The Girl from the Channel Islands: A WWII Novel
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- Create Date：2021-02-05 04:20:07
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jenny Lecoat
- ISBN：9781525806414
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Editor Reviews
THE GIRL FROM THE CHANNEL ISLANDS is an unforgettable tale of friendship， love， courage and survival。 I loved every word of this fantastically engrossing novel。 Jenny Lecoat is an author to watch！New York Times bestselling author Kelly Rimmer
“A riveting story of survival against all odds， told by a masterful storyteller who also happens to be a fresh new voice in the genre。 I absolutely loved The Girl From the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat and recommend it highly， not just to fans of historical fiction， but to lovers of good books everywhere。” - Karen Robards， NYT bestselling author of The Black Swan of Paris
"A harrowing tale of a young woman using her wits， courage， and an unlikely relationship to stay alive on a Nazi occupied island。 Lecoat weaves a story of strength and bravery from the first exciting scene to its satisfying conclusion。" —Bestselling author Noelle Salazar
"The Girl from the Channel Islands springs to life with cinematic clarity。 With the story's every dramatic turn， Lecoat raises profound questions about our understanding of trust， friend， and foe。"Ellen Keith， author of The Dutch Wife
"A captivating story of trust and betrayal， courage， survival and forbidden love。"Glynis Peters， author of The Secret Orphan
"An evocative and emotive telling of the starkness of war in a stunning landscape。" —USA TODAY bestselling author Mandy Robotham
“Lecoat capably combines historical fact with the fictional narrative， and offers a cast rich with multidimensional characters。 Readers will be riveted。”Publishers Weekly
"Lecoat's debut is based on true events， which will make readers even more curious about the backstory and motivations of Hedy， Kurt， and the somewhat enigmatic Dorothea。 The unique Channel Island setting may intrigue readers of WWII-set women's fiction。"Booklist
“A vividly evoked story of love surviving， even triumphing， over oppression。”—Sunday Times
"This gripping tale of forbidden love and survival will leave you breathless" - Sunday Post
“Thrilling and deeply moving。”—Jersey Festival of Words
"A strong story of a small island in the battle of WWII with characters you root for and a love story that makes you happy。"Red Carpet Crash
Reviews
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Miriam
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This is historical fiction based on the true story of Hedy Bercu， a Jewish girl who escaped Vienna in 1938 and settled on the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands off Normandy （part of the British protectorate）。The author crafts an interesting piece of historical fiction pairing a Jewish girl with a German Lieutenant who falls in love with her。 I couldn't decide if Hedy was a collaborator or a resister。 The pair deal with mixed loyalties although they rarely talk about their internal conflict This is historical fiction based on the true story of Hedy Bercu， a Jewish girl who escaped Vienna in 1938 and settled on the Island of Jersey in the Channel Islands off Normandy （part of the British protectorate）。The author crafts an interesting piece of historical fiction pairing a Jewish girl with a German Lieutenant who falls in love with her。 I couldn't decide if Hedy was a collaborator or a resister。 The pair deal with mixed loyalties although they rarely talk about their internal conflicts。 The book would make for lively discussion and argument in a Jewish book club。 It's certainly of a piece with "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society。"Thanks to the BookLoft of German Village （Columbus， OH） http://www。bookloft。com for an ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Karla
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I received an advance audio copy from Libro。fm in exchange for my honest review。While I enjoyed this， it lacked a certain excitement。 Covering a large amount of time in one book can be risky。 I'm assuming lots more happened in the years the Germans occupied the Channel Islands， but maybe it was just kind of boring and depressing。 Some moments of action helped pick up the pace， but I was left wanting more conflict。 I received an advance audio copy from Libro。fm in exchange for my honest review。While I enjoyed this， it lacked a certain excitement。 Covering a large amount of time in one book can be risky。 I'm assuming lots more happened in the years the Germans occupied the Channel Islands， but maybe it was just kind of boring and depressing。 Some moments of action helped pick up the pace， but I was left wanting more conflict。 。。。more
Madison
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An incredible book based off a true story。 I was a little burnt out on WWII books for a while， but this one was really great。 A young Jewish girl from Austria is trapped on a small French island during the war。 How she survives and who helps her - it's a wonderful story。 An incredible book based off a true story。 I was a little burnt out on WWII books for a while， but this one was really great。 A young Jewish girl from Austria is trapped on a small French island during the war。 How she survives and who helps her - it's a wonderful story。 。。。more
Andrea Johnson
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Hedy is a Jewish woman from Austria who lives and works in the Channel Islands。 When the Nazis occupy the island， she initially works for them as a translator， until she is forced to go into hiding。 An interesting story and characters。 I knew little about this location and its position during the war。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC， publishing in the US on 2/2/2021。
Romina
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2。5 stars
Virginia Winfield
