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Beyond Summerland
New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lecoat has crafted a spellbinding story about secrets and lies in a small community recovering from war, and the two young women at the center of a volatile mystery.
The German occupation is over. The Channel Islands, the only captured territory within the British Isles, are finally liberated. But the people of Jersey are left as scarred as the landscape. No longer a “summerland” holiday paradise, the island now boils with tension as locals seek revenge on anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy during the war.
Nineteen-year-old Jean Parris, still adjusting to this fractious peace, is shocked to learn that Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop, may be responsible for her father’s wartime arrest and subsequent death in custody. Hazel denies all accusations but has reasons to conceal what really happened.
As rumors of Hazel’s guilt swell to a fury, Jean discovers new clues that suggest there were other, more sinister factors at play. When Hazel learns of Jean’s own ruinous secret, the women form an unexpected bond that sets them apart from the rest of Jean’s family and the frenzied demands for retribution. But in the end, Jean’s need to know the truth about her father may consume everything she once believed about her home, her family and herself.
The German occupation is over. The Channel Islands, the only captured territory within the British Isles, are finally liberated. But the people of Jersey are left as scarred as the landscape. No longer a “summerland” holiday paradise, the island now boils with tension as locals seek revenge on anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy during the war.
Nineteen-year-old Jean Parris, still adjusting to this fractious peace, is shocked to learn that Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop, may be responsible for her father’s wartime arrest and subsequent death in custody. Hazel denies all accusations but has reasons to conceal what really happened.
As rumors of Hazel’s guilt swell to a fury, Jean discovers new clues that suggest there were other, more sinister factors at play. When Hazel learns of Jean’s own ruinous secret, the women form an unexpected bond that sets them apart from the rest of Jean’s family and the frenzied demands for retribution. But in the end, Jean’s need to know the truth about her father may consume everything she once believed about her home, her family and herself.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 2, 2024
94 people are currently reading
10314 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Lecoat
6 books227 followersBorn in Jersey, Channel Islands, Jenny Lecoat's parents were raised under German Occupation, and both families were involved in resistance activity. Lecoat moved to England aged 18, where, following a drama degree, she spent a decade on the alternative comedy circuit as a feminist stand-up. She was nominated for a prestigious Perrier Award in 1986. Jenny also wrote for newspapers and women's magazines (Cosmopolitan, Observer) and presented TV and radio shows, before focusing on screenwriting from sitcom (Birds of a Feather, Sometime Never) to sketch shows (The Catherine Tate Show).
The Girl from the Channel Islands (initially published as The Viennese Girl) was her first novel and was a New York Times bestseller.
The Girl from the Channel Islands (initially published as The Viennese Girl) was her first novel and was a New York Times bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
June 12, 2024
The Channel Islands are finally liberated and five years after the Germans invaded. Once known as “Summerland” a stunning and beautiful place has been left desolate, damaged, and scarred and it's residents starving.
In Jersey things are tense and people are angry, the locals feel like they were left to fend for themselves, and no one understands what they went through. They want revenge, the women who took up with German soldiers have already been punished and humiliated, they’re also looking for anyone who collaborated or profited from dealing the enemy during the war.
Jean Parris is looking after her mum Violet, her father Philip was arrested for having a radio in his possession eighteen months ago and he was sent to jail and they haven’t heard from him and despite other mail arriving.
Hazel Fleury is a teacher and she lives in a flat with her sick dad above the Ironmongers Shop and she's had a tough time and lost her sister, someone mentions that she was seen arguing with Philip Parris and was she the one who dobbed him into the Germans? Hazel is taken in for questioning, she denies she had anything to do with his arrest, she shares her side of the story with the Civil Affairs Unit and are part of a task-force sent to the Jersey. It doesn’t take long for people to hear about Hazel, she gets snubbed by neighbours and called names.
I received a copy of Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. I had never considered what life was like on the Channel Islands and Jersey after the Second World War ended, at first the people celebrated and felt relieved. Then they started questioning events and what happened and wanted justice and anyone who was involved with the Germans or made money or benefited and they wanted them punished.
Everyone has secrets or done something they weren’t proud of to survive or cope, and get through the challenging times, it’s a story about family and how well do you know someone, betrayal and greed, retribution and an unlikely alliance is formed.
Five stars from me, another well written and thought provoking novel by Ms. Lecoat, I highly recommend Beyond Summerland and her previous book, The Girl from the Channel Islands.
In Jersey things are tense and people are angry, the locals feel like they were left to fend for themselves, and no one understands what they went through. They want revenge, the women who took up with German soldiers have already been punished and humiliated, they’re also looking for anyone who collaborated or profited from dealing the enemy during the war.
Jean Parris is looking after her mum Violet, her father Philip was arrested for having a radio in his possession eighteen months ago and he was sent to jail and they haven’t heard from him and despite other mail arriving.
Hazel Fleury is a teacher and she lives in a flat with her sick dad above the Ironmongers Shop and she's had a tough time and lost her sister, someone mentions that she was seen arguing with Philip Parris and was she the one who dobbed him into the Germans? Hazel is taken in for questioning, she denies she had anything to do with his arrest, she shares her side of the story with the Civil Affairs Unit and are part of a task-force sent to the Jersey. It doesn’t take long for people to hear about Hazel, she gets snubbed by neighbours and called names.
I received a copy of Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat from HarperCollins and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. I had never considered what life was like on the Channel Islands and Jersey after the Second World War ended, at first the people celebrated and felt relieved. Then they started questioning events and what happened and wanted justice and anyone who was involved with the Germans or made money or benefited and they wanted them punished.
Everyone has secrets or done something they weren’t proud of to survive or cope, and get through the challenging times, it’s a story about family and how well do you know someone, betrayal and greed, retribution and an unlikely alliance is formed.
Five stars from me, another well written and thought provoking novel by Ms. Lecoat, I highly recommend Beyond Summerland and her previous book, The Girl from the Channel Islands.
July 2, 2024
3.5★s
With the German occupation finally over, the people of Jersey tried to get back the life they'd lost; the life before the Germans took over their lives, their homes and businesses. But there was bitterness throughout the island, and a horrible hatred at collaborators. Jean Parris, nineteen years old now in 1945, lived with her mother Violet while they waited for Jean's father to return from the prison where he was taken eighteen months prior. When they discovered he wouldn't be returning, Jean and Violet's lives were shattered all over again.
Hazel and her father lived above the shop that had been Jean's father's, and when fingers were pointed at Hazel in the arrest of Jean's father, she confronted Hazel. And gradually a tenuous friendship developed between the two. But secrets surrounded them all and Jean's would tear the family apart should it be discovered. Would Jean discovered why her father was arrested? And what would the future be for those who suffered through five years of occupation on Jersey?
Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat is a fictional story based on the real setting of Jersey, the only British territory to be occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War. I liked both Jean and Hazel's characters, but disliked most of the others! I enjoyed The Viennese Girl when I read it in 2020, and was keen to visit Jersey once again. Recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
With the German occupation finally over, the people of Jersey tried to get back the life they'd lost; the life before the Germans took over their lives, their homes and businesses. But there was bitterness throughout the island, and a horrible hatred at collaborators. Jean Parris, nineteen years old now in 1945, lived with her mother Violet while they waited for Jean's father to return from the prison where he was taken eighteen months prior. When they discovered he wouldn't be returning, Jean and Violet's lives were shattered all over again.
