The Boy From The Island: An Incredible True Story Of The Power Of Nature Versus Nurture

William Miller’s evocative The Boy from the Island introduces four-year-old Miguel who finds himself uprooted from his Cape Verde home in the Atlantic to start a new and radically different life in Milan with the affluent Maria.

The Boy From The Island

Based on a true story, William Miller’s The Boy from the Island is a beautiful and unique story of two people – a child from Cape Verde and an affluent Romanian woman – that are brought together to live as a family despite their very different backgrounds

Written in three parts, William Miller’s attention to detail and depth of research (the latter took over a year) is evident throughout, as is the author’s desire to tell the story equally from both Miguel and Maria’s perspectives, which in turn highlights the radically different cultures and histories of both protagonists.

Whilst character led, The Boy from the Island includes cultural themes such as sense of belonging, identity, alienation and loneliness, and how people react when exposed to such issues.

A story that will linger with the reader long after its last page, congratulations to William Miller for such an eloquent and thought-provoking debut novel.

Synopsis Of The Boy From The Island:

Miguel is four years old when he is suddenly taken away from his home in Cape Verde and brought to Milan. Entrusted to Maria, an affluent Romanian Jewish lady, he embarks on a turbulent journey, which leads him to question his identity and sense of belonging.  He looks for ways to escape from the pressures of everyday life which eventually have devastating consequences.

About William Miller

William Miller was born in Stockport, UK.  He graduated in modern languages and literature (French, German and Italian) and has lived and worked in Italy and the United Arab Emirates.  He currently works in learning and development for a multinational energy company and resides in Alderley Edge.

“The central theme of The Boy from the Island is cultural adaptation and integration.  In this particular case, the story highlights that no matter how much you try to nurture someone you adopt or take into your custody, they can often end up showing more characteristics from their biological parents.  This is even more accentuated as the protagonist moves to a completely different country and culture and is entrusted to someone who is radically different to him (background, religion, ethics, values).”

Find The Boy From The Island:

Published by Grosvenor House Publishing, The Boy from the Island is available in paperback (£12.16) and Kindle format (£3.99) from Amazon at https://amzn.to/3FdpJgm and https://amzn.to/3DjDIAB respectively.  It is also available from other retailers.

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