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I have read many books about WWll but this was my first that was based in the Channel Islands。 I loved that this was based on something that really happened。 I felt that everyone on that island had a very hard time。 There did not seem to be many that came away unscathed。 I loved the characters of Hedy， Dorothea， Anton and Kurt。 I felt this showed that there were good and bad people on both sides。 This made me cry。 I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I I have read many books about WWll but this was my first that was based in the Channel Islands。 I loved that this was based on something that really happened。 I felt that everyone on that island had a very hard time。 There did not seem to be many that came away unscathed。 I loved the characters of Hedy， Dorothea， Anton and Kurt。 I felt this showed that there were good and bad people on both sides。 This made me cry。 I received a copy of this book from Harlequin for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will。 。。。more
Julie
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Sometimes you can’t help who you fall in love with and this was true for Hedy， a Jewish woman， who was hiding in the British Channel Islands when she falls in love with a German Officer， Kurt。 As the Germans continue their brutality of the world， things are ok on the islands until they aren’t。 Hedy is a strong and brave woman for doing her small part to resist the power of the Nazis。 It most certainly does help but it also put her in grave danger。 Kurt is also risking his life by being with her Sometimes you can’t help who you fall in love with and this was true for Hedy， a Jewish woman， who was hiding in the British Channel Islands when she falls in love with a German Officer， Kurt。 As the Germans continue their brutality of the world， things are ok on the islands until they aren’t。 Hedy is a strong and brave woman for doing her small part to resist the power of the Nazis。 It most certainly does help but it also put her in grave danger。 Kurt is also risking his life by being with her but he is where he is because of circumstances。 As they both lose during the war， will they be able to keep each other？ 。。。more
Marlene
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Originally published at Reading RealityThe Girl from the Channel Islands is a fairly big story to come out of such a tiny place。 After all， the totality of the Channel Islands is only 76 square miles， while the Island of Jersey is just a tad over half that， at 45。6 square miles。Another way of looking at it is that this is a very complicated story， particularly for its relatively short 304 pages。 A lot happens， a lot of conflicting things happen， a lot of terrible things happen， in a relatively s Originally published at Reading RealityThe Girl from the Channel Islands is a fairly big story to come out of such a tiny place。 After all， the totality of the Channel Islands is only 76 square miles， while the Island of Jersey is just a tad over half that， at 45。6 square miles。Another way of looking at it is that this is a very complicated story， particularly for its relatively short 304 pages。 A lot happens， a lot of conflicting things happen， a lot of terrible things happen， in a relatively small space and short time， not just in the pages but in the history that happens between them， the occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II， the part of Great Britain occupied by German forces。This is a story that is further complicated by the knowledge that the bones of this story are based in history。 Not just that the occupation happened， but that the main characters of this story were real people who are documented to have done at least the outlines of the events that happened in the book even if some of the details have been fictionalized。And therein lies the biggest complication of all。From one perspective， and a perspective that continues throughout the story， this is a “war is hell” story。 Even further， war is hell and these people are all living through it， all of them to various degrees forced into the place and position that they are in during it。It’s also a story about female friendship， the strength and saving grace of it， even in the darkest and most brutal of times。 Whatever the exact daily details， Dorothea Weber really did hide her friend， the Jewish woman Hedy Bercu， from repeated German attempts to round up all of the Jews on the islands and ship them to concentration camps。 Doro saved Hedy’s life multiple times over the course of the occupation， and has been honored for her actions at Yad Vashem。Then there’s that third part of this story， and this is the part that didn’t sit too well with me， and that other readers may also find disturbing。 That’s the romance between Hedy Bercu and the German officer Kurt Neumann。 By saying that it didn’t sit well with me， I mean to the point that if this story weren’t based in fact the reveal of the romance would have turned this story into a wallbanger。 Because it feels so wrong， even though， as is frequently stated and explicated and talked about in the book， Kurt is explicitly not a Nazi。 He’s an engineer who was conscripted and doesn’t believe that part of the Nazi propaganda。Even though he is naïve enough to believe that the Jews who were carted away from all of the German – and Austrian – cities were taken to farms and put to work。But there’s still something squicky about their romance， and I desperately wish it had not been centered in this story， even though it had to be there in some form。 Because after the war， after Kurt served as a POW in Britain， Hedy followed him to Britain and they got married。 Post-war。And that redeemed the idea of a romance in this story， because it really happened in real life （although the real-life person was named Kurt Rummele instead of Neumann）， as unlikely as it seems。 This feels like one of those cases where the truth stretches credulity， but is still the truth。That being said， the romance in the story reads like insta-love with a whole lot of insta-lust thrown in。 And it felt like it was treated a bit too romantically for a relationship that begins when he has the power to have her killed if she doesn’t go along。 