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When the Sky Fell Apart
She turned to look at the sea. Flat stretch of water, blank and blue as the sky above. Pretty as a picture, except with black and grey craters where the bombs had fallen: as though some thuggish child had scrawled all over the picture out of spite alone...
Jersey, June 1940.
It starts with the burning man on the beach just after the bombs land, obliterating the last shred of hope that Hitler will avert his attention from the Channel Islands. Within weeks, 12,000 German troops land on the Jersey beaches, heralding a new era of occupation.
For ten-year-old Claudine, it means a re-education under German rule, and as she befriends one of the soldiers, she inadvertently opens the gateway to a more sinister influence in her home with devastating consequences.
For Maurice, a local fisherman, it means protecting his sick wife at all costs – even if it means endangering his own life.
Edith, the island’s unofficial homeopath, is a Jerriais through to her bones. But even she can’t save everyone, no matter how hard she tries.
And as for English doctor Tim Carter – on the arrival of the brutal Commandant, he becomes the subject of a terrifying regime that causes the locals to brand him a traitor, unaware of the torment he suffers in an effort to save them.
WHEN THE SKY FELL APART is a heartbreaking chorus of the resilience of the human spirit. It introduces an exciting new voice in literary fiction.
Jersey, June 1940.
It starts with the burning man on the beach just after the bombs land, obliterating the last shred of hope that Hitler will avert his attention from the Channel Islands. Within weeks, 12,000 German troops land on the Jersey beaches, heralding a new era of occupation.
For ten-year-old Claudine, it means a re-education under German rule, and as she befriends one of the soldiers, she inadvertently opens the gateway to a more sinister influence in her home with devastating consequences.
For Maurice, a local fisherman, it means protecting his sick wife at all costs – even if it means endangering his own life.
Edith, the island’s unofficial homeopath, is a Jerriais through to her bones. But even she can’t save everyone, no matter how hard she tries.
And as for English doctor Tim Carter – on the arrival of the brutal Commandant, he becomes the subject of a terrifying regime that causes the locals to brand him a traitor, unaware of the torment he suffers in an effort to save them.
WHEN THE SKY FELL APART is a heartbreaking chorus of the resilience of the human spirit. It introduces an exciting new voice in literary fiction.
384 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2016
12 people are currently reading
803 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Lea
5 books329 followersCaroline Lea grew up on the island of Jersey and gained a First from Warwick University. Her fiction and poetry have been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and the BBC Short Story Prize. Her debut novel, The Glass Woman, a gothic thriller set during the Icelandic witch trials, was shortlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award. Her next novel, The Metal Heart, was a powerful Second World War love story set on the island of Orkney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
November 11, 2016
I've read quite a few books about WWII covering various aspects of the war , and the impact on so many people and with each book I realize how much more there is to know. This novel provides yet another facet of the war through a group of characters on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands. A horrific opening scene sets the stage for this story of the German attack and occupation of the island. While this is a novel, the author tells us in a note: "Between the years of 1940 and 1945, the people of Jersey and the other Channel Islands endured unspeakable hardships and horrors under the German Occupation, and some of those (rationing, deportations, failed escape attempt) have served as inspiration for this novel."
The story unfolds from multiple perspectives. Ten year old Claudine is trying to make sense of it, trying to face her fears and having to endure what no child ever should endure. Her father has gone off to fight in the war and her mother suffers from depression. Edith, a widow and healer of sorts with her plant cures is an outcast. Maurice tries to protect his terminally ill wife. Dr Carter, a Londoner, running from a life he is unable to lead , wants to stay to help and gets caught in the fray. The beauty of the story is the connections these characters make with each other during the trial of these times and how they try to save each other. A well written, heartbreaking yet hopeful story.
I received an ARC of this book from Text Publishing through Edelweiss.
September 11, 2023
With the evacuation of Jersey in full swing, the remaining people were determined to see the war out in their homes. The first bomb on the beaches caught the butcher, and he was writhing on the sand, burning, in terrible pain. Ten year old Claudine saw him, shocked and horrified, but soon Edith, the village's herbalist, and Dr Carter, the English doctor who had decided to stay, had the butcher in the hospital, where he hovered between life and death for many months.
Twelve thousand German troops arrived on the island, with a brutal Commandant in charge, and it wasn't long before Dr Carter was under his orders. The island's people thought he'd "gone to the other side", and Carter's shame and disgust with himself deepened. Claudine was being cared for by Edith and between them they helped Maurice, whose wife was very ill. Living with a curfew, little to no food which saw the people almost starving, and trying to keep out of the way of the German patrols was taxing, but they did what they had to. Until things became untenable. What would be the outcome for the tortured people of Jersey?
