It is the second largest Greek Island after Crete, but Evia - Euboea in Greek mythology, formerly Negropont to the British - remains almost unknown to tourists. Separated from the mainland for much of its seahorse-shaped length by only a narrow channel, it is tantalisingly close yet apart as far as the casual visitor to Greece is concerned. It has led a double life as an island and yet not an island. This is the story of a five-month journey in 1990 from the bottom of Evia to the top, a journey as much about time as place, for Sara Wheeler describes a world that is fading and being replaced ultimately by nothing. The combination of her responsiveness to Evia's present and her awareness of its rich history declares the arrival of a brand new voice in travel writing.