Hazel and her father lived above the shop that had been Jean's father's, and when fingers were pointed at Hazel in the arrest of Jean's father, she confronted Hazel. And gradually a tenuous friendship developed between the two. But secrets surrounded them all and Jean's would tear the family apart should it be discovered. Would Jean discovered why her father was arrested? And what would the future be for those who suffered through five years of occupation on Jersey?
Beyond Summerland by Jenny Lecoat is a fictional story based on the real setting of Jersey, the only British territory to be occupied by the Nazis during the Second World War. I liked both Jean and Hazel's characters, but disliked most of the others! I enjoyed The Viennese Girl when I read it in 2020, and was keen to visit Jersey once again. Recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin AU for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
July 2, 2024
The war has ended and the citizens of Jersey, Channel Islands, are waiting for their loved ones to return.
Some return, but the father of Jean Parris wasn't on the ship of returning soldiers.
A few days later they found out that he had perished in a prison from being arrested for a minor infraction.
Who was responsible for alerting the Germans that her father had a banned radio?
We then meet Hazel who didn't like Jean's father and who Jean is blaming for telling on her father.
But....when the two women meet, and Hazel finds out Jean has a secret, can they make a deal?
They decided Hazel won't tell on Jean if Jean will tell the police that Hazel was not the informant.
Can they trust each other?
The book was a bit confusing because of going from one character to the other without any “notice,” but other than that BEYOND SUMMERLAND is another excellent, well researched read that makes you think that even though the war was over, was it really?
Historical fiction as well as mystery fans will enjoy this book. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Some return, but the father of Jean Parris wasn't on the ship of returning soldiers.
A few days later they found out that he had perished in a prison from being arrested for a minor infraction.
Who was responsible for alerting the Germans that her father had a banned radio?
We then meet Hazel who didn't like Jean's father and who Jean is blaming for telling on her father.
But....when the two women meet, and Hazel finds out Jean has a secret, can they make a deal?
They decided Hazel won't tell on Jean if Jean will tell the police that Hazel was not the informant.
Can they trust each other?
The book was a bit confusing because of going from one character to the other without any “notice,” but other than that BEYOND SUMMERLAND is another excellent, well researched read that makes you think that even though the war was over, was it really?
Historical fiction as well as mystery fans will enjoy this book. 4/5
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
July 2, 2024
Set on Jersey in The Channel Islands the German occupation is over and life should be returning to normal but very slowly a lot has happened in the years of the occupation and the Parris family have had their share of sadness with the loss of husband and father Philip wife Violet and nineteen year old daughter Jean will do their best to cope but when accusations start flying about collaborators tempers are flaring.
Jean is determined to find out who the person was who reported her father and with her uncle Eddie returning to the island and moving in with them he too is pushing for answers but what Jean soon discovers will push her to the limits.
Hazel is a teacher at the school and lives with her invalid father in a flat above the ironmongers shop run by Philip Parris and when she is accused of reporting Mr. Parris she does her best to prove her innocence, but it is not easy with the finger pointed her way.
Soon Jean and Hazel are talking to each other and Jean learns even more about what happened and this changes the way she thinks about many things, but Jean is keeping secrets herself and times are getting dangerous as people are determined to see collaborators get what they think they deserve, where will it all end?
I am not sure how I felt reading this one, I really felt for Jean and Hazel and what they went through but did get very frustrated with some of the other characters in this one, I did love the setting and if you enjoy a historical fiction story then this is one that you should read it is heartbreaking what these islanders went through during and after the occupation.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
Jean is determined to find out who the person was who reported her father and with her uncle Eddie returning to the island and moving in with them he too is pushing for answers but what Jean soon discovers will push her to the limits.
Hazel is a teacher at the school and lives with her invalid father in a flat above the ironmongers shop run by Philip Parris and when she is accused of reporting Mr. Parris she does her best to prove her innocence, but it is not easy with the finger pointed her way.
Soon Jean and Hazel are talking to each other and Jean learns even more about what happened and this changes the way she thinks about many things, but Jean is keeping secrets herself and times are getting dangerous as people are determined to see collaborators get what they think they deserve, where will it all end?
I am not sure how I felt reading this one, I really felt for Jean and Hazel and what they went through but did get very frustrated with some of the other characters in this one, I did love the setting and if you enjoy a historical fiction story then this is one that you should read it is heartbreaking what these islanders went through during and after the occupation.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
July 11, 2024
This was a really interesting read that I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. It’s set on the island of Jersey just after the end of WWII. The island had been occupied by the Nazis for the previous five years and now, postwar, there are emerging tensions among the people over collaboration and informants, leading to suspicion and violence. The main character is Jean, a young woman whose family secrets are beginning to surface including Jean’s own. Another woman, Hazel, is suspected by Jean’s mother and uncle of being the informant that sent Jean’s father to jail. This book became harder and harder to put down. A great read.
October 17, 2024
Eine tiefgehende Geschichte.....sprachlich ausgefeilt und hervorragend authentisch im zeitlichen Kontext....
Nach Ende des zweiten Weltkriegs ist auf der Kanalinsel Jersey die Bevölkerung traumatisiert. Die erlebten Schrecken durch die Besatzung sitzen den Menschen tief in den Knochen....
Die junge Jean hat im Krieg ihren geliebten Vater verloren....dieser wurde Denunziert und starb in deutscher Gefangenschaft.
Jean und ihre Mutter können, wie die übrigen Inselbewohner, die Frage um Schuld und Vergeltung nicht loslassen.....und begeben sich auf einen schmalen Grat des Misstrauens und der Rache.....
Genau solche Geschichten müssen erzählt werden......Genau JETZT!
Absolut lesenswert!
Nach Ende des zweiten Weltkriegs ist auf der Kanalinsel Jersey die Bevölkerung traumatisiert. Die erlebten Schrecken durch die Besatzung sitzen den Menschen tief in den Knochen....
Die junge Jean hat im Krieg ihren geliebten Vater verloren....dieser wurde Denunziert und starb in deutscher Gefangenschaft.
Jean und ihre Mutter können, wie die übrigen Inselbewohner, die Frage um Schuld und Vergeltung nicht loslassen.....und begeben sich auf einen schmalen Grat des Misstrauens und der Rache.....
Genau solche Geschichten müssen erzählt werden......Genau JETZT!
Absolut lesenswert!
June 14, 2024
For a book that is only 300 pages, it kind of felt never ending. I’m not really sure what it was about this one, but I just never felt like picking it up and getting pulled into the story the way I wanted to. I did like aspects of this book, especially that it was set right after WWII and these two girls were trying to figure out their lives after the war ended. But just something about the way the story was that made me not as fully engaged as I wanted to be. I would definitely read another book by this author though, and it could have just be a me thing with this one. So if you love historical fiction, you might enjoy this one.
July 9, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Beyond Summerland. Jenny LeCoat is a superb writer. I’m fascinated by the Channel Islands and the WWII years of the Nazi occupation. This book goes beyond, relating the stark and often cruel aftermath of a horrific war. I give this book a high 4. Well-written, good plot. The only thing is I thought the epilogue and moving the time up by 30 years was a bit abrupt. Advancing the plot to the early 1970s is fine, yet more background on where the characters are in the new present would have been helpful. Overall, an excellent read!
