Trying to find book I read years ago.

[3wheels]

Hi, I am trying to find a book I read years ago, maybe 20 to 25 years ago. In the book a woman inherited either a small island or land on an island (can’t remember) somewhere exotic. She decided to go there to see it and then decided she loved it and would stay. She only ate rice and fish, she swam a lot, became healthier and had to use a small boat to get to shops for provisions. There was a man there called red, they clashed at first, think he had been through a lot and lived there to get away from the world. He was already living there. She moved into a wooden house that was already there, he lived nearby. I think she inherited it from a relative that she had never met. I know this isn’t much to go on but do you have any idea what the book could be? Does the story ring a bell? Thank you. :)

Next to report this to get it moved to the “what are we reading” forum.

I read this recently but can't the remember name either. Sorry.

Life Impossible by Matt Haig, although it's a fairly recent novel.

Sole survivor by Derek Hansen ?

Was the woman’s name Frith?

I can’t remember the woman’s name annoyingly. Although Frith feels like a name I have read!

If you can’t find an answer here, try the forums on AbeBooks, @3wheels - they have helped me in the past.

The Life Impossible? Was it Ibiza?

Have you tried Chat gtp?

It sounds a lot like the Joni Mitchell song about living on a Grecian Isle with a redneck 😅

I like the look of the Matt Haig book. Sole Survivor looks so close to the story but it’s not quite old enough, although I think I might give it a read as it looks good! Thank you.

‘If you can’t find an answer here, try the forums on AbeBooks, @3wheels - they have helped me in the past.’ Great shout! Thank you.

I’m not sure, it was about 20 years ago that I read it and I have no idea why it’s come to my mind now - maybe I’m yearning to move to a small island!

Yes, I tried earlier and it couldn’t help. This forum is much cleverer! :)

It sounds like the last third of The Signature Of All Things but that’s a historical novel

As @burnoutbabe said ask mnhq to move the thread to the What We're Reading subforum. They're incredible - they guessed my lost book within 3 replies, despite my totally incorrect description!

Ok, thankyou.

Oooh now I’m intrigued because I have definitely read that too! Can’t remember the title though.

It's non fiction but parts of your description remind me of Castaway by Lucy Irvine.

Ah right no The Life Impossible is quite recent so it won’t be that then.

I read a "summer reading " book recently about a woman who burnt out and booked a stay in a lodge on an island somewhere. The Lodge was one of a few that a man was doing up to run as an island hotel but it wasn't quite ready yet. She rented it anyway and ended up helping him do the painting etc. They went backwards and forwards to the mainland to get provisions from his aunt's shop on the shore. I think he also had a house on the mainland. I think he was also responsible for looking after his niece whose Dad was away and she caused some issues. I dont know what is was called but could it be this one?

It must be this, surely?

She inherits a cottage on a remote bay on an island. Her neighbour is Red, who was a POW in WWII. And they shared meals of fish and rice.

It's 18 years old, so fits the around 20 years ago bit too.

Yes! If it’s 18 years old it must be right. I looked on amazon which said it was printed in 2017 but they must have that date as a reprint.

Thankyou!
I’ll get a copy and read it again. I really fancy an island survival or adventure story at the minute. Maybe it’s the weather!

I’ve just downloaded this now on the Libby app, looks a fun story. X