We discover later that he wouldn’t and won’t， but at the beginning she doesn’t know that yet and in the story it doesn’t feel like that gives her near enough pause。I’d have enjoyed reading this a lot more if the friendship between Dorothea and Hedy had been the centerpiece instead of the romance。That being said， the story of survival against increasingly desperate odds is stark and harrowing， even more so than The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which is looking back at the occupation after the war is over。 The Girl from the Channel Islands has an immediacy that isn’t present in the other story， and it’s certainly interesting to see the occupation from a different perspective。Escape Rating B: This was obviously a mixed feelings review。 The story of the occupation and the desperation of the inhabitants was absolutely harrowing。 The development of the friendship between Dorothea and Hedy and the lengths that they go to in order to keep Hedy safe-ish and on the island， the deprivations they survive to keep each other going – that part is wonderful。 I personally still find the treatment of the romance troublesome but ultimately not a turnoff because it really happened。Your reading mileage， your taste for the different parts of this soup， may definitely vary。One final thought， there’s a quote at the end from the Irish soldier that Dorothea marries after the war that has stuck with me。 He doesn’t harbor any resentment or prejudice against the soldiers he fought against， no matter their country of origin， because， as he says， “I came across a ton of different nationalities fighting on both sides。 Only thing they had in common was not one bugger actually wanted to be there。”After all， “War is Hell”。 。。。more
Taylor
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“How was anyone supposed to bear this weight， this endless avalanche of misery？” I struggled with this book a little bit。 While I thought the book really captured life during World War II accurately and gave a clear picture of the brutality and grim realities of living during occupation， I had a hard time imagining the characters or caring about them particularly even if I could sympathize with their situation。Hedy was a difficult main character to love。 Her resilience was admirable but she “How was anyone supposed to bear this weight， this endless avalanche of misery？” I struggled with this book a little bit。 While I thought the book really captured life during World War II accurately and gave a clear picture of the brutality and grim realities of living during occupation， I had a hard time imagining the characters or caring about them particularly even if I could sympathize with their situation。Hedy was a difficult main character to love。 Her resilience was admirable but she had a somewhat grating personalty。 I could understand her defensiveness and unwillingness to trust others but at the same time that made it hard to connect with her。 I felt bad for the things she was going through but I never felt like I got to know her that much， it’s as if she kept the reader at as much a distance as she kept everyone else in the book。 Her relationship with Kurt was the closest she came to vulnerability and even that was a bit stifled to me。 The friendship between her and Dory was forced upon her and that strain was evident throughout the book。 I had hoped for more development of the closeness between the two of them but the differences in their two personalities was only heightened as the story progressed。 Even at the end when it was meant to be a parting of friends it still came across as relief rather than sadness in saying farewell。 Anton was the only character that Hedy appeared to have any connection to but that fizzled out by the end。The romance between Kurt and Hedy was good but for me it lacked sentiment。 I struggled to fully realize Kurt as a character and while I believed that he cared for Hedy in the ways that he provided and tried to protect her it was difficult sometimes to see their romance as so deep when many of his thoughts of her were of a sexual nature。 I get that romance and relationships may have been conducted differently during war time and of course the stress and pressure that Hedy and Kurt were under as he’s a German officer and she a Jew would’ve been unbelievably intense but there were moments that were decidedly unromantic。 Also the relationship came across as unbalanced， in that he risked a lot to help Hedy and Dory but in the end it seemed as if once the tide had turned Hedy wasn’t willing to risk much the same。 She was happy to wait for him but not to fight for him as he did for her beyond one plea to someone who knew wasn’t likely to help。I think the best parts of this book are in its portrayals of what life was like for someone during occupation。 The harsh realities of food shortage， of no income， of being treated as half a person。 That’s where this book does a really good job。 Unfortunately I feel the characters weren’t fleshed out very well and became more a picture of what life was like during the war。 And it’s a stark and startling picture for certain， brutal and harsh in its depiction。 The author doesn’t spare the reader from showing the realities of both sides。 The fact that Kurt， as a German officer， didn’t agree with the polices of his side but also didn’t fully know or comprehend them。 And Hedy， coming to terms with living under the thumb of people who would want to persecute her if they knew she was a Jew while still trying to find a way to have her own rebellion。 I did like that the author showed the mental toll war takes on people over time， how it numbs people and changes them and the things they thought might matter really don’t anymore。 I think that’s where this book really shone is in dealing with the toll that war takes on a person， their relationships and themselves and where they go once it’s over。I did wish that there would’ve been a better resolution to the book as it was so fraught for the entire story and then wrapped up quickly。 Especially relating to Hedy’s family as I felt I never truly understood the full story on them。 I was ok with where Hedy and Kurt ended up but it would’ve been nice to have even further follow up to see how they were faring but I guess in a way it was suited to a happy for now ending。Overall this was an enjoyable read。 While I would’ve liked some more detail on the characters， the plot kept me engaged the entire story wanting to know what became of Hedy and those around her。 I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a good WWII fiction with tense moments， an unlikely romance and small acts of courage amidst terrifying circumstances。– I voluntarily read and reviewed an e-copy of this book I received for free through NetGalley from Harlequin Trade Publishing as part of a blog tour。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 –Review on my blog: Babbling Books Blog 。。。more
