Publication Date: February 25, 2025
Santorini, Greece, 1944. A village nestled in the mountains where children play together beneath the endless blue sky. A cottage once full of the laughter of family and the joy of a new baby. But when the Nazis arrive on the island, a devastating tragedy and an impossible choice will break this family apart…
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…
A Santorini Secret is an epic tale of love, loss and secrets in World War Two that will sweep you away to the hidden coves and sun-kissed beaches of Santorini. Fans of Victoria Hislop, Fiona Valpy and The Letter won’t be able to put this beautiful book down.
A single mother and her daughter get an opportunity to visit a Greek island in an effort to solve a family mystery.
Told with dual timelines 80 years apart, the story serves up a fascinating yet heartbreaking World War II tale unveiled through Carrie and Nell’s research. Author Rose Alexander deftly introduces clues in A Santorini Secret.
The past and present collide as Carrie receives an invitation to Santorini, a place full of memories from her last university summer holiday. She’s hoping her research about The Special Boat Squadron and the island will give her financial stability.
As Carrie and her daughter uncover information tied to an unlikely romance, Carrie is forced to confront her own lackluster love life and unresolved feelings for Nell’s father.
The dual timelines are woven effectively together to ensure a seamless transition. Readers can’t help but fall in love with the picturesque island.
A Santorini Secret packs both history and romance into a captivating story, highlighting how love can find its way, even through the boundaries of time.
Rose Alexander has had more careers than she cares to mention and is currently a secondary school English teacher. She writes in the holidays, weekends and evenings, whenever she has a chance, although with three children, a husband, a lodger and a cat, this isn’t always as often as she’d like. She’s a keen sewist and is on a mission to make all her own clothes.
