The Daring Girls of Guernsey: A Novel of World War II

by Gayle Callen, Jayne Entwistle (Reader)

From USA Today bestselling author Gayle Callen comes a fascinating historical novel of three courageous young women who aid a desperate British spy during the German occupation of Guernsey Island in World War II. In 1940, Germany seizes control of Guernsey without a fight--but not without resistance. Innocent young teacher Catherine is forced to house a German officer. Shrewd waitress Betty seeks to elude the persistent Nazi determined to conquer her. And courageous nurse Helen cares for her patients--both British and German--while hiding a British spy in her seaside cottage. Their fight against the injustices being enacted on their island home brings the women, the spy, and their enemies together in one night that will change all of their lives forever. Though none of them could foresee that the battle they fought that night would reach across time to 1997, when the tragic fallout ensnares Helen once more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, World War II, Audiobook, Fiction, Friendship, Historical, Book Club

Audio CD

First published December 11, 2021

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author Gayle Callen writes historical romances for Avon Books. Her twenty-second novel, The Wrong Bride, was published in November 2015.

Gayle’s novels have won the Holt Medallion, the Laurel Wreath Award, the Booksellers’ Best Award, and finaled in the National Readers Choice Awards. She was a nominee for RT Book Reviews Magazine’s Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She also writes the contemporary romances as Emma Cane.

Gayle resides in central New York with her husband. Now that her three children are grown, she has time to read, sing, and delve too deeply into historical research. A past President of the Central New York Romance Writers, she is also a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. Visit her website at http://www.gaylecallen.com

Reviews

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so hard to describe as there is just so much to it. Normally, I dislike books where each chapter is one person's view and then add switching from the past to the present, but it really worked well in this story.. The switch from the past stories of Catherine, Betty and Helen to the future of Helen and her granddaughter Chelsea was well done. It gives the reader a chance to take a break from problems these girls faced and the choices they had to make to survive. The writing pulls you into their lives and has the reader feeling a variety of emotions as the women encounter situations during the occupation by Germany during WW2. Helen is a nurse and has recently lost her parents. Her home is outside of town and has a trapdoor to a cave that leads to the sea. Jack has been dropped off by a submarine and finds his way to Helen's house. Her home becomes the base of his spying operation. Catherine lives with her family and is a school teacher that speaks German. There are many times she is caught in uncomfortable situations because of this. Her family has to host a German soldier which make their situation even more stressful. Betty takes care of her mother by working as a waitress. She attracts the attention of a German officer much to her dismay. They are strong women but survive because of their friendship. The choices they make have you wondering what you would have done. Could you have survived then? The hint of romance between Helen and Jack, Betty and Franz, and Catherine and Sergeant Doepgen adds a bit of lightness and mystery to the story. The mystery of how the past is effecting the future is not solved until the very end and leaves you hopeful for their future.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I read A LOT of historical fiction in the WWII genre, so have several books to compare this one to. It's definitely obvious that this author's usual writing falls into the romance genre. This novel didn't have enough of the depth of emotion and inherent pain and suffering that typically goes along with a WWII story. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the women, but there was too much emphasis on the (IMO, unrealistic) romantically charged relationships, and not enough detail about their resistance efforts. After all, that's what the story was supposed to be about. The big reveal from the present-day storyline wasn't all that big of a deal, because we didn't get enough insight into their efforts and the results of them. There also could've been much more written about what happened between Helen's time on Guernsey and the present. In the end it left me feeling a bit "meh". Overall, this wasn't the best novel, but it wasn't the worst, either.

The strangest thing to me, though, is how this book got so many 5-star reviews. This is simply not 5-star writing quality, especially for a novel written about such a complex, well-documented, historically important time. Even more curious is how this book has over 225 ratings, but only 13 actual reviews -- and many of the profiles that gave those review-less ratings are obviously fake. I'm not pointing any fingers at the author, but it does make the average rating appear duplicitous.

[Bonnie Blackledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

During World War II, the island of Guernsey, one of the British Channel Islands, became a site of German occupation. Three islanders – Helen, Catherine, and Betty – work to do what they can to offer resistance and help their country fight the Germans that reside there. I never even knew there were inhabited islands in the English Channel, and I certainly had no idea that Guernsey was occupied by the Germans during WWII. I found this a well-written and fascinating story by an author that I discovered for the first time. I’ll certainly be looking for more of her books in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sandy McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent WWII story set on the island of Guernsey.

