This book is about the island of Crete during World War 2. Characters are well developed and I enjoyed plot. It's a fast paced book.

The Village is a story of WWII. The setting is Crete. I haven't read anything about Crete before. It's a story of brave people in a terrible situation. They are survivors. It's a good read that unfolds at a good pace. You will want to keep reading until the end. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Village tells a story in World War II of a British and German soldier, and the Cretan inhabitants of Ayios Stefanos. The English and the Germans invade the island in order to fight, and the Cretans get caught in the crossfire. The English to the Greek are viewed as relatively neutral – they aren’t there to hurt the Cretans, but the islanders know that by the English just coming over, there is bound to be death.

After a terrible event, some of the Cretans form a rogue group to take matters into their own hands. I thought the overall story was very informative and interesting, and covered a piece of history I did not know much about. My one criticism is that some of the characters felt underdeveloped. In particular, sometimes it was hard to discern between the two male soldiers. I would have liked to have known more about the character’s motives and emotions in the first half of the novel.

Thank you Netgalley and John Hunt Publishing for an advanced copy. 3.5 stars.

I enjoy reading about WW2 and this came from a different area of the world than the usual. I really felt for the characters, which led to me being in tears in places! It is hard to comprehend how people can be so cruel to each other. I admired the Cretans strength and wondered if i would have been so brave in such a dangerous situation. This was a page turner from about a quarter of the way in, but I felt the ending was a little rushed and I would have preferred to stay in WW2 a little longer.I would highly recommend this book to enable people to see how the island of Crete suffered during WW2.

There are many books about war and it's horrors. Most of these centered on the main fields of action during the conflict. "The Village" has as it's setting the Greek Island of Crete and it is probably because the author lived on the island for five years and knows it's geography quite well. It was definitely not the main theater of operations in the invasion of Greece. The novel itself is an anti war work and has the strength to place characters created into actual settings on the island.
The Nazis invaded Greece at the very onset of World War II. While the main center of action was the mainland Crete was taken by them utilizing an elite force of Paratroopers. Mr Duke has created characters in the three centers of action and used them to provide what is undoubtedly a realistic approach to the events. There is a group of Villagers that remember a previous invasion by the Ottoman empire with attendant horrors and understand that they will have to resist a shortly expected invasion by Germany. On the British side, Paul is from a small city conscripted into the British army and thrust into action with no idea of what is going on nor what is expected of him. Dieter is from a well to do German family and believes sufficiently in what Hitler wants his people to believe. He feels that volunteering for the paratroopers is the way for him to show his faith and love for his country and for Adolf Hitler who he believes has restored Germany to greatness.
Mr Duke utilizes descriptions of each of the three groups in turn in order to offer a complete picture of the invasion, and it's consequences for people going through the events. Dieter rapidly loses his idealism when after the invasion he is forced to participate in a massacre of men from a small village and finds that the people killed were only defending their homes. Paul watches friends being killed and becomes hardened to the task of shooting back. The contention of all anti war books is that use of military force is the most horrible way to solve any problem and "The Village" is no exception. It is a fast read and interesting enough to pull the reader into wanting to finish it without pause. The description of the actual places where the action took place is a nice extra which allows the reader to examine a topographical map of Crete and quickly grasp what problems were faced by each of the participants during the invasion. Good use of fiction to present a factual event to readers not aware of what happened there during a tumultuous period in history.

Duke's story is an amazing tale of WWII Crete. The story spanned nearly fifty years as it told the story that connected Yianni and Dieter in ways they never wanted. Life in the little village was filled with love, song, and life until the war brought death, suffering, and loss. Duke's story grips you on page one and doesn't let up until the closing act. Perfect for anyone interested in social history and life during WWII.

Thank you NetGalley and Top Hat Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

Historical fiction is one of my all time favourite genres and was so pleased to have received an advanced copy of 'The Village' via Netgalley and the Publishers. I was engrossed in this story from start to finish. Well written. I have never been to Crete, but do hope to do so in the near future. I shall remember this story when i do! A story that i do recommend, especially if you enjoy wartime novels.

An excellent and we'll written book about WWII. This takes place on the island of Crete.
I have read extensively about Europe in WWII, but this is the first novel set in Crete. The characters are well developed and you find yourself quickly turning the pages to find out what occurs next.
I recommend this to anyone having an interest in historical fiction.