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The Return: A Novel Kindle Edition

by Victoria Hislop (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,650 ratings
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Already a #1 bestseller in the UK, The Return is a captivating new novel of family, love, and betrayal set against a backdrop of civil war, flamenco, and fiery Spanish passion. The author of the beloved international bestseller The Island, Victoria Hislop now transports the reader to Granada, Spain, in a time of historic turmoil. The Return is a colorful and spellbinding saga of a family inspired by music and dance, only to be torn apart by fragile hearts and divided loyalties during the bitter war that brought the dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco to power.

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  1. Print length
    418 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    HarperCollins e-books
  5. Publication date
    September 23, 2009
  6. File size
    3955 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For her follow-up to international bestseller The Island, British author Hislop has friends Sonia and Maggie jetting off for flamenco lessons in Granada, Spain. Sonia is escaping monotony and a souring marriage to an older man while Maggie is celebrating her 35th birthday. The trip proves an odyssey of discovery for Sonia, who over a morning cup of coffee is mesmerized by an elderly cafe owner's stories of the Spanish Civil War and the Ramirez family who once owned the cafe and were torn apart during the time of Franco and the upheaval of war. Most intriguing was the story of Mercedes, whose passion for flamenco dancing was matched only by her love for renowned guitarist Javier Montero with whom she performed. Separated from her fractured family, she set out to search for Javier in the chaos of Civil War Spain. Dance holds a place of importance in the tale, especially when Sonia learns the truth about her own mother in a twist that adds suspense to the romance and familial drama. The well-done historical background is a rewarding plus in this fast-paced account of love's power through generations. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

From the internationally bestselling author of The Island comes a dazzling new novel of family betrayals, forbidden love, and historical turmoil.

Sonia knows nothing of Granada's shocking past, but ordering a simple cup of coffee in a quiet café will lead her into the extraordinary tale of a family's fight to survive the horror of the Spanish Civil War.

Seventy years earlier, in the Ramírez family's café, Concha and Pablo's children relish an atmosphere of hope. Antonio is a serious young teacher, Ignacio a flamboyant matador, and Emilio a skilled musician. Their sister, Mercedes, is a spirited girl whose sole passion is dancing, until she meets Javier and an obsessive love affair begins. But Spain is a country in turmoil. In the heat of civil war, everyone must take a side and choose whether to submit, to fight, or to attempt escape.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B002Q1YEO4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins e-books; Original edition (September 23, 2009)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 23, 2009
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3955 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 418 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 4,650 ratings

About the author

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Victoria Hislop

Victoria Hislop

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Victoria Hislop is the international bestselling author of The Island and The Return. In the United Kingdom, she writes travel features for The Sunday Telegraph, The Mail on Sunday, House & Garden, and Woman & Home. The Island sold over a million copies in the UK and has been translated into 24 languages. Victoria’s second novel, The Return, has been published in more than a dozen languages. She lives in Kent, with her husband Ian and their two children.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
4,650 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Telltales
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly a Good Read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2017
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I am a person who has always had an interest in history. Years ago I watched a film of Americans who had fought in the Spanish Civil War. Their motive for doing so varied, but they all believed that if the outcome had been different World War Two may not have happened. I don't know if that is true or not. I did however realize that my knowledge on this matter was lacking. So I decided to read about it. With that said this book tells the story of the conflict in a personal way. It tells us not only the history of the war but what the war did to a family. This book has helped me understand the conflict and at the same time told an interesting story. One of the best novels on this subject.
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Blaine
4.0 out of 5 stars Good, not great...
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2010
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Well, first of all, the writing was good. The book flowed, and I didn't feel any lagging, which is good.

The things I LIKED about it - a very good history lesson about the Franco regime and the civil war that tore apart Spain in the 30's. The characters were believable and easy to invest in. And although I saw the ending from a mile away, it was developed and presented in a very sweet manner, and in no way detracted from the impact.

The things I did NOT like - wayyyyy too much on the war, suffering, and nauseating details. I picked this up because I wanted a good love story. It is there...but buried beneath the gruesome rubble of the war. I am not diminishing the facts, or the suffering one whit, I just didn't expect, nor wanted that in overwhelming and graphic detail. I also felt the "passion" for the dance was somewhat missing. There were some superb passages, but not nearly enough romance for my taste.

I am glad I slogged through the middle. I almost quit twice. I would recommend this, but only to a very short list of people I know would appreciate it.
2 people found this helpful
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Tara
5.0 out of 5 stars Ole!! Ole!!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2009
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After being blown away by "The Island" I immediately ordered "The Return" and I am not disappointed. I am now an official Victoria Hislop fan. Her novels are to be savored and enjoyed.

"The Return" begins in recent times in England. Readers are introduced to a middle aged woman named Sonia. This part is very similiar to "The Island" as both heroines are having relationship issues and are both facing similiar difficult choices.. basically "stay with this jerk or leave" type choices. I found parts of the book regarding Sonia rather predictable but that did not deter me. Sonia and her friend take up salsa dancing and after finding some old pictures of her mother and taking a trip to Spain, Sonia becomes fascinated with the story of the Ramirez family.