When the Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea is an outstanding read and shows the strength and resilience of some, with love and caring easily coming out ahead of the brutality of war, and Edith standing out as an exceptional character. Jersey, of the British Channel Islands, was Occupied by German forces for almost the entire war, from 30th June 1940 until 9th May 1945, and although When the Sky Fell Apart is fictional, a lot is based on historical fact. A thoroughly enjoyable historical read which I recommend.
Twelve thousand German troops arrived on the island, with a brutal Commandant in charge, and it wasn't long before Dr Carter was under his orders. The island's people thought he'd "gone to the other side", and Carter's shame and disgust with himself deepened. Claudine was being cared for by Edith and between them they helped Maurice, whose wife was very ill. Living with a curfew, little to no food which saw the people almost starving, and trying to keep out of the way of the German patrols was taxing, but they did what they had to. Until things became untenable. What would be the outcome for the tortured people of Jersey?
When the Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea is an outstanding read and shows the strength and resilience of some, with love and caring easily coming out ahead of the brutality of war, and Edith standing out as an exceptional character. Jersey, of the British Channel Islands, was Occupied by German forces for almost the entire war, from 30th June 1940 until 9th May 1945, and although When the Sky Fell Apart is fictional, a lot is based on historical fact. A thoroughly enjoyable historical read which I recommend.
March 25, 2016
After the defeat of the Allied forces in France in 1940, Britain withdrew its troops from the Channel Islands leaving the way open for Germany to occupy the islands. Many residents had already left to join the army or to flee to safety and those who stayed either became informants for the Germans in the hope of extra rations and favours or banded together with their neighbours to help each other and resist the invaders.
On Jersey the war started for ten year old Claudine when she watched the German bombs land on the beach and turn their village butcher into a human torch. After that the German troops arrived in their thousands and life the islanders were trapped.
In the absence of her father who has left to join the army, Claudine helps her depressed mother find food and look after her little brother Francis. She finds an unexpected friend in a German guard and learns that they are not all evil and uncaring. Through her eyes we see the struggles of the islanders; Edith Bisson the tough and feisty herbalist who tries to overcome the scarcity of medicines with her herbal remedies and Maurice, the young man caring for his sick wife Marthe who puts his life at risk by secretly fishing to keep them alive. Englishman Dr Tim Carter, weak and cowardly who ran away from England rather than face the truth about himself, is the only doctor on the island. Wanting to continue looking after his patients he is placed in a difficult position by the German Commandant who bullies him into becoming his personal physician causing the islanders to hate him for fraternizing with the enemy.
The author really brings to life what it was like living on Jersey during the occupation. Although fictional, her characters feel so real and representative of the toughness of those reared on Jersey; full of life, personality and idiosyncracies. That the author herself was born and raised in Jersey explains her affection and knowledge of its people and her affinity with the island. She uses some wonderful poetic prose to describe the beauty and ruggedness of the island and in particular the impact of the sea in carving and shaping the land and its people. An excellent debut novel and definitely a book I will continue to think about and enjoy long after turning the last page. 4.5★
With thanks to Netgalley and Text Publishing for an ecopy to read and review
March 28, 2016
“Perhaps, Claudine thought, warmth and kindness didn’t have a country or a language.”
(3.5) Caroline Lea’s strong debut novel is set on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands between England and France, in the years of German occupation surrounding the Second World War. Although it’s told in a shifting, close third person, the book opens with and keeps returning to the perspective of ten-year-old Claudine Duret. It’s through her eyes that we view the striking first scene, which takes place in June 1940:
It’s appropriate that Claudine thinks of meat, for the man on fire is Clement Hacquoil, the local butcher. He is the island’s first war injury, the victim of a bombing raid on the St. Helier harbor. As people come together to help him, we meet some of the terrific supporting characters, including Dr. Tim Carter, an Englishman who fears he’ll never fit into this insular community; and Edith Bisson, Claudine’s former babysitter, who concocts herbal remedies.
Two weeks previously there was a call to evacuate and roughly half the island’s population fled – “Like rats … buggering off at the first sign of trouble,” as one old clinger-on taunted. Those who remain are stubborn or without the resources to leave, like Maurice, a former fisherman and now full-time caregiver for his wife Marthe, who has Huntington’s disease. Dr. Carter is determined to stay even after a German commandant and his troops take over the hospital. Claudine, left to her own devices during her mother’s black moods, makes friends with a German soldier, Gregor, but has unpleasant encounters with other soldiers.
A couple things precipitate the book’s crisis: Marthe’s condition is deteriorating but Dr. Carter thinks treatments available in London could help her; and Gregor is in hiding because the Commandant wants to send him to a work camp. Maurice has the idea of escaping to London with Marthe on his fishing boat, and Gregor, Claudine and Edith plan to go along.