Bonnie
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The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat tells the story of a young Jewish nanny who is stuck off the coast of France， on the Channel Islands， when the Germans invade。 Despite her fear， Hedy takes a job as a translator for the occupation forces。 As a small act of resistance， she begins stealing petrol coupons to smuggle to the local doctor and is almost caught。 But a young German officer steps up to take the blame and they end up falling in love。 Soon after， Hedy’s best friend， Anton， g The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat tells the story of a young Jewish nanny who is stuck off the coast of France， on the Channel Islands， when the Germans invade。 Despite her fear， Hedy takes a job as a translator for the occupation forces。 As a small act of resistance， she begins stealing petrol coupons to smuggle to the local doctor and is almost caught。 But a young German officer steps up to take the blame and they end up falling in love。 Soon after， Hedy’s best friend， Anton， gets conscripted into the Wehrmacht。 Against all odds， they hide their relationship and take care of each other with the help of Anton’s wife， Dorothea。 As the war rages across Europe， Kurt and Dorothea risk their lives to hide Hedy from the local Germans。 Can they hold out on their small isolated island until the war ends？I have read a lot of World War II historical fiction and this one was just ok for me。 The beginning was a little slow， but it may have just been that I’m so familiar with the time period that I don’t need as much scene setting as most authors give。 Once the story really got going， I was engaged with the characters and wanted to find out if they all made it to the end of the war。 I would say， if you like historical fiction， then you would probably enjoy this one。 If not， you’ll probably find it a little slow。 。。。more
Courtney | Novel Maven
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Trigger warnings: antisemitism， animal slaughter， war（3。5 stars， rounded up）Hedy Bercu's mother's name is Goldberg， and her Romanian stepfather is Jewish。 She flees her native Austria for the island of Jersey when she is unable to escape to England。 To Hedy's horror， the Nazis invade Jersey in 1940 and she finds herself cornered once again。She is branded by the Nazis as a Jew when they don't accept her farce about not being Jewish by blood， but by marriage。 Despite the red "J" stamped on her ide Trigger warnings: antisemitism， animal slaughter， war（3。5 stars， rounded up）Hedy Bercu's mother's name is Goldberg， and her Romanian stepfather is Jewish。 She flees her native Austria for the island of Jersey when she is unable to escape to England。 To Hedy's horror， the Nazis invade Jersey in 1940 and she finds herself cornered once again。She is branded by the Nazis as a Jew when they don't accept her farce about not being Jewish by blood， but by marriage。 Despite the red "J" stamped on her identity card， she lands a job as a translator for the Germans。 Her proximity to the Nazis has a surprising result -- she begins a relationship with Nazi officer Kurt Neumann。Hedy promises her friend Anton that she will look after his wife Dorathea when he is sent into service， and Hedy visits her to listen to the BBC radio broadcast。 As the war progresses， Hedy finds herself leaning on both Kurt and Dorathea to survive。Deryn Edwards gives Hedy's dialogue an Austrian accent and reads the narration with an English one。Recommended for fans of World War II fiction。 Those who enjoyed the small island setting of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will enjoy the novel's environment of Jersey。I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 I also received a digital audio recording of this title from the publisher through Libro。fm as a librarian review copy。Read the review here: https://guenevol。wixsite。com/novelmav。。。 。。。more
Celia Morse
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Based on a true story， Hedy is a Jewish young woman originally from Vienna who escaped the Nazis after the Anschluss only to be caught in the Channel Islands， the only part of Great Britain occupied by Germany during World War Two。 She speaks German as well as English and the Nazis need translators so Hedy hides in plain sight as an employee of the despised occupiers。Not all Germans are evil and Hedy falls in love with Kurt an officer who helps her survive when she is forced into hiding towards Based on a true story， Hedy is a Jewish young woman originally from Vienna who escaped the Nazis after the Anschluss only to be caught in the Channel Islands， the only part of Great Britain occupied by Germany during World War Two。 She speaks German as well as English and the Nazis need translators so Hedy hides in plain sight as an employee of the despised occupiers。Not all Germans are evil and Hedy falls in love with Kurt an officer who helps her survive when she is forced into hiding towards the end of the war。 A little known chapter of the war comes alive as we follow Hedy through the hardships and terror of the occupation。 。。。more
Becky Baldridge