The middle part of the book is about the Ramirez family and Spain's Civil War in the 1930s. There is a mother, Concha and father, Pablo. They run a cafe and for a while things are wonderful in their life. Their oldest son, Antonio is a teacher. Their middle son, Ignacio is a bull fighter. Their youngest son, Emilio is slowly taking over the cafe and has a passion for music. The daughter, Mercedes is a talented flamenco dancer. The Ramirez family's world shatters with the beginning of the war as their sons oppose each other, betray each other, and one by one, the family members are arrested, killed, or face some life changing complication due to the war.

There is a romance between Mercedes and a guitarist, Javier. She spends the duration of the war searching for her love and taking many risks to find him. She never loses her love of dancing tho and she brightens many a person's day with her skills. Even in times of war, one must find joy and express it.

The last part of the novel takes readers back to present day England and Sonia must make a difficult choice after making some surprising revelations. Will the story of the Ramirez family inspire her somehow?

A beautiful novel and a fabulous look at the life of Spain, the passion behind flamenco, the risks behind bullfighting, and the trials families face in civil war.

Just like an appreciative audience watching a flamenco dancer tap and twirl or a bullfighter swing his cape, I say "Ole! Ole!" to this fine novel.
6 people found this helpful
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Alice H.
3.0 out of 5 stars An Easy Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2015
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Not sure whether to give this a 3 or 4 --guess 3.5. Pretty interesting about the Spanish Civil War, and I read it because much of it takes place in Grenada, and I will be visiting there soon. Some good tips for that purpose--the cemetary; the fact that Garcia-Lorca had a summer house there that one can still visit. As I have, in the past, read and done research on the Spanish Civil War, this novel held me for that reason as well.
4 people found this helpful
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Mary
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, but too many coincidences and stereotypes
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
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I live in Spain and am interested in anything to do with Spanish history, so I did enjoy this book. There were actually two plots - the two English women who went to Granada on a vacation, and the harrowing story of the family that was torn apart by the events of the Spanish Civil War. At the end the connection becomes clear, although I think most people would have figured it out about halfway through the book. The author obviously did her research and she described the horrors of living through the Spanish Civil War, which divided families and caused immeasurable suffering. At times the writing (especially the dialogue) is a little stilted but it's still very readable. I did think it a bit much that, in a single family, so many Spanish stereotypes are shown - A flamenco dancer, a flamenco guitarist, and a bullfighter. But overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it, especially if you have an interest in the history of Spain.
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MJD
5.0 out of 5 stars What a great novel! I loved learning about the Spanish Civil War through this fictional account.
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2017
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I grew up going to Granada with my father and family. He grew up in the Spanish Civil war and told us stories of what it was like to be in Granada at that time. He passed away two years ago - I only wish I had read this story before then so I could have understood so much more about that war. It has so many parallels to today, too! Fascinating to see the Spanish immigrants and how they were treated by Europe as the fled their homes to escape the war. And today, we have the same issues with civil wars around the world.

Absolutely a great read. Just bought it for my mother for Mother's Day!
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Top reviews from other countries

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janetmyers
5.0 out of 5 stars Another good read
Reviewed in Germany on August 26, 2023
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Another good novel by Victoria Hislop
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david canford
5.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 31, 2023
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Victoria Hislop has made a name for herself and been granted honorary Greek citizenship by writing historical novels about Greece. This one, however, is set in Spain in the 2000s ( beginning and end of story) and the civil war.
You will learn a lot about that war. There are also some wonderful descriptions of flamenco and bull fighting, although the latter to me seems awful. Why put a bull through all that goading, torture and pain for human enjoyment?
It's a good read about a conflict not widely known given that as soon as it ended it became overshadowed by the start of WW2. At times, the factual download makes it feel almost like non fiction. I didn’t mind that but some might. Fortunately, today’s Spain is democratic and has developed from a poor country to a modern, prosperous one while still retaining its traditions and passion for life and family.
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Jane
5.0 out of 5 stars has an amazing talent for mixing fact with fiction
Reviewed in Canada on November 30, 2014
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Victoria Hislop, has an amazing talent for mixing fact with fiction. One can enjoy a lovely romance novel, but at the same time, learn a little Spanish history on the side. Her novel flows so beautifully, it was hard to put the book down. The way the book unfolds is amazing, and so unexpected.
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Gran Spain
5.0 out of 5 stars The Return
Reviewed in Spain on September 3, 2014
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I thoroughly recommend this book .
It is based on an young english womam coming to Granada to learn and improve her dancing ....however while there she meets an elderly spanish cafe owner who tells her the story of a spanish family living in Granada during the spanish civil war.
This second part of the book is one of the best and most readable accounts of the civil war I have read.
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Geneviève de Bourqueney
5.0 out of 5 stars Victoria Hislop.
Reviewed in France on August 31, 2013
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Victoria Hislop est mon auteur préféré, ce livre fait partie des quelques romans qui, à travers des personnages et une histoire passionnante, vous fait découvrir en profondeur, par l'intérieur, l'Histoire réelle, souvent si mal connue. Il s'agit ici de la guerre civile espagnole et de ses implications humaines. A lire absolument.
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