I found the trip preparations a bit belabored, such that the whole novel might be improved by a cut of 60–80 pages. I also wondered whether the contrast between Gregor and Hans, the two main German soldiers we meet, was too stark and stereotyping. However, I loved the book’s distinctive characters, the inconclusive ending I didn’t expect, the snippets of foreign languages (not just German and French, but also Jèrriais) and Lea’s atmospheric descriptions of Jersey. She was born and raised on the island, and in passages like this you can sense her fondness for its landscape:
I would not hesitate to recommend this to book clubs (see the reader questions here, but beware spoilers!) and to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Mr. Mac and Me by Esther Freud. I look forward to reading what Caroline Lea writes next.
My thanks go to Caroline Lea for the free signed copy, won through a Twitter giveaway.
Note: When the Sky Fell Apart was published by Text Publishing in the U.K. and Australia on February 25th. It is currently available in the U.S. as a Kindle book; a paperback release is scheduled for November.
Originally published with images at my blog, Bookish Beck.
(3.5) Caroline Lea’s strong debut novel is set on Jersey, one of the Channel Islands between England and France, in the years of German occupation surrounding the Second World War. Although it’s told in a shifting, close third person, the book opens with and keeps returning to the perspective of ten-year-old Claudine Duret. It’s through her eyes that we view the striking first scene, which takes place in June 1940:
When he was on fire, the man smelt bitter. … Even after they had tipped buckets of sea water over him, he still smelt. But sweeter. It reminded her of Maman’s Sunday lunch: roast pork with blackened skin and the cooked fat seeping out through the cracks. Claudine’s mouth watered.
It’s appropriate that Claudine thinks of meat, for the man on fire is Clement Hacquoil, the local butcher. He is the island’s first war injury, the victim of a bombing raid on the St. Helier harbor. As people come together to help him, we meet some of the terrific supporting characters, including Dr. Tim Carter, an Englishman who fears he’ll never fit into this insular community; and Edith Bisson, Claudine’s former babysitter, who concocts herbal remedies.
Two weeks previously there was a call to evacuate and roughly half the island’s population fled – “Like rats … buggering off at the first sign of trouble,” as one old clinger-on taunted. Those who remain are stubborn or without the resources to leave, like Maurice, a former fisherman and now full-time caregiver for his wife Marthe, who has Huntington’s disease. Dr. Carter is determined to stay even after a German commandant and his troops take over the hospital. Claudine, left to her own devices during her mother’s black moods, makes friends with a German soldier, Gregor, but has unpleasant encounters with other soldiers.
A couple things precipitate the book’s crisis: Marthe’s condition is deteriorating but Dr. Carter thinks treatments available in London could help her; and Gregor is in hiding because the Commandant wants to send him to a work camp. Maurice has the idea of escaping to London with Marthe on his fishing boat, and Gregor, Claudine and Edith plan to go along.
I found the trip preparations a bit belabored, such that the whole novel might be improved by a cut of 60–80 pages. I also wondered whether the contrast between Gregor and Hans, the two main German soldiers we meet, was too stark and stereotyping. However, I loved the book’s distinctive characters, the inconclusive ending I didn’t expect, the snippets of foreign languages (not just German and French, but also Jèrriais) and Lea’s atmospheric descriptions of Jersey. She was born and raised on the island, and in passages like this you can sense her fondness for its landscape:
The island was like a beautiful jewel: formed by years of pressure and compression, shaped by the elements and then constrained and combed and ordered by the metallic tools of man. … To the east, picture-perfect houses, like clutches of crafted eggs, nestling by the golden beaches. To the west, the vast mudflats where children could pour salt into a hole in the mud and razorfish might pop out like a conjuror’s trick. The steady breaking and wombing of the sea, metronomic measure of seeping time.
I would not hesitate to recommend this to book clubs (see the reader questions here, but beware spoilers!) and to fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and Mr. Mac and Me by Esther Freud. I look forward to reading what Caroline Lea writes next.
My thanks go to Caroline Lea for the free signed copy, won through a Twitter giveaway.
Note: When the Sky Fell Apart was published by Text Publishing in the U.K. and Australia on February 25th. It is currently available in the U.S. as a Kindle book; a paperback release is scheduled for November.
Originally published with images at my blog, Bookish Beck.