Although I felt that this story was a little slow to begin with, I quickly changed my mind, and became engrossed in the exploits of three friends on the island of Guernsey during the Nazi occupation of WWII.
Their story is related by one of the friends to her granddaughter 50 years after the war.
With lots of surprises, and some nail-biting moments, this became a book that I found hard to put down.

[Abbey Hales · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVED!!! One I would definitely recommend. For me it was fast moving and covered a lot of story in not a very big book. I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple perspectives, although it was a little bit difficult to keep the three friends straight at the beginning. Great and inspiring story, plus I love all things book clubs and Guernsey.

Sexual relationships insinuated but nothing explicit.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving historical fiction. This was my first by this author and hope to read more. I enjoyed the characters and the story.

[Kris McCracken · Rating 1 out of 5]

“The Daring Girls of Guernsey” is absolute tripe. I don’t say that lightly. I’ve read some bad books in my time, but this one made me question not just publishing, but literacy itself. It’s like someone fed ChatGPT a K-Mart gift card and a vague memory of "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie" Society and said, “Write something for people who find Call the Midwife too intellectually demanding.”

This is terrible. What a shit, trite ending. I honestly thought it was a parody. The last chapter lands with the force of a damp tissue. I stared at the page in disbelief, wondering if my copy had skipped a few chapters or if the author had simply given up and decided to resolve the trauma of war with a group hug, a selection box and the least believable twist I’ve ever read, and I’ve read Nicholas Sparks.

The timeline is a train wreck. Guernsey, in this version of history, seems to double as a wellness retreat for time-travelling Wehrmacht soldiers. They’re back from the Eastern Front years before Germany invaded the Soviet Union, taking tea and scones before heading off to invade Poland again. It’s all over the shop. The only consistent thing is the author’s complete indifference to dates, logic, or reality.

The characters? Jesus wept. Catherine is a professional whinger, Helen drags everyone into a half-baked disaster that makes zero moral sense, and Betty cops it for daring to shag a German. That’s not tragedy, it’s misogynist nonsense dressed as moral purity. The women aren’t people, they’re paper dolls. You could swap their dialogue and no one would notice.

And the writing. Christ almighty. The dialogue sounds like it’s been translated from English into porridge and back again. “We must be brave, Catherine.” “The war will end soon, Helen.” It’s like listening to a school play written by the head girl’s nan. The resistance subplot is purely decorative, a nice backdrop for people to feel noble about. Resistance as aesthetic, not ethics.

Then we get to the 1997 timeline, which might be the single worst framing device I’ve ever seen. Helen’s granddaughter faffs about trying to uncover a “family secret” that was already boring in 1941. It’s a total momentum killer. In technical terms, it's fucking bullshit.

The historical detail is laughable. Feels like the author read a couple of Wikipedia entries and thought, “Close enough.” She treats the occupation like a backdrop for a brunch menu. There’s no grit, no danger, no consequence. Just tidy resolutions and characters forgiving each other over cocoa. The trauma of war solved by chocolate, tea brewed from local wildflowers and a stiff upper lip.

And look, I’m not usually one for conspiracy theories, but have you seen the reviews here on Goodreads? Dozens of glowing five-star raves from what appear to be actual humans, but I don’t buy it. Either the bots have developed a taste for literary garbage or there’s an army of Kindle aunties high on rose wine writing this nonsense. Nobody with working eyes could think this is a good book.

I finished it out of spite. That’s the only honest reason to get to the end. “The Daring Girls of Guernsey” is for readers who think history should be soothing and resistance should come with a manicure. It’s idiotic, lazy, and insulting. One star, and that’s only because zero isn’t an option.

[Jenny T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set during the German occupation of Guernsey Island during WWII 1940, 3 young ladies (Helen, Catherine, & Betty) do what they can to survive. The book captures all of the emotional and physical struggles felt on the island and what they tried to do to help the war efforts. I liked how the author described the female perspective of this experience. The story took some time to set up and build up the plot, but the ending made it all worth the read.
(I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Thanks to Oliver Heber Books.)

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story a lot about three female friends during the German Occupation on Guernsey Island. They were all going through private matters of their own. These girls realized that nobody should have to endure pain and frustration alone. Betty has made clear to a German officer that she wants him to get lost. It has only made him pursue her all the more with threats toward her loved ones. Franz finally gets his way. She had better sense not slap the arrogant smug smirk off his face even though he deserved it. Catherine's parents have to house a German officer who is not very nice to them with his nasty temper. They all live on eggshells. Helen is a nurse looking after wounded Germans in the hospitals. The three girls are loving and kind. They all love helping others. The story talks about determination and perseverance, lost love and collaborators. It was full of excitement and heartbreak plus unconditional love.

