Laury Egan - Once, Upon An Island

A sixteen-year-old girl, Olivia, who feels guilty about her younger brother's death. Her mother, Evelyn, a glamorous artist. Travis, the charismatic owner of the Pink Fancy Hotel. A mysterious Czechoslovakian widow, Sofiya. A sojourn on St. Croix, a tropical island. Two love affairs. Secrets. Nazis. Concentration camp. Conflict, jealousy, kindness, tenderness. A rescue and a resurrection. All woven together in a haunting work of literary fiction set in 1966.

"An engaging and well-written story of a young woman discovering the nuances and mysteries of human relationships, love, and adulthood. Set on a beautiful Caribbean island and peppered with references to characters, places, and events there. I felt like I was a confidant and witness to the emotions and experiences of a friend. Egan found an excellent balance between the voice of her young narrator in the time period and the perspective from years later." —Lisa Cantrell, administrator, "St. Croix Memories"

"The novel is a heart-wrenching treatise of teen angst and relationships damaged by trauma, set in the beautiful Virgin Islands. It gently portrays how chance-met friends can help us to deal with adversity." —J.A. Lordi, writing as Tinker Marne, author of Sunken Treachery.

"A major work. All of the primary characters deserve their own novels." —Dr. Helga Schier, former executive director, Random House

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