From the Solentiname Islands to Robben Island, from Capri to Jura – every island has its very own history and is a treasure in its own right. Fenna Williams collects islands with the spirit of a world traveler, with the finesse of a literary artist, and with the research interest of a crime writer. And so, the island episodes, each described in their own chapter, become a great treasure chest of world history.

The selected islands of this book are highly diverse, but they have one thing in common: unique memories. Through a smell, a noise, or a typical drink, the islands come back to mind, even after the visitor has long since returned to everyday routine. Fenna Williams discovers this fascination in places like the rough north of Scotland, where George Orwell once wrote »1984« on a barren island. She finds it on other islands off the beaten track, such as the Solentiname Islands, and on islands known to be inescapable prisons, like Robben Island, but occasionally she even detects it on true island classics like Capri.