see more romances and thrillers, but they can be any kind of books as long as they fit the criteria. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Nim's Island - Wendy Orr England England - Julian Barnes The Island of the Day Before - Umberto Eco |
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| Almost all of the Death on Demand-the Annie and Max Darling series-take place on Broward's Rock. In her other series,about Henrie O., Dead Man's Island, Death in Paradise and Resort to Murder also take place on islands. Lord of the Far Island Victoria Holt |
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- Posted by georgia_peach (My Page) on Fri, Jun 13, 08 at 14:33
| Fiction: The Stone Raft, Jose Saramago Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O'Dell Hawaii, James Michener Probably various novels by Joseph Conrad and Jack London (can't recall titles right now) Non-Fiction: |
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| Two old favorites of mine are set on islands, Death in Andamans and Death in Cyprus, both by M.M. Kaye. |
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- Posted by carolyn_ky (My Page) on Fri, Jun 13, 08 at 16:54
| From Here to Eternity, James Jones Silversword, Phyllis Whitney Diamond Head, Charles Knief Can you tell I love Hawaii? James Michener's book is one of my favorites. |
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| Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea novels all take place on islands: A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan, The Farthest Shore, Tehanu, The Other Wind. |
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| Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle was originally called Storm Island. It's a good book too. PD James set The Lighthouse on an island, I think (it was a dreadful book that I have tried to erase from my memory LOL) |
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| Thanks for the additions. Some titles there that I have read but had forgotten about. Please keep them coming! |
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| Non-fiction: Among Stone Giants: The Life of Katherine Routledge and Her Remarkable Expedition to Easter Island -Jo Anne Van Tilburg My Father's Island: A Galapagos Quest -Johanna Angermeyer On Persephone's Island : A Sicilian Journal -Mary Taylor Simeti |
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| A Pattern of Islands - Sir Arthur Grimble about his time as a District Commissioner in the Gilbert and Ellis Islands (excellent) Aku-aku Easter island - Thor Heyerdahl The Shetland Bus - Trygue Sorvaag/David Howarth (different books) about the small fishing boat used to bring Norwegians to safety during WWII. Crowdie & Cream/Crotal & White/Corncrake & the Lysander - Finlay J Macdonald. Growing up on the remote island of Harris (the bottom end of Lewis) all highly readable. Onions in the Stew - Betty MacDonald. Her life on Vashon Island. A Length of Rope (and several other titles) - Lilian Beckwith set in the Hebrides South Sea Spell/A Gift of Islands - June Knox-Mawr, about Fiji. Fiction Coral Island - R M Ballantyne Sea Wolf - Jack London Appointment with Venus - Gerrard Tickell (rescuing a prize cow from occupied Jersey) Island Magic - Elizabeth Goudge (set on Victorian Guernsey) Probably lots of children's stories set on islands; Enid Blyton et al! Netla, can you remember the name of the book by Sir Peter Scott (son of the Polar explorer Capt Robert Scott) about the exedition he led to the centre of Iceland in the early '50's, please?
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- Posted by sarah_canary (My Page) on Mon, Jun 16, 08 at 1:37
| The Moonspinners - Mary Stewart (Crete) An odd island plays a big part in LIfe of Pie. Moloka'i by Alan Brennart |
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| Veer, I am not familiar with the book you mention, and the National library does not have any books by Sir Peter Scott, but a little sleuthing suggests that it might be A Thousand Geese. The book was published in 1953. Scott came to Iceland in 1951 to look for the breeding grounds of the pink-footed goose, so the publication date and title both fit. Now I'll have to go look for it. I love to read travelogues about Iceland, to look at my country through the eyes of visitors. |
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| The Mysterious Island - Jules Verne Castaways of the Flag - Jules Verne Their Island Home - Jules Verne The last two are sequels to |
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| The Water is Wide - Pat Conroy |
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- Posted by woodnymph2 (My Page) on Mon, Jun 16, 08 at 11:48
| The Kingdom by the Sea - Paul Theroux |
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| The Cay by Theodore Taylor |
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- Posted by twobigdogs (My Page) on Tue, Jun 17, 08 at 8:11
| A few more that I didn't see (but perhaps I just missed them.) Notes from a Small Island - Bill Bryson The Sex Lives of Cannibals - J. Maarten Troost (non-fiction, he and his wife spend a year on a small island in the south pacific. the title is weird, but the book is interesting.) Blue Latitudes - Tony Horwitz (following the voyage of Capt. Cook - quite funny, lots of island stops.) I find this thread fascinating. Who would have thought there would be so very many books about islands! |
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| Although I haven't read it yet, there's Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. Also: Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (mystery/thriller) The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve (historical part takes place on a secluded island) The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks Batavia's Graveyard by Mike Dash (non-fiction about a group of people ship-wrecked off the coast of Australia in 1628) Kelly |
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| Widow's War Sally Gunning, is set on Cape Cod. I haven't read it, so I'm not sure if the island setting is integral or not. |
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- Posted by carolyn_ky (My Page) on Tue, Jun 17, 08 at 16:43
| That reminds me of the Phillip Craig mystery series set on Martha's Vineyard. I like them a lot. He died recently, but there is one last book coming out soon. |
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| That's quite a list! Thanks for all the responses. |
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| The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx |
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- Posted by lemonhead101 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 19, 08 at 9:41
| Small Island - Andrea Levy |
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| Picked up Stormy Petrel by Mary (Lady) Stewart for a few pennies at a jumble sale. Set on an imaginary island in the Hebrides, near Mull. Not a great deal of 'story' but well-written and she brings the scenery to life . . . right down to the terrible midges. |
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- Posted by connie_in_western_nc (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 08 at 19:44
| Rainbow's End and Pierce the Veil by Bob Adamov. These are just mysteries that take place on the island I came from in Lake Erie. Birdman of Alcatraz:the Story of Robert Stroud by Thomas Gaddis I thought of another one but it slipped my mind already :0((((( |
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- Posted by blossomgirl (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 08 at 20:03
| "Captain Blood"-by Rafael Sabatini "A Girl from Zanzibar" by Roger King "Iceland's Bell" by Halldor Kiljan Laxness-maybe Iceland is not small enough? I know I can come up with some more. |
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- Posted by woodnymph2 (My Page) on Thu, Jun 26, 08 at 23:04
| The Greenlanders - Jane Smiley Island Magic Elizabeth Goudge The Greek Islands - Laurence Durrell The King Must Die - Mary Renault (set in ancient Crete) The Red Haired Girl from the Bog - Patricia Monaghan (ancient Ireland) |
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- Posted by ireadeverything (My Page) on Fri, Jun 27, 08 at 0:25
| The Man Who Loved Islands - D.H. Lawrence. |
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- Posted by carolyn_ky (My Page) on Fri, Jun 27, 08 at 15:34
| I have just finished two by Deborah Atkinson, The Green Room set on Oahu and Fire Prayer set on Molokai. I had already read her first one, the name of which escapes me. |
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- Posted by connie_in_western_nc (My Page) on Fri, Jun 27, 08 at 19:28
| Oh, and what about Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Montgomery... and the sequel? Takes place on PEI, Can. |
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- Posted by disputantum (My Page) on Fri, Jun 27, 08 at 20:28
| Pitcairn's Island by Nordhoff and Hall. Part of the trilogy that includes Mutiny on the Bounty and Men against the Sea. There're several nonfiction books about Pitcairn also. |
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- Posted by woodnymph2 (My Page) on Sat, Jun 28, 08 at 8:29
| What about "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding? |
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| A Superior Death- Nevada Barr Winter Study - Nevada Barr both set on Isle Royale in Lake Superior |
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