Publication Date: March 29, 2022
A moving historical novel about the German occupation of the Channel Islands from the bestselling author of The Poppy Field.
While her little sister Rose is sent to the UK to keep her safe from the invading German army, Estelle is left behind on Jersey to help her grandmother run the family farm. When the Germans occupy the island, everything changes and Estelle and the islanders must face the reality of life under Nazi rule.
Interspersed with letters from Rose back in London, the novel is also inspired by the real life stories from the author’s own family who were on the island during the occupation and is a true testament to the courage and bravery of the islanders.
As the world watches the Russian invasion of Ukraine, stories of places occupied during World War II come into sharper focus. Drawing from stories shared by her family, author Deborah Carr highlights life on the Channel Islands under German occupation in An Island at War .
The storyline centers around 19-year-old Estelle, who lives on the island of Jersey and helps her grandmother on the family farm. Her young sister, Rosie, had been sent away to London for safety reasons at the beginning of the book. A terrible tragedy strikes the family that, for all intents and purposes, should have set the tone with respect to the German invasion.
From June 28, 1940, to May 9, 1945, the residents of the island managed to survive despite tightened food rations, curfews, and the threat of punishment for an ever-changing list of infractions. Estelle and her grandmother are required to provide housing for Captain Hans Bauer, a situation that serves as the catalyst for a number of events in the story.
Interspersed between chapters about life on Jersey are journal entries from young Rosie as she hunkers down during Germany’s air attacks on London. The closeness between the sisters is endearing, especially as their time apart grows. While it is clear that the residents faced challenges during the occupation, the tone is one of resilience. What is missing, though, is a true sense of raw grittiness. Yes, there are Russian prisoners brought to the island, and they are in dreadful shape, but the story doesn’t drill down too deep. The end result, with the exception of a few curse words, is a relatively wholesome book.
The author’s familiarity with the content is apparent through the attention to detail regarding life on Jersey. Packing five years into 377 pages is a challenge, but using Rosie’s letters adds natural transition points.
With that said, the conclusion left me unfulfilled. Given the attention to detail evident throughout the book, I was hoping to see a reunion between the sisters. I also wanted some additional resolution for other characters, such as Hans and Gerard. Another area of concern pertains to numerous grammatical errors throughout the story that can be fixed with another round of focused editing. These errors have nothing to do with differences between British and American English.
An Island at War details life on the island of Jersey during the German occupation. This novel uses historical facts to highlight the struggle for freedom.
Deborah Carr lives on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands with her husband and three rescue dogs. She became interested in books set in WW1 when researching her great-grandfather’s time as a cavalryman in the 17th 21st Lancers.
She is one-third of the Blonde Plotters writing group and was Deputy Editor on the online review site, Novelicious.com for seven years.