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The Girl from the Channel Islands paints a vivid picture of the German-occupied territory， and I'm finding these historical stories that have some basis in truth to be more and more intriguing lately。 This one pulls us right into WWII and Hedy's struggles to keep her true identity a secret。 The story is well written if a bit dry at times with things being relayed almost on a strict timeline。 Nevertheless， Hedy is an interesting character and the more I learned about her， the more I wanted to kno The Girl from the Channel Islands paints a vivid picture of the German-occupied territory， and I'm finding these historical stories that have some basis in truth to be more and more intriguing lately。 This one pulls us right into WWII and Hedy's struggles to keep her true identity a secret。 The story is well written if a bit dry at times with things being relayed almost on a strict timeline。 Nevertheless， Hedy is an interesting character and the more I learned about her， the more I wanted to know， which kept the pages turning。 All in all， Jenny LeCoat's debut novel does not disappoint and I'll be interested to see what she does next。 。。。more
Melissa
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While parts of this story were well-written and exciting， other parts fell flat for me。 I really enjoyed reading about the occupation on the Channel Islands， which is something that I didn't really know about before。 Some of the events were similar in style to other books based on World War II that I have read， which might be why I didn't enjoy the book as much as others。 I did think part of the love story was too much and Hedy's character was unlikeable for most of the story。 However， the story While parts of this story were well-written and exciting， other parts fell flat for me。 I really enjoyed reading about the occupation on the Channel Islands， which is something that I didn't really know about before。 Some of the events were similar in style to other books based on World War II that I have read， which might be why I didn't enjoy the book as much as others。 I did think part of the love story was too much and Hedy's character was unlikeable for most of the story。 However， the story overall was good， so I will still recommend it， especially to those that enjoy reading about World War II。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an arc in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Betty
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The book is well-written and interesting。 However， having read so many books on WWII， I was expecting more depth to the story。 While based on the true story of Hedy Bercu， a young Jewish woman from Austria trapped on Jersey in the Channel Islands， the book is predominantly a romance， set during extremely difficult times。 Not a lot has been written about life in the German-occupied Channel Islands during WWII， so I did find that interesting。 I also enjoyed the strong friendships in the story。 Hed The book is well-written and interesting。 However， having read so many books on WWII， I was expecting more depth to the story。 While based on the true story of Hedy Bercu， a young Jewish woman from Austria trapped on Jersey in the Channel Islands， the book is predominantly a romance， set during extremely difficult times。 Not a lot has been written about life in the German-occupied Channel Islands during WWII， so I did find that interesting。 I also enjoyed the strong friendships in the story。 Hedy’s life lay in the hands of her friends and a German officer。I felt the character development was really lacking。 Some of Hedy’s backstory is given， but there is almost nothing on Kurt， Dory， and Anton。 I would love to have known more about Dory， as she was my favorite character。 These were real people so research should have provided some background on them。 A beautiful quote from the book: “If you stretched out your hand into the cold， still air， you could rub the bitterness between your thumb and forefinger and feel its grit。”I received an advance e-galley from the publisher。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
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First， I have to say that I enjoy historical fiction even more if the story is based on a real person。 Hedy Bercu was a young woman who fled to Jersey from Vienna to escape Jewish persecution， arrest and probable death， only to find herself trapped on the island during the German occupation。 Because she can speak， read and write both German and English， she was hired to work as a translator for the German authorities。 She uses her position to carry out small acts of resistance。 She becomes invol First， I have to say that I enjoy historical fiction even more if the story is based on a real person。 Hedy Bercu was a young woman who fled to Jersey from Vienna to escape Jewish persecution， arrest and probable death， only to find herself trapped on the island during the German occupation。 Because she can speak， read and write both German and English， she was hired to work as a translator for the German authorities。 She uses her position to carry out small acts of resistance。 She becomes involved with a German Lieutenant， Kurt Neumann， who hates what the Germans are doing。 Kurt worked against the Germans to keep both Hedy and Dorothea alive。 Can Hedy， Kurt and her friend Dorothea survive the occupation？I was aware that the Germans had occupied various channel islands， but this story enlightened me even more about the conditions the people on Jersey dealt with。 The Germans had many rules， regulations and punishments。 They controlled everything; food， fire wood， clothes， petrol and more。 It was difficult for the locals to survive and by the time they were liberated in 1945， many of the people were starving， physically ill and dying。 I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Hedy and Dory grow。 They were friends because of Anton， Hedy's friend and Dory's husband， but they became friends through necessity， then true friends depending on one another。 I also liked how Kurt was portrayed and that not all German soldiers were evil。 Many did not want to fight， but they had no choice。 As we follow Hedy’s story we go on a heartbreaking journey as Hedy struggles to live each day。 This is a heartbreaking story， but it is also a story full of hope。 Not only Hedy， but all the inhabitants of Jersey were determined to survive。 They persevered and did what they could to hang on until the allies arrived。 Jenny Lecoat has written an excellent historical fiction novel of one more aspect of World War II and an actual character that lived through it。 I definitely enjoyed this story and recommend it to those who enjoy historical fiction， especially WWII。 I was gifted a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Donna Hines