March 17, 2024
My Review –
Thank you so much to Polygon Books for sending me an early copy of Beyond Summerland, Jenny Lecoat is a new author to me, but one I shall definitely be looking forward to books from, in the future.
In Beyond Summerland, we meet Jean Parris and her Mum on the island of Jersey, just after its liberation from the Nazis, by the British Army. During the Second World War, Jean’s father had been arrested for listening to the BBC on a banned radio set in his ironmonger’s shop, Jean and her mum have been waiting for news of what has become of him. When a stranger turns up and tells them much waited for news, it starts a ball rolling in Jean and her mum’s lives, and we follow the story. And it is a gripping plot!
This is a novel based on the truth about how during the occupation, some Jersey residents would go to any lengths to survive the war, when you have very little food and are desperate, your morals may be twisted by the desire to eat or feed your children. So there was collusion and people were betrayed by so-called friends to the Nazis for listening to the BBC Home Service on illegal radios, or maybe keeping a pig. And in this aftermath of war, suspicion and paranoia are circling the Island. This is the underlying plot of Beyond Summerland, and it is written extremely well. I admit I do know some of the history of what happened in the Channel Islands under occupation but this really told a story of what living under these conditions can do to people. It’s a great storyline and there were several moments where I was totally surprised by the twists woven into this novel.
A superbly written and quite unique take on a war fiction novel, by an author whose family survived the occupation. A superb 5-star read.
Thank you so much to Polygon Books for sending me an early copy of Beyond Summerland, Jenny Lecoat is a new author to me, but one I shall definitely be looking forward to books from, in the future.
In Beyond Summerland, we meet Jean Parris and her Mum on the island of Jersey, just after its liberation from the Nazis, by the British Army. During the Second World War, Jean’s father had been arrested for listening to the BBC on a banned radio set in his ironmonger’s shop, Jean and her mum have been waiting for news of what has become of him. When a stranger turns up and tells them much waited for news, it starts a ball rolling in Jean and her mum’s lives, and we follow the story. And it is a gripping plot!
This is a novel based on the truth about how during the occupation, some Jersey residents would go to any lengths to survive the war, when you have very little food and are desperate, your morals may be twisted by the desire to eat or feed your children. So there was collusion and people were betrayed by so-called friends to the Nazis for listening to the BBC Home Service on illegal radios, or maybe keeping a pig. And in this aftermath of war, suspicion and paranoia are circling the Island. This is the underlying plot of Beyond Summerland, and it is written extremely well. I admit I do know some of the history of what happened in the Channel Islands under occupation but this really told a story of what living under these conditions can do to people. It’s a great storyline and there were several moments where I was totally surprised by the twists woven into this novel.
A superbly written and quite unique take on a war fiction novel, by an author whose family survived the occupation. A superb 5-star read.
July 5, 2024
WWII historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and there are a lot of books set during this time. I love finding books about lessor known parts of the war and this book fits perfectly. Jersey island is off the coast of France between France and England. The book is set after the Nazi’s have left the island and the former occupants were coming back. Some people stayed on the island during the Nazi occupation and they are dealing with those terrible memories as well as finding out what happened off the island during the war. The writing style is so vivid that I felt I was on the island see the destruction and changes of the war and as people tried to rebuild their lives. This is an excellent book that I loved reading.
December 30, 2024
Another great WWII book, only postwar in 1945 Jersey. It deals with rumors and truths, collaborators, how people on that tiny island turned on each other without thinking.
July 3, 2024
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Occupation and war place extraordinary strains on people and the behaviours of society.
An island like Jersey felt the reverberation and its repercussions continued long after liberation.
Secrets and lies will shatter any sign of peace.
Jean witnessed her father being arrested by the Nazis for owning contraband. Suspicions about who dobbed him in are high.
Accusations are thrust and consequences follow.
In addition Jean has fallen in love with a German soldier and navigates this precarious situation aware that such a relationship is taboo.
Her realisation that we are human before we are enemies is heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Prying eyes on the island place obstacles and threaten love.
A story that gives a great insight into life on an Island that must have felt abandoned as the Nazis took over and one that helped educationally inform me about Jersey.
An element of mystery, deception and unlikely friendships reinforced the high quality read.
Occupation and war place extraordinary strains on people and the behaviours of society.
An island like Jersey felt the reverberation and its repercussions continued long after liberation.
Secrets and lies will shatter any sign of peace.
Jean witnessed her father being arrested by the Nazis for owning contraband. Suspicions about who dobbed him in are high.
Accusations are thrust and consequences follow.
In addition Jean has fallen in love with a German soldier and navigates this precarious situation aware that such a relationship is taboo.
Her realisation that we are human before we are enemies is heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Prying eyes on the island place obstacles and threaten love.
A story that gives a great insight into life on an Island that must have felt abandoned as the Nazis took over and one that helped educationally inform me about Jersey.
An element of mystery, deception and unlikely friendships reinforced the high quality read.
July 5, 2024
The war is finally over. Jean and her mother have just discovered that her father, who was taken away by the Nazis, has died in prison. They are still wondering who in their town turned him in for his contraband radio. They will not rest until they discover the traitor.
There are a lot of moving parts to this tale…lies, betrayals, and more lies. The Nazis have just left the Channel Islands and the whole town is trying to regroup. But, there is so much mistrust because everyone sees everyone else as a collaborator with the Nazis. When Jean discovers one of their neighbors, Hazel, had a fight with her father, the whole family causes so much grief for this poor woman. They are determined that Hazel is the one who turned him in and caused his death. But, they soon discover that he was not as upstanding as they thought.
I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. Also, I was not a fan of any of the characters. Jean does redeem herself in the end and she was my favorite. But all of these characters lie to each other 😂. You know, real life stuff😏.
Need a good, historical fiction novel full of betrayals and redemption…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
There are a lot of moving parts to this tale…lies, betrayals, and more lies. The Nazis have just left the Channel Islands and the whole town is trying to regroup. But, there is so much mistrust because everyone sees everyone else as a collaborator with the Nazis. When Jean discovers one of their neighbors, Hazel, had a fight with her father, the whole family causes so much grief for this poor woman. They are determined that Hazel is the one who turned him in and caused his death. But, they soon discover that he was not as upstanding as they thought.
I did feel the ending was a bit rushed. Also, I was not a fan of any of the characters. Jean does redeem herself in the end and she was my favorite. But all of these characters lie to each other 😂. You know, real life stuff😏.
Need a good, historical fiction novel full of betrayals and redemption…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
June 4, 2024
52 Week Reading Challenge: Published in 2024 (52)
4*
I enjoyed this book and found it gripping from the start. The book centres on the lives and experiences of two young women at the end of the Second World War following the German occupation of the Channel Islands. The novel not only focuses on the two women but also explores the secrets and lies in a small community recovering from war. The reader is introduced to a different kind of war that is being fought among the locals, we are shown the lives of ordinary people and how a climate of fear, suspicion, and rumour creates tension and conflict that simmers as some locals seek revenge of anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy.
The author shows the claustrophobic nature of this small and isolated community where lives and relationships are very much entwined. The book shows not only the deep wounds of the community struggling in the aftermath of occupation but also their strength and resilience in the most challenging and complex of times.
I enjoyed that historical fact and fiction where effectively woven together, and I felt that the book had given a new and fresh voice to the history of the island. I would recommend as I found it informative and enjoyable about an often overlooked period in our history.
