Yannis
The compelling story of Yannis, who comes from the village of Plaka on the island of
Crete. He attends school in the town of Aghios Nikolaos and gains a scholarship to the Gymnasium in Heraklion.
Whilst in Heraklion, he is diagnosed with leprosy, shattering his dreams of becoming
an archaeologist. He is admitted to the local hospital for treatment and subsequently transferred to the hospital in Athens. The conditions in the hospital are appalling; overcrowding, lack of amenities, poor food and only basic medication. The inmates finally rebel, resulting in their exile to Spinalonga, a leper colony just across the water from Yannis’s home village.
This book tells the heart rendering account of his life on the small island, his struggle
for survival his loves and losses along with that of his family on the mainland from 1918 to 1979. All the events described are true. The school teacher who became the Mayor of Heraklion is entirely fictitious, as are all the characters.
Wonderful characterisation...all the flavour of local Cretan life...brilliant telling of a story based on actual events...probably the most moving novel I have ever read.
Roger Wickham
ISBN 978-0-95544278-0-0
Paperback book £8.99 (+ Postage and packing £3.40)