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First and Foremost I would be remiss if I did not take the time to personally thank Jenny Lecoat， Harper Collins， & Graydon House for this Winter 2021 Blog Tour -Historical Fiction - genre！Little did I know I'd fall in love with a story from a beautiful young Jewish woman named Hedy， trapped on the occupied island of Jersey during World War II。When the Germans invade the Channel Islands there's no counter attack as the allies feel The Channel Islands aren't worth protecting。 Little did Hedy real First and Foremost I would be remiss if I did not take the time to personally thank Jenny Lecoat， Harper Collins， & Graydon House for this Winter 2021 Blog Tour -Historical Fiction - genre！Little did I know I'd fall in love with a story from a beautiful young Jewish woman named Hedy， trapped on the occupied island of Jersey during World War II。When the Germans invade the Channel Islands there's no counter attack as the allies feel The Channel Islands aren't worth protecting。 Little did Hedy realize many of the islanders settled into an uneasy coexistence with the occupying forces but not Hedy。 Hedy is Jewish， ergo this fact alone may lead to deportation or worse。Therefore， she takes up a job as a translator and falls in love with a German Lieutenant named Kurt。This relationship heats up while danger lurks all around her。Courage means survival not only using her own survival skills but those of her community united as one alongside a man who for all intense purposes as an officer should be her enemy。The way in which this proceeds even when they meet at the crossroads of life was quite fascinating and it's interesting to note that this is based on true events。I've read many historical books from this time period and this one in particular managed to make you feel every movement， every emotion， every dire consequence in trying to merely thrive and survive。A great new read that I hope you have the pleasure of enjoying real soon！ 。。。more
Bobbi
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Another novel of historical fiction， set in WWII。 I’m grateful that so many new books （both fiction and nonfiction） are set in that time period because those who witnessed the events are leaving us and， if not for letters， diaries， and records found through intense research， many of these stories would be lost。 Forever。 And we would never know of the courage exhibited by so many “ ordinary” people who risked their very lives to save the lives of other ordinary people - who were often strangers。 Another novel of historical fiction， set in WWII。 I’m grateful that so many new books （both fiction and nonfiction） are set in that time period because those who witnessed the events are leaving us and， if not for letters， diaries， and records found through intense research， many of these stories would be lost。 Forever。 And we would never know of the courage exhibited by so many “ ordinary” people who risked their very lives to save the lives of other ordinary people - who were often strangers。 A remarkable story。My thanks to the author and Graydon House for the ARC; the book will be available on September 2， 2021。 。。。more
Louise
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Certainly an amazing story！ Enjoyed it but wouldn’t be at the top of my WWII reads
Ashley at Reading Themes
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The Girl from the Channel Islands: A WWII Novel by Jenny Lecoat released on February 2， 2021。 This WWII novel shares the story of a young Jewish woman and her time during the war。 There is romance and strong friendships as well as hardships endured。 The story was very well written and I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction novels。 Thanks to Graydon House via Netgalley for this review copy。
Nicola Short
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A beautiful story of survival。WWII on the coast of France is the setting for the historical fiction The Girl from the Channel Islands。 This story is based on a true story which was incredibly interesting。 There is a lot of history within the story as well love stories。Hedy， a young Jewish girl， is the main character。 I really went back and forth on my thoughts about her。 In the end， I came around to find her very brave。I always find it hard to read about the atrocities that went on。 Many thanks A beautiful story of survival。WWII on the coast of France is the setting for the historical fiction The Girl from the Channel Islands。 This story is based on a true story which was incredibly interesting。 There is a lot of history within the story as well love stories。Hedy， a young Jewish girl， is the main character。 I really went back and forth on my thoughts about her。 In the end， I came around to find her very brave。I always find it hard to read about the atrocities that went on。 Many thanks to NetGalley， the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Lorie
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This was a really good book。 A Jewish girl somewhat in hiding during the war and the hardships she faced。 I felt so bad for her and the rationing/lack of food makes me thankful for all that we have now。
Camila Reynoso