4*
I enjoyed this book and found it gripping from the start. The book centres on the lives and experiences of two young women at the end of the Second World War following the German occupation of the Channel Islands. The novel not only focuses on the two women but also explores the secrets and lies in a small community recovering from war. The reader is introduced to a different kind of war that is being fought among the locals, we are shown the lives of ordinary people and how a climate of fear, suspicion, and rumour creates tension and conflict that simmers as some locals seek revenge of anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy.
The author shows the claustrophobic nature of this small and isolated community where lives and relationships are very much entwined. The book shows not only the deep wounds of the community struggling in the aftermath of occupation but also their strength and resilience in the most challenging and complex of times.
I enjoyed that historical fact and fiction where effectively woven together, and I felt that the book had given a new and fresh voice to the history of the island. I would recommend as I found it informative and enjoyable about an often overlooked period in our history.
July 27, 2024
I had no idea about the occupation of Jersey by the Nazis in WWII so was intrigued by the premise. This book was even more interesting as it is set in the aftermath of the war when everything is supposedly returning to normal. Needless to say, five years of occupation has lead to some trying times and unpleasantness and there are significant repercussions. I liked the way the backstory of those years was revealed slowly and organically, leading the reader to re-examine some earlier scenes.
I felt bad for the two main characters as they really had nobody to turn to or lean on, the Jersey Islanders being a judgemental lot and their families being even worse. It was a very stressful book to read which made it extremely entertaining but I was glad when it was over so I could breathe properly again!
I felt bad for the two main characters as they really had nobody to turn to or lean on, the Jersey Islanders being a judgemental lot and their families being even worse. It was a very stressful book to read which made it extremely entertaining but I was glad when it was over so I could breathe properly again!
May 25, 2025
I love historical fiction, particularly WWII historical fiction with female leads, and Beyond Summerland shed new light on that crowded genre. Focused on post-Liberation Day in the Channel Islands, the only UK territory occupied by Germans during the war, the story revolves around what happens after war as families, friends, and lovers reconcile their perception of loyalty to themselves and each other.
Jean is an innocent teen grieving the loss of her hero, her father, and torn trying to decide whether to follow her heart and forge a more independent life or acquiesce to her family’s expectations. Hazel is in her 20s, strong-willed, confident and grappling with being left behind to be caretaker to her disabled father. These two women are brought together by painful accusations that set off a series of actions, lies, and reactions that threaten their respective families and reputations.
Beyond Summerland highlights the paranoia that war supports, the lack of control we have in defending our reputations, and the conflicted loyalties that evolve from love. While I found the fast-forward epilogue to be a little unrealistic, I enjoyed Jenny Lecoat’s latest book and learned more about a time in history that was especially unique due to its place in the Channel Islands.
Thank you to Graydon House and Goodreads for the ARC. This was my first (and an unexpected) ARC in the mail, and while I was delayed in reading it (long story), I’m so glad I recovered the book. It made me reflect on so many themes and ask myself how I would act given the same circumstances. I love a book that compels me to reflect on my conscience.
Jean is an innocent teen grieving the loss of her hero, her father, and torn trying to decide whether to follow her heart and forge a more independent life or acquiesce to her family’s expectations. Hazel is in her 20s, strong-willed, confident and grappling with being left behind to be caretaker to her disabled father. These two women are brought together by painful accusations that set off a series of actions, lies, and reactions that threaten their respective families and reputations.
Beyond Summerland highlights the paranoia that war supports, the lack of control we have in defending our reputations, and the conflicted loyalties that evolve from love. While I found the fast-forward epilogue to be a little unrealistic, I enjoyed Jenny Lecoat’s latest book and learned more about a time in history that was especially unique due to its place in the Channel Islands.
Thank you to Graydon House and Goodreads for the ARC. This was my first (and an unexpected) ARC in the mail, and while I was delayed in reading it (long story), I’m so glad I recovered the book. It made me reflect on so many themes and ask myself how I would act given the same circumstances. I love a book that compels me to reflect on my conscience.
September 19, 2024
I found this story to be quite intense because of all the family secrets and betrayal. It's partially based on the author's own family experience after German occupation, so that was interesting. I didn't realize how badly suspected collaborators were treated. So sad.
July 22, 2024
I loved how this story explored the complex aftermath of the war from the perspective of the citizens of Jersey in the Channel Islands. It is not just a war story. The strain on relationships between people, banded together by circumstances and location, who were just doing what was necessary to survive, had ramifications that were destructive as well as uniting. Lecoat has used her personal knowledge to provide a fascinating and transportive backdrop to this story. This is well paced and weaves together interesting characters living in compelling circumstances.
February 18, 2025
C'était magnifique et très prenant ! Ce texte est brillant, le travail sur les personnages est extrêmement réussi... Je n'ai plus qu'une envie, aller à Jersey.
June 5, 2024
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December 13, 2024
This book was hard to read as characters make hard, and wrong choices. In the end it comes right but the author explores well the idea that people make bad decisions and but that isn’t the total sum of who they are.
April 30, 2024
Hold my tea!!! I didn't expect to be so invested with a book I was assigned to work on that I wouldn't pick up for myself. This is after the war of Hitler against humanity making it historical and falls under woman literature.
The fact I was so hurt with what happened at the last two chapters and that twist like Auntie that wasn't too family of you to be banging around with your brother-in-law while there's actually banging in real life. And she was the catalyst of the tragic that befalls these two bonded woman Jean and Hazel.
To all Horst out there, who was afraid of the ocean may your souls swim in eternal peace 🫶🏽
The fact I was so hurt with what happened at the last two chapters and that twist like Auntie that wasn't too family of you to be banging around with your brother-in-law while there's actually banging in real life. And she was the catalyst of the tragic that befalls these two bonded woman Jean and Hazel.
To all Horst out there, who was afraid of the ocean may your souls swim in eternal peace 🫶🏽
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2024
After the war, what was it like for those living in the liberated Channel Islands? Two young women connect over the most difficult of circumstances and discover that life in the shadow of war is as difficult as the war years. Jenny Lecoat paints a vivid picture of Jersey, complex characters, and a dramatic tale that sticks with one after the last page is turned.
Jean Parris learns that the father she idolized and was taken up by the Germans for having a wireless radio is not coming back. Worse still, he suffered and died in a German prison and someone among her island neighbors informed on him. The anger and grief she and her family feels call for someone to pay and their suspicion falls on a young woman who spoke her mind and argued with her dad.
Hazel denies reporting Parris and there is no proof, but the islanders take it as fact and her life is upended. Oddly, the only friend she has is quiet, mousy Jean. Jean has been learning that she didn’t know her dad or others as well as she thought and she’s keeping one huge guilty secret of her own. Will both women find a way to move on after the dreadful truths of their actions come out?
Beyond Summerland took place post-WWII, but for the Channel Islanders who were occupied by the Germans for five long years, recovery is slow and the pain and suffering are still echoing. Jenny Lecoat showed that people who faced deprivation and fear from the occupiers were faced with choices that seem unconscionable to others and retaliation is fierce for those who turned Nazi collaborator or informant. This tale was not rose-tinted and showed the harsh realities. My heart was touched and tears burned my eyes more than once. Bittersweetness tanged my mouth by the finish which had an epilogue that presented a resolve that felt right for what came before.
