It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour for the latest book from Eva Glyn, The Croatian Island Library, and sharing my review. Published as an ebook and audiobook by One More Chapter on 16th January, the paperback will be available on 29th January. Or perhaps try to win a copy? You’ll find the link for that below my review. Thank you to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my reading e-copy (provided via netgalley).
I’m not certain if it’s by accident or design, but all my blog tours in my final month of blogging are for books from some of my very favourite authors (what a lovely way to bow out!) – and none less so than the wonderful Eva Glyn, who’s been pretty well guaranteed a place on my Books of the Year lists over the past few years. I really loved The Collaborator’s Daughter – a powerful wartime story, an exploration of the enduring impact of the Balkan conflict, along with a gently told love story – and included it in my Books of the Year in 2023 (you’ll find my review here). But I might have enjoyed The Dubrovnik Book Club even more – a moving contemporary story, such well drawn characters, a strong feel for Dubrovnik’s culture and history, and one of my Books of the Year in 2024 (you can read my full review again here). And the book on my list for 2025? Well, that was The Santorini Writing Retreat – an exceptional sense of place, the lives of its characters a pleasure to feel part of as I was completely drawn into their stories (review here).
I was so very disappointed on my recent cruise when my excursion to Croatia’s Elafiti Islands was cancelled because of bad weather – sadly the skies weren’t blue that day – but I knew I’d soon enjoying the experience with Ana and her crew…
Where books are borrowed, and friendships are forged…
When her beloved grandfather dies, Ana Meštrović buys a catamaran in his memory, which she names Dida Krila – Grandad’s Wings.
For the summer months, it will be transformed into a travelling library, delivering books to children living across the Croatian islands.
Joined by crew members Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, and Lloyd, an older widower who needs a fresh start, the newly-formed trio all have their own reasons for needing the floating library to be a success.
Embarking on an adventure that will change them for good, they each discover that a new chapter is only a boat ride away…
At sea is where Ana is at her happiest – on the catamaran that she bought with an inheritance from her beloved grandfather, and named in his memory. But the charters are often less than easy, and provide only a patchy income. She dreads having to give up her life of freedom and return to work on her parents’ oyster farm, so securing the contract to take library books to the islands is something she’s delighted by – although whether it will continue depends on the success of the project.
She’s joined by a crew of two others. Lloyd is a recent widower and former teacher, recruited from the UK, who will manage the library itself – and Natali (accompanied by her little dog Obi) is very much at home on the water, doubting her own abilities but turning her hand to any task needed. At first they all find sharing their space difficult – Natali is withdrawn and uncommunicative, Lloyd plainly still grieving the loss of his wife – and Ana finds herself doubting her people skills and whether they can ever operate as a team.
All three of them do, of course, have their back stories – experiences that have shaped them, hopes, fears and deeply guarded secrets – that gradually emerge, helping bring down the barriers between them. And as well as following their individual stories – each of them tremendously emotionally engaging, with some real surprises – we watch them pulling together to make a success of their venture, despite all the obstacles in their way.
Their stories are told in the third person, but with real insights into their thoughts and feelings – I found them all likeable and sympathetic, and was very much in their corner as they faced their different challenges and struggled with decisions they needed to make. I loved the way their friendship grew – the support they unselfishly gave each other, setting aside any misgivings, and however uncomfortable it sometimes made them feel. And there’s a particularly strong supporting cast too – the people involved in their lives in different ways, both past and present.
And the Croatian islands they visit to set up their book stall are far more than a mere backdrop – wonderfully researched and described, the lives of their people drawn into the story. I could feel the history, the sunshine as I walked the village streets, taste the food and wine, enjoy the swims in the clear water – the settings were brought to life so vividly that I felt I’d really been there. I’m always struck by the fact that the author sets her books in places that she loves – and that makes for something rather special.
I see the publishers are calling this book an “escapist summer beach read” – it’s honestly so much more than that. Such a well-told story, beautifully written as always, ultimately uplifting, compulsive reading, and with real emotional depth – I loved it.
Giveaway
With thanks to Eva and Rachel, I’m delighted to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a paperback copy of The Croatian Island Library (open to readers in UK and Ireland only).
Here’s the Gleam box for entry:
Win a paperback copy of The Croatian Island Library (Open to UK & Ireland Only)
Terms and Conditions
UK & Ireland entries welcome. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
About the author
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library published in January 2026.
In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatia, a country she loves.
Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
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