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Woow que historia。。。Es el primer libro que leo que aborda el tema de la Segunda Guerra Mundial， y sin lugar a duda no va hacer el último。Este libro tiene un gran logro que es transmitirte la sensación de que estás viviendo en la guerra。 Por momentos me sentía atrapada en ella y veía reflejado todos los sentimientos de Hedy y me los transmitía， me hacía sentir lo mismo que estaba siento ella， sus miedos， sus fortalezas， debilidades y su amor。。。 su gran amor。 La historia de amor es hermosa， apasio Woow que historia。。。Es el primer libro que leo que aborda el tema de la Segunda Guerra Mundial， y sin lugar a duda no va hacer el último。Este libro tiene un gran logro que es transmitirte la sensación de que estás viviendo en la guerra。 Por momentos me sentía atrapada en ella y veía reflejado todos los sentimientos de Hedy y me los transmitía， me hacía sentir lo mismo que estaba siento ella， sus miedos， sus fortalezas， debilidades y su amor。。。 su gran amor。 La historia de amor es hermosa， apasionante y angustiante， porque nunca sabes si al final de la historia uno de los dos terminará muerto。 Viven al límite， ambos， desafiando todo lo que puedan desafiar para imponer resistencia y eso te pone la pile de gallina。 Pero lo mejor es Dorothea， esa mujer es súper valiente y al principio nos hacen creer que es tonta y que lo usa a Anton， pero lo único qué hay en su corazón es bondad y una gran fuerza de voluntad para ayudar a Hedy a que sobreviva a esta guerra cuente lo que cueste。 Hubo un punto débil en la historia que fue el reencuentro de ambos protagonista luego de que se presentara una situación， y además de que no soy tan fanática de los finales abiertos; pero confío en que la autora si logro que ambos vivan juntos y sin miedo hacer capturados。 Por eso le puse 4 estrellas， pero a pesar de eso la historia es excelente。 Particularmente me gustó muchísimo la historia y se de bastantes cosas de la 2GM y me puso muy contenta ver que la autora hizo un excelente trabajo con esto。 Todos los datos son muy certeros y coinciden en fecha， así que me gusto mucho leer esta historia particularmente porque estaba bien narrada y con referencias históricas。 Además sabemos que la autora hizo una investigación previamente antes de escribir este maravilloso libro。Una hermosa historia de amor prohibido en época de guerra y con un contexto apasionante。 。。。more
MandM
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3。5
Jess Combs
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4。5 starsNormally， I would take some time， collect my thoughts and the broken pieces of my heart from the floor and THEN sit down to type out all the thoughts swirling around in my brain so you all would be able to understand it。 But NOT today。 OH NOOOOOO。。。。 lucky you， today I'm just gonna pour my little heart out immediately after finishing The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat because I just really need to share how I'm feeling right NOW！ So， how am I feeling about it？ What exactly 4。5 starsNormally， I would take some time， collect my thoughts and the broken pieces of my heart from the floor and THEN sit down to type out all the thoughts swirling around in my brain so you all would be able to understand it。 But NOT today。 OH NOOOOOO。。。。 lucky you， today I'm just gonna pour my little heart out immediately after finishing The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat because I just really need to share how I'm feeling right NOW！ So， how am I feeling about it？ What exactly DID I think about this little nugget of a historical fiction novel set during WWII about a young Jewish woman stuck on some tiny little island with some Nazi soldiers？？？ I'm so glad you asked。。。 My thoughts on The Girl from the Channel Islands: Where to begin。。。 Let's travel back in time to the Channel Islands during the year 1940， where young Jewish girl Hedy Bercu has been living after fleeing Vienna。 Her only real friend on the island is a young man named Anton and the Germans have taken control of the island。 Kinda makes you sad already， right？ She's already escaped the Nazis once。。。 can she do it again？ No。 The answer is NO。 NO ONE is escaping the island。。。 except maybe Anton and a poor possibly drunk widowed fisherman， but that's not the part of the story we're discussing today。 So how do I express to you what I DO want to talk about without giving away too much。。。？ Basically， Hedy ends up at the mercy of a woman she doesn't particularly care for and a German officer who she may be falling in love with as she tries to hide right under the Nazi's noses as a translator/thief and it's INTENSE people！！！ That's all I think I can actually say without spoilers。 So。。。yeah。 I cried， I laughed， I held my breath for way too long and felt a little dizzy。 So if you're the type of person who likes to put yourself through a lot of emotional turmoil and possibly be happy （but not TOO happy） in the end， then I definitely recommend this book。 Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review and opinions。 。。。more
Cheryl
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This novel is loosely based on a true story of resistance， heroism， friendship， and love that is hard to put down！Hedy Bercu is a young Jewish girl who had been living and working in the Channel Islands when World War II begins。 When the island is invaded by the German forces， everyone’s life slowly begins to change。Hedy has to register as a Jewish resident with the authorities。 However， since she is bilingual and can speak and write German and English， she is hired to work for the German milita This novel is loosely based on a true story of resistance， heroism， friendship， and love that is hard to put down！Hedy Bercu is a young Jewish girl who had been living and working in the Channel Islands when World War II begins。 When the island is invaded by the German forces， everyone’s life slowly begins to change。Hedy has to register as a Jewish resident with the authorities。 However， since she is bilingual and can speak and write German and English， she is hired to work for the German military in one of their offices。 While there， she meets a German officer who is secretly not supportive of the Nazi regime。 They clandestinely begin to see each other and fall in love。 But as the war drags on， each of them fear that their forbidden relationship may be discovered…Thank you to Net Galley， Harlequin Books， and author Jenny Lecoat for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this historical fiction book！ 。。。more