In summary, this tumultuous story born of similar real life circumstances that took place in the Channel Islands after the war was a heavy hitter for me. I am definitely going to look for more of Jenny Lecoat’s works and highly recommend Beyond Summerland to make the beach bags of historical and women’s fiction readers.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on July 3rd for the Harlequin Summer Books tour.
Jean Parris learns that the father she idolized and was taken up by the Germans for having a wireless radio is not coming back. Worse still, he suffered and died in a German prison and someone among her island neighbors informed on him. The anger and grief she and her family feels call for someone to pay and their suspicion falls on a young woman who spoke her mind and argued with her dad.
Hazel denies reporting Parris and there is no proof, but the islanders take it as fact and her life is upended. Oddly, the only friend she has is quiet, mousy Jean. Jean has been learning that she didn’t know her dad or others as well as she thought and she’s keeping one huge guilty secret of her own. Will both women find a way to move on after the dreadful truths of their actions come out?
Beyond Summerland took place post-WWII, but for the Channel Islanders who were occupied by the Germans for five long years, recovery is slow and the pain and suffering are still echoing. Jenny Lecoat showed that people who faced deprivation and fear from the occupiers were faced with choices that seem unconscionable to others and retaliation is fierce for those who turned Nazi collaborator or informant. This tale was not rose-tinted and showed the harsh realities. My heart was touched and tears burned my eyes more than once. Bittersweetness tanged my mouth by the finish which had an epilogue that presented a resolve that felt right for what came before.
In summary, this tumultuous story born of similar real life circumstances that took place in the Channel Islands after the war was a heavy hitter for me. I am definitely going to look for more of Jenny Lecoat’s works and highly recommend Beyond Summerland to make the beach bags of historical and women’s fiction readers.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on July 3rd for the Harlequin Summer Books tour.
July 3, 2024
Once a summer paradise, Jersey on the Channel Islands is now recovering from German occupation during WWII. Tensions rise as retributions are threatened and accusations of collaboration surface. While Jean Parris searches for the truth about her own father, her path crosses with Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop. Secrets that affect the entire family emerge.
It’s interesting to think about post-war Jersey and the period of rebuilding. The residents of the island felt abandoned and unprotected during the war. After the war ends, allegations of collaboration feel personal on a small island where everyone knows everyone or knows someone who knows someone. Residents are hungry, angry, and want revenge against those who collaborated or profited from dealing with the enemy. Effects of the war are evident, and Jersey is no longer the beautiful island getaway it was before the war.
The mystery of why Jean’s father was arrested and dies while imprisoned and the tenuous relationship between Jean and Hazel drive the plot as secrets are revealed.
The relationship between Jean and Hazel is more complicated than it first appears, and this adds an extra layer of intrigue. How will their conflict be resolved? Is Hazel responsible for Jean’s father’s arrest and imprisonment? What other secrets, betrayals, or alliances will be revealed?
Content Consideration: Remembrances of war
If you appreciate books set on the Channel Islands and WWII histfic, add Beyond Summerland to your TBR. Fans of World War II will appreciate this multilayered story of rebuilding after war.
Thanks #NetGalley @HTPBooks @GraydonHouse for a complimentary e ARC of #BeyondSummerland upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
It’s interesting to think about post-war Jersey and the period of rebuilding. The residents of the island felt abandoned and unprotected during the war. After the war ends, allegations of collaboration feel personal on a small island where everyone knows everyone or knows someone who knows someone. Residents are hungry, angry, and want revenge against those who collaborated or profited from dealing with the enemy. Effects of the war are evident, and Jersey is no longer the beautiful island getaway it was before the war.
The mystery of why Jean’s father was arrested and dies while imprisoned and the tenuous relationship between Jean and Hazel drive the plot as secrets are revealed.
The relationship between Jean and Hazel is more complicated than it first appears, and this adds an extra layer of intrigue. How will their conflict be resolved? Is Hazel responsible for Jean’s father’s arrest and imprisonment? What other secrets, betrayals, or alliances will be revealed?
Content Consideration: Remembrances of war
If you appreciate books set on the Channel Islands and WWII histfic, add Beyond Summerland to your TBR. Fans of World War II will appreciate this multilayered story of rebuilding after war.
Thanks #NetGalley @HTPBooks @GraydonHouse for a complimentary e ARC of #BeyondSummerland upon my request. All opinions are my own.
For more reviews visit my blog www.ReadingLadies.com where this review was first published.
July 24, 2024
I guess this author just isn't for me.
I do think it's a good book to learn about what life was like after WWII on the Channel Islands.
Other than that most of the characters were terrible and I got tired of it.
I didn't jive with the writing either. This book follows two povs and after a page break, you wouldn't always know which perspective you were reading till a paragraph or two in. And it wasn't like it was guranteed the next part was automatically the other character. Sometimes it was a continuation of the character you were just reading.
Content Warning: Incest, Cheating, Abuse
I do think it's a good book to learn about what life was like after WWII on the Channel Islands.
Other than that most of the characters were terrible and I got tired of it.
I didn't jive with the writing either. This book follows two povs and after a page break, you wouldn't always know which perspective you were reading till a paragraph or two in. And it wasn't like it was guranteed the next part was automatically the other character. Sometimes it was a continuation of the character you were just reading.
Content Warning: Incest, Cheating, Abuse
August 8, 2024
Author Jenny Lecoat was born in Jersey, Channel Islands, fifteen years after the end of World War II. The islands, situated fourteen miles from the coast of France, are part of the British Isles and the only British territory occupied by the Nazis. Both sides of Lecoat’s family were heavily involved in resistance activity during the war, and one of her grandfathers built crystal audio sets capable of accessing the BBC, which was, of course, illegal. Her great aunt, Louisa Gould, was reported for harboring an escaped Russian slave worker, and perished in the gas chamber at Ravensbrüch. Harold Gould, her great uncle, became the only British survivor of Bergen Belsen. The two elderly sisters her family blamed for the betrayal were never prosecuted due to a lack of evidence, and Lecoat does not know whether they were truly guilty, although she notes that they were “ostracized for the rest of their lives.” The story was the basis of a feature film released in the United Kingdom, Another Mother’s Son, in 2017 and in 2020, her first novel, The Girl from the Channel Islands, was published and became a New York Times bestseller.
Her family’s wartime experiences provided inspiration for Beyond Summerland, which she spent three years researching and writing. She says her story began coming to life in 2020 during the pandemic and was born into “a world increasingly divided by opposing certainties, with so many reluctant to challenge deeply held convictions.”
As the book opens, it is June 1945, just one month after Liberation Day. Violet Parris, forty-six years old but having aged greatly during the preceding five-year Nazi Occupation, and her nineteen-year-old daughter, Jean, are hoping for information about Jean’s father, Philip, who was arrested fifteen months earlier. It has been a year since they received a letter from him. He was only sentenced to serve fifteen months, so they are hoping he has been released and is on his way home. He was convicted of illegally possessing a wireless radio at his shop, P. Parris, Ironmongers, where he permitted neighbors to listen to broadcasts with him. But the Constable can provide no update about his status.
Violet hopes that Philip’s younger brother, Eddie, will be able to assist when he returns to Jersey. Jean dreads his arrival. Her father disapproved of his brother’s decision to escape a week before the Occupation began. Eddie has been working in England ever since. When he discovers the wreckage of the home he built fifteen years ago, he moves in with Violet and Jean. Worse, a man names Charles Clement appears at their door to inform them that he was imprisoned with Philip, who succumbed to dysentery on a cold winter day. They know he is telling the truth when he produces a treasured family photo that Philip carried with him, explaining that he promised Philip he would deliver the news in person if he was lucky enough to survive.
