Summary of The Island
“The Island” – also published in English as “School of the Sun” – is a short novella by the Spanish author Ana María Matute, set in the early 1930s on the island of Mallorca. The story follows Matia, a rebellious teenager who is expelled from school and sent to live with her grandmother on Mallorca. There she spends a hot summer with her cousin Borja and other friends, including the mysterious Manuel. But when the Spanish Civil War breaks out, Matia’s life is thrown into turmoil.
Reasons to read The Island
“The Island” is a poignant coming-of-age novel set in Mallorca during the early days of the Spanish Civil War. The novel was awarded the Premio Nadal in 1959. In 2010, Ana María Matute received the Premio Cervantes, the most prestigious literary award in Spanish literature. She also won the Premio Nacional de las Letras Españolas for her body of work in 2007 and was a member of the Real Academia Española.
Setting: Mallorca (Spain)
Original title: Primera memoria
Year of publication: 1960
Nr of pages: 192