[Amy DeWolfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

My biggest problem with this book is the characters. Helen sucked for dragging her friends into the whole mess. Catherine was a crybaby. Poor Betty deserved better.

The timeline was very confusing and there were character inconsistencies and historical inaccuracies.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

WWII and Hitler, Putin and Ukraine

Reading this book reminded me of Putin and his invasion of a free and democratic country. This is the story of three young women trying to help their country when they were invaded by the Nazi’s during WW II. The author made her characters come alive in her book. I cried when one of the young women was killed. I finished reading the book in three days. I highly recommend this book and plan to look for more books by this author.

[Hannah Coogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed, I cried, I wished it didn’t end when it did!

[Jacqueline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three young women who show the importance of friendship when times are tough. WWII historical fiction, no foul language, no explicit sex.

[Suzanne Mosley (Suzanne Shares) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am dreamy-eyed by all things Guernsey after reading “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” a few years ago. When I saw another book with “Guernsey” in the title, I had to read it!

I enjoyed this story of 3 women of Guernsey and their courageous work to do their part to end WW2! If you enjoy WW2 historical fiction, I highly recommend this one!

[Mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kept me interested. Had no clue what it was about when I started it Fast read. Would be good beach read Try it!

[Brandi Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish we could do half stars. I would have went with 3.5. This was recommended to me and it happened to be free on Audible! It was a well done but kind of run of the mill WWII story. It’s seems like these stories are always so good then at the very end feel like they need a slam bang finish and you’re reminded how fictional it really is. Free and easy to read.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book! I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the setting.
Chelsea goes to visit her grandmother, Helen in the hospital. Helen is convinced that someone is trying to kill her. While she and Chelsea look for clues, Helen reveals a past that rakes Chelsea by surprise. Helen and her friends, Catherine and Betty live on Guernsey Island. In 1940 the Germans seize control of the island and each woman is affected by that circumstance. Helen desperately wants to resist the occupancy of the Germans but struggles to find a way. Through a twist of fate her old crush, Jack shows up and turns out to be a spy. She enlists the help of Catherine and Betty to get information to Jack so that he can get it to the British. Catherine is forced to house a German soldier. She also has to teach the Germans the English language. She tries to spy in her own way. Betty is forced to date a German officer, Franz. He threatened her mother's life if she didn't become his lover. Betty takes every opportunity to search the Germans briefcase for information. One of Catherine's neighbors turns out to be defectors and he threatens all.of their lives. Franz hears about Betty's involvement and tries to defend her. The defector, Mr Russel, shoots Franz. Betty shoots Mr Russell and all three of them die. Four months later the Germans are forced off the island but someone is still threatening Helen. Helen still had the evidence that she and her friends had found. Jack shows up at Helen's bedside and saves her from being shot. It turns out Mrs Russell had hired someone to get rid of the evidence. Helen can finally tell Jack that Chelsea is his granddaughter. Jack is surprised and tells Helen he wants her back in his life and he wants to get to know the rest of his family.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Channel Islands were occupied by the Germans on June 30 1940. The author speaks of the bombing of Britain which is happening all the time, but the Blitz did not begin until September 7, 1940. A narrator says she cannot sleep because of all the bombing runs on England. I repeat, the Blitz was not happening in June of 1940. She speaks of Germans on the Eastern Front. Germany did not invade the Soviet Union until June 22, 1941. Poland had been divided between the USSR and the Nazis in 1939. There was no Eastern Front in June of 1940. This misinformation happens in the first 30 minutes of listening to the book. I think the author is attempting "badly" to capitalize on the great book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer....... OK I finished the book. Engaging characters and story after the author stopped pretending she knew WWII history. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[annasbook nookk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had a dual timeline —World War II and 1997—writing about the impact of war on those who lived through it.

The first setting is on the German-occupied island of Guernsey, where three brave women face the dangers and dilemmas of life under the enemy's control.

Catherine, Betty, and Helen are the main characters; each has their own thing going on.
The tension built throughout the book; difficult choices were made, and after one dreadful night, it would alter their lives forever.

The second setting is in 1997 when Helen's past comes back to haunt her with a shocking outcome.

I loved the details of the island; Guernsey is on my bucket list.
The tension had me eagerly listening to know the several outcomes as the book went on.