In the aftermath, Jean and her family learn for the first time that Philip’s radio wasn’t discovered during a random search of his shop, as they had been led to believe. They are horrified to belatedly find out that someone reported him. And a witness observed him arguing with a tall woman in her late twenties with reddish hair several times in the weeks leading up to his arrest. But who would report a pillar of the community, a kind man beloved by his friends and neighbors? And who was the woman he argued with? What could he possibly have quarreled about with her? Jean vows that she will not only get answers to all the questions surrounding her father’s demise but also seek justice for him.
Hazel Le Tourneur lives with her arthritic father in an apartment above Philip’s shop which has remained shuttered and fallen into disrepair since the day German soldiers ransacked it and emerged with the radio, returning shortly thereafter to confiscate the rest of its useful contents. News of Philip’s death greatly upsets her, even though she had criticized him harshly as BBC broadcasts emanated loudly from his contraband radio through open windows, putting everyone in the area in jeopardy. She had never liked Philip, “but a death like that, in the squalor of a foreign jail, alone and terrified . . .” was unconscionable. Her heart goes out to Violet and Jean, and Hazel knows that she must “be part of something, useful.” She decides to join the Democratic Movement and work to ensure Jersey’s future.
Thirty-one people attend Philip’s memorial service and Hazel is among them. When Jean spots her, she asks her mother if she recognizes Hazel, who matches the description of the woman seen arguing with Philip. Violet identifies her as one of the residents of the apartments about the shop. And someone who hated Philip.
In Beyond Summerland, Lecoat credibly crafts a portrait of a town in turmoil and on the cusp of what will come next. Even though World War II has ended and the Nazis have been defeated, life does not, of course, immediately revert to the way it was before the Occupation. The islanders are still suffering. Nazis overtook and wreaked havoc in Jersey, and as some of the residents return, they find all the ways that the town has changed dramatically. In Eddie’s case, the house he lovingly built was ransacked and destroyed as people foraged for food, supplies, and shelter after being displaced from their own homes and jobs. He is bitter and angry, and with his brother’s death confirmed, he takes up residence in Philip’s home, usurping the role of head of the household with Violet’s assent. Jean has always found him overbearing and boorish, and she resents both the sense of entitlement he displays, as well as the transformation she sees in Violet who, at first, was inconsolable as she mourned Philip. Worse, they are intent on pushing Violet into a relationship with Tom Maloret, who works as a clerk in the States office. He is pleasant enough and a gentleman, but Jean cannot reveal why she is not attracted to him. Even though she is wracked with guilt, she proceeds to “use him mercilessly for her own ends” to conceal her romance with a German soldier. Naively optimistic, she does understand that her secret, if revealed, would have draconian consequences.
Lecoat’s characters are richly drawn, complicated, and deeply and fascinatingly flawed. Both Jean and Hazel are sympathetic, and Lecoat’s compassionate depiction of their struggles resonates. At the heart of the story is a deftly constructed, compelling, and very clever mystery concerning Philip around which swirls a tale of two determined young women who must come to grips with the past in order to fashion their futures. It is a tumultuous journey for both of them.
Jean takes a job as housekeeper for her mother’s sister and her husband, even though she resents the way she is treated and the little concern they displayed for her and Violet during the war. Hazel is hired as a teacher, but her political association threatens her ability to earn even a meager living. Jean’s relentless pursuit of the facts surrounding her father’s arrest and imprisonment have reverberations for Hazel, who discovers Jean’s secret. Each of them is required to assess the knowledge they have gained and make choices about what they will do with the information. Revelations about her parents’ marriage, as well as Violet’s relationships with her sister and Eddie, add to Jean’s consternation. Initially intent on not just learning the truth, but also exacting revenge on the person who reported her father, Jean is forced to reconsider her course of action. Hazel feels the lasting impact of the Occupation and islanders’ continuing obsession with finding and reporting collaborators. “I’m outspoken. People don’t like that, especially in women,” she laments. And even after she leaves the Democratic Movement, she is “viewed with suspicion. . . . Once people have marked you as the enemy, it’s hard to change their minds.” As in the case of the women accused of reporting Lecoat’s relatives, Hazel knows that a conviction is not necessary to destroy a life. “They’ll just ostracize us. Work, shopping, social events. . . . You don’t need to send people away – you can just banish them perfectly well in their own homes,” Hazel notes. Both women want to be free to live their lives as they see fit but recognize they will have to fight to achieve their goal. For Jean, in particular, that means accepting truths that are at odds with everything she thought she knew about her family and moving forward with a radically altered worldview after the “lines between truth, lies, wishful thinking, and pure fantasy” become hopelessly blurred.
Beyond Summerland is a riveting examination of the repercussions of war, as well as a study of the lengths to which people will go to survive it, the power of secrets, the price of revenge, and the bravery required to forgive. It is also an exploration of how real and lasting friendships can surprisingly be forged from convoluted and tragic shared experiences. Lecoat says she hopes readers will experience “interesting female characters struggling with huge dilemmas, a page-turning story, and echoes of our contemporary world amid the 1945 setting — human nature never really changes.” She has achieved and exceeded that goal. Beyond Summerland is a unique and must-read volume for fans of World War II-era historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
Her family’s wartime experiences provided inspiration for Beyond Summerland, which she spent three years researching and writing. She says her story began coming to life in 2020 during the pandemic and was born into “a world increasingly divided by opposing certainties, with so many reluctant to challenge deeply held convictions.”
As the book opens, it is June 1945, just one month after Liberation Day. Violet Parris, forty-six years old but having aged greatly during the preceding five-year Nazi Occupation, and her nineteen-year-old daughter, Jean, are hoping for information about Jean’s father, Philip, who was arrested fifteen months earlier. It has been a year since they received a letter from him. He was only sentenced to serve fifteen months, so they are hoping he has been released and is on his way home. He was convicted of illegally possessing a wireless radio at his shop, P. Parris, Ironmongers, where he permitted neighbors to listen to broadcasts with him. But the Constable can provide no update about his status.
Violet hopes that Philip’s younger brother, Eddie, will be able to assist when he returns to Jersey. Jean dreads his arrival. Her father disapproved of his brother’s decision to escape a week before the Occupation began. Eddie has been working in England ever since. When he discovers the wreckage of the home he built fifteen years ago, he moves in with Violet and Jean. Worse, a man names Charles Clement appears at their door to inform them that he was imprisoned with Philip, who succumbed to dysentery on a cold winter day. They know he is telling the truth when he produces a treasured family photo that Philip carried with him, explaining that he promised Philip he would deliver the news in person if he was lucky enough to survive.
In the aftermath, Jean and her family learn for the first time that Philip’s radio wasn’t discovered during a random search of his shop, as they had been led to believe. They are horrified to belatedly find out that someone reported him. And a witness observed him arguing with a tall woman in her late twenties with reddish hair several times in the weeks leading up to his arrest. But who would report a pillar of the community, a kind man beloved by his friends and neighbors? And who was the woman he argued with? What could he possibly have quarreled about with her? Jean vows that she will not only get answers to all the questions surrounding her father’s demise but also seek justice for him.