Emily
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I was so excited to win this in a Goodreads giveaway！ I was drawn to the story after The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society made me want to learn more about the Channel Islands during the occupation。 I'm always a little distracted reading historical fiction based on real people because I keep wondering how much of the story is what really happened。 From what information I've found it seems that all the major events in the story are true。 I'm not sure why the title was chosen since Hed I was so excited to win this in a Goodreads giveaway！ I was drawn to the story after The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society made me want to learn more about the Channel Islands during the occupation。 I'm always a little distracted reading historical fiction based on real people because I keep wondering how much of the story is what really happened。 From what information I've found it seems that all the major events in the story are true。 I'm not sure why the title was chosen since Hedy was from Vienna， not the Channel Islands。 The other title， Hedy's War， seems like a better fit。 Unless maybe， is Dory "the girl from the Channel Islands？" I mostly enjoyed the writing except for the occasional awkward description of some of the sexual encounters that seemed out of place among the author's otherwise elegant prose。 Overall， I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical fiction。 Hedy Bercu was a brave woman and it makes me so happy to know that a friendship like Hedy and Dory's really did exist。 。。。more
Robin Loves Reading
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Love and bravery at a time of war is never easy。 That certainly proved true when it came to Hedy Bercu and the man she loved。 Hedy was a young Jewish girl who fell in love。 This loved proved tragic time and again。 For starters， she had to flee Vienna during the Anschluss while World War II was raging。 Even though she managed to flee， she was indeed captured by the Germans。Things were beyond difficult - if not impossible - for Hedy。 However， serving as a translator helped her to hide among the Ge Love and bravery at a time of war is never easy。 That certainly proved true when it came to Hedy Bercu and the man she loved。 Hedy was a young Jewish girl who fell in love。 This loved proved tragic time and again。 For starters， she had to flee Vienna during the Anschluss while World War II was raging。 Even though she managed to flee， she was indeed captured by the Germans。Things were beyond difficult - if not impossible - for Hedy。 However， serving as a translator helped her to hide among the Germans。 However， her love affair might prove to be the cause of her death and capture。 The reason why is the man she was desperately in love with，， and this man was a German officer。 Their love was tested time and again， and loyalty and bravery truly came into play。 Their love was impossible， no doubt， and their choice to persevere proved dangerous more than once。Not only did they have to fight for their love， but hunger become a dire factor。 Hedy was blessed with good friends for her protection and safety。 This is one of the best historical fiction stories I have read。 Forbidden love is never easy， but this book showed how love truly triumphed over the greatest of difficulties。 Many thanks to Graydon House and to NetGalley for this ARC for review。 This is my honest opinion。 。。。more
Elizabeth
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First of I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Graydon House -HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing （U。S。 & Canada） ， the author Jenny Lecoat ， and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it。 As soon as I say it I knew that once again I would say yes because I love reading historical Fiction that is based on events that took place doing WW2 ， the only down side to that is that it has to do be done in a way that it fellows these four First of I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher Graydon House -HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing （U。S。 & Canada） ， the author Jenny Lecoat ， and to NetGalley for inviting me to join the blog tour for this book as well as letting me read and review it。 As soon as I say it I knew that once again I would say yes because I love reading historical Fiction that is based on events that took place doing WW2 ， the only down side to that is that it has to do be done in a way that it fellows these four things that I look for which is :1: author has done their research2: they bring their characters and their settings to life 3: they make you feel everything that the characters feel 4: and by the end of the book your a emotional wreckAnd with this book it checked everything off that list， in fact this is the second historical fiction WW 2 based book that I've read this year which means its one of my favorite books。 The book is well writing and makes you feel all the emotions that the characters feel， she also brings to life the day to day life of the characters and what they went though，their bravery in the face of danger ， of friends made and of lives lost as well as loved ones， it also brings to light how the some of the Germans treated the Jews and the people of the Channel Islands ， and how one German was different then all of the rest that he would do anything to help the girl that he was in love with even if that meant his own death。 So if your looking for something that feel the all the emotions and a story that's filled with tension， suspense， revenge， friendship， love， kindness then you need to check this one out。 。。。more
Soni S
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