If you like historical fiction, I recommend this.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The people who lived on Guernsey and survived five years of German occupation are heroes enough, without adding in three girl spies in an unrealistic, romantic plot. This portrayal is a disservice to the real people who actually lived this nightmare.

[Quirky Shauna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't fall for the GUERNSEY in the title. This is nothing at all like "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." Very disappointing.

[Sandy Montero · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. I am very interested in the subject matter but I found the book to be unbelievable in some ways but predicable in others. I had to force myself to finish it.

[Misti Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the Audiobook, the narrator made it extremely boring to listen too.

[Christa Nonnemaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society novel and I felt some similarities with this book. And, the author, Gayle Callen, stated that she was, in fact, inspired by that novel. So, it's like McDonald's hamburgers. If you love hamburgers and fries, you can appreciate other fast food places that offer almost the same, with maybe some differences. So, it was nice to return Guernsey and be in the same place. And, as always, learning that acts of resistance, large and small, took place when possible, makes my heart glad. Hopefully I will never have to endure a situation as horrific as World War II, but this book, or do many others focusing on World War II, causes me to consider what I could or would have done in a similar circumstance. It gives the reader the hope that humanity can and will do the right thing, when occasion demands.

In terms of characterization, I felt that these women had distinct personalities. The dialogue was lively. The story itself was believable, although the ending with Jack seemed a bit forced as I thought Jack had become a better person by the end. However, for the character Chelsea to exist, it had to be as developed.

[Diane Ferbrache · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction about the Nazi occupation of the island of Guernsey and three friends who end up mounting a quiet resistance. When an elderly grandmother falls down the stairs, she claims she was pushed but no one believes her. Her granddaughter, however, does and asks to hear the whole story. Helen, Catherine, and Betty are young women impacted in different ways by the Nazi occupation -- Helen is a nurse who has to treat wounded German soldiers, Catherine has to teach in German and her family is housing a Nazi soldier, and Betty goes from waiting on Germans in a local restaurant to dating one.

This a touching story filled with suspense (who is threatening Helen and why does she have a gun!) and heart. I loved these characters, I loved the setting, and I loved this book. It's not award winning fiction, but the story is captivating and I could not put it down.

[Laura Aase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good story. In modern times Helen is injured and in the hospital She tells her grand daughter that she thinks it was a murder attempt and that someone pushed her. Then she tells her granddaughter, Chelsea, the story of her youth on guernsey island after the German occupation . Helen is orphaned , a nurse, and lives alone in a cottage by the sea when she stumbles upon jack her high school crush and a spy and gives him shelter. Catherine lives with her family and fears their next door neighbors are collaborating with the nazis and they cause problems with Catherine’s family . Betty is a waitress and has caught the attention of a nazi officer who forces himself upon her- she is afraid to resist because she’s responsible for her mom. The 3 women work with jack to gather info for jack to use to help the war effort. Good story-

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. One of my all time favorite books is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, so when I saw this book availble on Audible Plus, I knew I'd like it. I loved hearing about places on Guernsey I have come to know, like St. Peter Port. I loved these young ladies bravery during the occupation of their island home. They did whatever it took to keep their families safe and survive. I also loved the narrator, Jayne Entwhistle. She is one of the best out there and adds a lot to the story. WW2 historical fiction is my go-to when I want to just enjoy a book, and this didn't disappoint.

[Dianne Charnley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this thrilling novel. My husbands family originated from Guernsey and his mother was 18 when the Germans Occupied the Channel Islands. So reading the book made me wonder what life really was like for her, and her sisters and mother. What experiences did they encounter? . Did they have similar ones to the characters in the book. They were very brave and no doubt the authors research would of highlighted many of those courageous women. Like many she refused to discuss anything to do with that that time period, so we shall never know.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! This is very nicely written with excellent characters and action, and it’s hard to put down.

This is the WWII story of three young women who lived on the island of Guernsey, which was invaded and taken over by German soldiers. Helen was a nurse who lived alone in a remote cottage because her parents were dead, Catherine was a school teacher living with her parents & younger brother, and Betty was a waitress who lived with her feeble mother.

Another key character was Jack, a former school friend who was a soldier sent back to Guernsey to spy on the Germans.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is one of my top five books. I was immediately drawn when I saw Guernsey in the title. Much different, but then not so much different. I loved it. I was drawn to the characters and after knowing a little bit about the history of WWII on Guernsey I found it historically correct. No, it is not a commentary or a sound historical tale, it is based loosely on three women who make do under Nazi rule wondering when England would remember them and come to save them all. Read it, easy, interesting, and poignant.