Hazel Le Tourneur lives with her arthritic father in an apartment above Philip’s shop which has remained shuttered and fallen into disrepair since the day German soldiers ransacked it and emerged with the radio, returning shortly thereafter to confiscate the rest of its useful contents. News of Philip’s death greatly upsets her, even though she had criticized him harshly as BBC broadcasts emanated loudly from his contraband radio through open windows, putting everyone in the area in jeopardy. She had never liked Philip, “but a death like that, in the squalor of a foreign jail, alone and terrified . . .” was unconscionable. Her heart goes out to Violet and Jean, and Hazel knows that she must “be part of something, useful.” She decides to join the Democratic Movement and work to ensure Jersey’s future.
Thirty-one people attend Philip’s memorial service and Hazel is among them. When Jean spots her, she asks her mother if she recognizes Hazel, who matches the description of the woman seen arguing with Philip. Violet identifies her as one of the residents of the apartments about the shop. And someone who hated Philip.
In Beyond Summerland, Lecoat credibly crafts a portrait of a town in turmoil and on the cusp of what will come next. Even though World War II has ended and the Nazis have been defeated, life does not, of course, immediately revert to the way it was before the Occupation. The islanders are still suffering. Nazis overtook and wreaked havoc in Jersey, and as some of the residents return, they find all the ways that the town has changed dramatically. In Eddie’s case, the house he lovingly built was ransacked and destroyed as people foraged for food, supplies, and shelter after being displaced from their own homes and jobs. He is bitter and angry, and with his brother’s death confirmed, he takes up residence in Philip’s home, usurping the role of head of the household with Violet’s assent. Jean has always found him overbearing and boorish, and she resents both the sense of entitlement he displays, as well as the transformation she sees in Violet who, at first, was inconsolable as she mourned Philip. Worse, they are intent on pushing Violet into a relationship with Tom Maloret, who works as a clerk in the States office. He is pleasant enough and a gentleman, but Jean cannot reveal why she is not attracted to him. Even though she is wracked with guilt, she proceeds to “use him mercilessly for her own ends” to conceal her romance with a German soldier. Naively optimistic, she does understand that her secret, if revealed, would have draconian consequences.
Lecoat’s characters are richly drawn, complicated, and deeply and fascinatingly flawed. Both Jean and Hazel are sympathetic, and Lecoat’s compassionate depiction of their struggles resonates. At the heart of the story is a deftly constructed, compelling, and very clever mystery concerning Philip around which swirls a tale of two determined young women who must come to grips with the past in order to fashion their futures. It is a tumultuous journey for both of them.
Jean takes a job as housekeeper for her mother’s sister and her husband, even though she resents the way she is treated and the little concern they displayed for her and Violet during the war. Hazel is hired as a teacher, but her political association threatens her ability to earn even a meager living. Jean’s relentless pursuit of the facts surrounding her father’s arrest and imprisonment have reverberations for Hazel, who discovers Jean’s secret. Each of them is required to assess the knowledge they have gained and make choices about what they will do with the information. Revelations about her parents’ marriage, as well as Violet’s relationships with her sister and Eddie, add to Jean’s consternation. Initially intent on not just learning the truth, but also exacting revenge on the person who reported her father, Jean is forced to reconsider her course of action. Hazel feels the lasting impact of the Occupation and islanders’ continuing obsession with finding and reporting collaborators. “I’m outspoken. People don’t like that, especially in women,” she laments. And even after she leaves the Democratic Movement, she is “viewed with suspicion. . . . Once people have marked you as the enemy, it’s hard to change their minds.” As in the case of the women accused of reporting Lecoat’s relatives, Hazel knows that a conviction is not necessary to destroy a life. “They’ll just ostracize us. Work, shopping, social events. . . . You don’t need to send people away – you can just banish them perfectly well in their own homes,” Hazel notes. Both women want to be free to live their lives as they see fit but recognize they will have to fight to achieve their goal. For Jean, in particular, that means accepting truths that are at odds with everything she thought she knew about her family and moving forward with a radically altered worldview after the “lines between truth, lies, wishful thinking, and pure fantasy” become hopelessly blurred.
Beyond Summerland is a riveting examination of the repercussions of war, as well as a study of the lengths to which people will go to survive it, the power of secrets, the price of revenge, and the bravery required to forgive. It is also an exploration of how real and lasting friendships can surprisingly be forged from convoluted and tragic shared experiences. Lecoat says she hopes readers will experience “interesting female characters struggling with huge dilemmas, a page-turning story, and echoes of our contemporary world amid the 1945 setting — human nature never really changes.” She has achieved and exceeded that goal. Beyond Summerland is a unique and must-read volume for fans of World War II-era historical fiction.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader's Copy of the book.
July 1, 2024
Beyond Summerland is a historic fiction novel set in the post-occupation era on the English Channel Island of Jersey. The story features the secrets, lies and betrayals in this remote island community. The inhabitants have just barely survived life under the German occupation, and now they must endure the volatile transition to freedom.
The story is told from the points of view of nineteen-year-old Jean Parris and Hazel Fleury, a single woman who is teaching at the village school. Both women have endured the hunger and deprivation of World War II. The landscape is scarred by the remnants of war and the people are scarred by their losses. Initially, everyone is thrilled by the end of the war, but their continued suffering due to lack of food and supplies makes them quick to blame anyone and everyone they suspect had it easier than they did. Many people did whatever they had to in order to keep their family fed, but quickly forgot that feeling of desperation when they accuse others of bending the rules or fraternizing with the enemy.
Jean’s lack of worldliness makes her naïve and quick to look for someone to blame for the loss of her father. Hazel has a bit more experience, so she has more of an understanding of the ways of the world. However, both of them are surprised and to some degree victimized by the ugliness of neighbors turning on neighbors. During the short timeline of the novel, Jean slowly learns all her family’s many secrets and indiscretions. Through this journey, she grows immensely and the experience galvanizes her future.
Beyond Summerland is an emotionally-charged story with compelling characters and a deceit-filled and intense post-war atmosphere. An interesting read that has inspired me to do further research on the Island of Jersey during WWII!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
#NetGalley #BeyondSummerland
The story is told from the points of view of nineteen-year-old Jean Parris and Hazel Fleury, a single woman who is teaching at the village school. Both women have endured the hunger and deprivation of World War II. The landscape is scarred by the remnants of war and the people are scarred by their losses. Initially, everyone is thrilled by the end of the war, but their continued suffering due to lack of food and supplies makes them quick to blame anyone and everyone they suspect had it easier than they did. Many people did whatever they had to in order to keep their family fed, but quickly forgot that feeling of desperation when they accuse others of bending the rules or fraternizing with the enemy.
Jean’s lack of worldliness makes her naïve and quick to look for someone to blame for the loss of her father. Hazel has a bit more experience, so she has more of an understanding of the ways of the world. However, both of them are surprised and to some degree victimized by the ugliness of neighbors turning on neighbors. During the short timeline of the novel, Jean slowly learns all her family’s many secrets and indiscretions. Through this journey, she grows immensely and the experience galvanizes her future.
Beyond Summerland is an emotionally-charged story with compelling characters and a deceit-filled and intense post-war atmosphere. An interesting read that has inspired me to do further research on the Island of Jersey during WWII!
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. For more reading recommendations, visit Book Junkie Reviews at
www.abookjunkiereviews.wordpress.com
#NetGalley #BeyondSummerland
August 20, 2024
ORIGINAL POST: http://www.nerdprobs.com/books/book-r...
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Jenny Lecoat has a way of writing that is peaceful even when she is talking about horrific acts of war and heartbreak that just draws you in from the beginning. I knew I had to read Beyond Summerland when I first saw it and I am not disappointed at all.
My first experience with Lecoat was her novel The Girl from the Channel Islands and it was so heartbreakingly beautiful that I instantly wanted to reread it. Lecoat brings a different level of knowledge to her stories, as she was born in the Channel Islands and her parents grew up there under German Occupation during World War II. This story follows Jean and Hazel as their two lives collide with devastating consequences. I loved watching how while they were from different lives, their circumstances came jarringly close because of the war.
Lecoat developed these characters in such a way that you learned their story and then started to cheer for them, even when you may not have agreed with all their decisions and actions. I liked the character growth we got to see in each character, even the ones we disliked and how they adapted to their environment. There were so many underlying lessons in this story we got to watch these characters learn; family doesn’t always mean they will love you forever, sometimes people you think are your enemy are not, and sometimes leaving home is the best thing for you.
Overall this was a good book. My only issue is I felt the beginning was a little too slow on the build for me so it took me a while to get into. Other than that, though, once I got into it more I had to know how it ended. Lecoat is one of my favorite historical fiction writers because she gives a different view of the war from the Channel Islands and it’s always intertwined with the best stories and lessons.
If you haven’t picked this book up yet, you absolutely should. And then go back and read her others too!
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Jenny Lecoat has a way of writing that is peaceful even when she is talking about horrific acts of war and heartbreak that just draws you in from the beginning. I knew I had to read Beyond Summerland when I first saw it and I am not disappointed at all.
My first experience with Lecoat was her novel The Girl from the Channel Islands and it was so heartbreakingly beautiful that I instantly wanted to reread it. Lecoat brings a different level of knowledge to her stories, as she was born in the Channel Islands and her parents grew up there under German Occupation during World War II. This story follows Jean and Hazel as their two lives collide with devastating consequences. I loved watching how while they were from different lives, their circumstances came jarringly close because of the war.
Lecoat developed these characters in such a way that you learned their story and then started to cheer for them, even when you may not have agreed with all their decisions and actions. I liked the character growth we got to see in each character, even the ones we disliked and how they adapted to their environment. There were so many underlying lessons in this story we got to watch these characters learn; family doesn’t always mean they will love you forever, sometimes people you think are your enemy are not, and sometimes leaving home is the best thing for you.
Overall this was a good book. My only issue is I felt the beginning was a little too slow on the build for me so it took me a while to get into. Other than that, though, once I got into it more I had to know how it ended. Lecoat is one of my favorite historical fiction writers because she gives a different view of the war from the Channel Islands and it’s always intertwined with the best stories and lessons.
If you haven’t picked this book up yet, you absolutely should. And then go back and read her others too!
September 17, 2024
I’ve read a few historical fiction books in the past couple of years that take place in the German-occupied Channel Islands, the only captured British territory during WWII. (One of the books, The Girl from the Channel Islands, was written by Jenny Lecoat, the author who wrote Beyond Summerland.) I was very interested in reading this one because it takes place after the Occupation, which was a new twist on things and I was intrigued to find out what happened once the war ended.
The story is told from two points of view: one of 19-year old Jean, whose father was arrested and sent to an overseas prison during the war. The second is from the point of view of Hazel, a local teacher who is accused of being the informer who had Jean’s father arrested. Rumours spread quickly in the community and Jean and Hazel end up forming an unlikely alliance.
The first third of the book was a bit slow and I probably would rate that portion at 2 stars. However, it did pick up once Jean and Hazel met. There were a couple of unexpected twists thrown in as well. The author did a good job of describing life post-war on Jersey: the suspicions, rumours and accusations that were flung amongst what was once a close-knit community is sad, but perhaps understandable after the horrific conditions they had endured for five years. It was interesting to see how the community reacted to those who fled before the Occupation and then returned... they weren’t exactly welcomed back.
So, a slow start for me but it picked up nicely and I appreciated learning about post-war Jersey and the survivors’ struggle to return to “normal” life. I think I liked her first book a bit better, but will still give this one 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).
The story is told from two points of view: one of 19-year old Jean, whose father was arrested and sent to an overseas prison during the war. The second is from the point of view of Hazel, a local teacher who is accused of being the informer who had Jean’s father arrested. Rumours spread quickly in the community and Jean and Hazel end up forming an unlikely alliance.
The first third of the book was a bit slow and I probably would rate that portion at 2 stars. However, it did pick up once Jean and Hazel met. There were a couple of unexpected twists thrown in as well. The author did a good job of describing life post-war on Jersey: the suspicions, rumours and accusations that were flung amongst what was once a close-knit community is sad, but perhaps understandable after the horrific conditions they had endured for five years. It was interesting to see how the community reacted to those who fled before the Occupation and then returned... they weren’t exactly welcomed back.
So, a slow start for me but it picked up nicely and I appreciated learning about post-war Jersey and the survivors’ struggle to return to “normal” life. I think I liked her first book a bit better, but will still give this one 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4).
July 30, 2024
The German occupation is over. The Channel Islands, the only captured territory within the British Isles, are finally liberated. But the people of Jersey are left as scarred as the landscape. No longer a “summerland” holiday paradise, the island now boils with tension as locals seek revenge on anyone suspected of collaborating with the enemy during the war.
Nineteen-year-old Jean Parris, still adjusting to this fractious peace, is shocked to learn that Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop, may be responsible for her father’s wartime arrest. Hazel denies all accusations but has reasons to conceal what really happened.
As rumors of Hazel’s guilt swell to a fury, Jean discovers new clues that suggest there were other, more sinister factors at play. When Hazel learns of Jean’s own ruinous secret, the women form an unexpected bond that sets them apart from the rest of Jean’s family and the frenzied demands for retribution. But in the end, Jean’s need to know the truth about her father may consume everything she once believed about her home, her family and herself.
This is a well written and very interesting story. Since I was in middle school (now 40), I have always loved historical fiction books that are based around the WWII era. This story can be difficult to read at times, as most stories that are written around this war and the Holocaust usually are. Do I think you should read this even though there are times where it may be hard? Absolutely!
This book highlights the impacts of the war, survival and how life was after the war. If you like books with amazing character development, story lines and pulling of the heart strings, this one is for you!
Nineteen-year-old Jean Parris, still adjusting to this fractious peace, is shocked to learn that Hazel, a teacher who lives over her dad’s shop, may be responsible for her father’s wartime arrest. Hazel denies all accusations but has reasons to conceal what really happened.
As rumors of Hazel’s guilt swell to a fury, Jean discovers new clues that suggest there were other, more sinister factors at play. When Hazel learns of Jean’s own ruinous secret, the women form an unexpected bond that sets them apart from the rest of Jean’s family and the frenzied demands for retribution. But in the end, Jean’s need to know the truth about her father may consume everything she once believed about her home, her family and herself.
This is a well written and very interesting story. Since I was in middle school (now 40), I have always loved historical fiction books that are based around the WWII era. This story can be difficult to read at times, as most stories that are written around this war and the Holocaust usually are. Do I think you should read this even though there are times where it may be hard? Absolutely!
This book highlights the impacts of the war, survival and how life was after the war. If you like books with amazing character development, story lines and pulling of the heart strings, this one is for you!
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