February 17, 2016
“…it was a different place, Jersey, since they had taken over. They had built grey walls and shelters. They had slapped concrete on the beautiful old castles. They had chopped down whole areas of woodland. The land was butchered. Scarred”
When The Sky Fell Apart is the first novel by Jersey-born poet and author, Caroline Lea. Some two weeks after England withdrew troops from Jersey, in 1940, and evacuated those who wanted to leave, the island was bombed by the Germans, who then proceeded to occupy with a twelve-thousand strong force of soldiers. Life was suddenly very different for the Jerriais.
Ten-year-old Claudine Duret’s father has left to fight; she does her best to help her Maman, (plagued by black moods since the birth of baby Francis) to make ends meet. Shunned by the other school children (too smart for her own good!), she makes friends with Gregor, a German soldier who occupies a bunker on the beach. But “It was impossible in this new, shifting world called Occupation – a sort of stasis of enforced peace amid war – to know whom to trust’
Dr Tim Carter, an Englishman who ought to have evacuated, is determined to do his best for his patients, even if they afford him little respect. But Tim acknowledges that he is a coward (the reason he left England proves that, he knows), and soon finds himself faced with a dilemma. While at first “…he could see no gain in succumbing to the rising heat of hysteria that sparked with every mention of the German forces: fear only made bullies more powerful, after all”, in the end, his actions brand him a traitor with the islanders. “Sometimes it’s necessary to do the right thing. Sometimes the right thing is also wrong”.
Maurice Pipon, a fisherman whose sole purpose is to care for his adored but now invalid wife, Marthe, is determined to protect her from the soldiers at all costs. He risks everything, breaking curfew, to get out onto his beloved waves: “He’d cast his net out as if in a dream. A sort of magic to the action: like flinging out hope. Full of holes. Then sit and wait, every breath a prayer. Then tug and heave and dredge up wriggle-bodied treasure, slippery and gleaming”; his catch can supplement the meagre rations they are allowed.
Edith Bisson is the island’s herbalist, and a Jerriais to her very bones. Labelled a quack by many, her popularity increases as Dr Carter’s wanes. She observes what is happening to her cherished home place and tries to care for those who need it most. But then events see her considering the unthinkable: “It’s a peculiar feeling, measuring out need and hope and love, as though they are liquids that can be crammed into cups”.
Lea’s attachment to Jersey is apparent in her gorgeous descriptive prose: “The island was like a beautiful jewel formed by years of pressure and compression, shaped by the elements and then constrained and combed and ordered by the metallic tools of man. The result was a savage, wild and rugged land with the long grasses gusted about by the wind, toothed ricks jutting from the soil, crusted with lichen: thousands of attentive gold and black ears, gaping at the slightest whisper of wind” and “They watched the shifting, rumpled surface of the sea, wrinkling under the fingers of the wind” are examples.
Her research into her subject, likewise, can be seen in the tiny details she seamlessly includes in her story. Her characters are realistic, multifaceted and appealing, for all their flaws. Her plot is original, with a twist or two before the final, heartrending climax. And throughout, evocative prose that glitters like the sun on the sea around her birthplace: “But then she coughed again, and it sounded like when the waves rattled stones on the beach. The rattling went on for a long time. Claudine knew that, over many years, the sea could make huge boulders disappear. She wondered how many coughs it would take for Maman’s lungs to be worn away to nothing”. Quite a remarkable debut novel.
When The Sky Fell Apart is the first novel by Jersey-born poet and author, Caroline Lea. Some two weeks after England withdrew troops from Jersey, in 1940, and evacuated those who wanted to leave, the island was bombed by the Germans, who then proceeded to occupy with a twelve-thousand strong force of soldiers. Life was suddenly very different for the Jerriais.
Ten-year-old Claudine Duret’s father has left to fight; she does her best to help her Maman, (plagued by black moods since the birth of baby Francis) to make ends meet. Shunned by the other school children (too smart for her own good!), she makes friends with Gregor, a German soldier who occupies a bunker on the beach. But “It was impossible in this new, shifting world called Occupation – a sort of stasis of enforced peace amid war – to know whom to trust’
Dr Tim Carter, an Englishman who ought to have evacuated, is determined to do his best for his patients, even if they afford him little respect. But Tim acknowledges that he is a coward (the reason he left England proves that, he knows), and soon finds himself faced with a dilemma. While at first “…he could see no gain in succumbing to the rising heat of hysteria that sparked with every mention of the German forces: fear only made bullies more powerful, after all”, in the end, his actions brand him a traitor with the islanders. “Sometimes it’s necessary to do the right thing. Sometimes the right thing is also wrong”.
Maurice Pipon, a fisherman whose sole purpose is to care for his adored but now invalid wife, Marthe, is determined to protect her from the soldiers at all costs. He risks everything, breaking curfew, to get out onto his beloved waves: “He’d cast his net out as if in a dream. A sort of magic to the action: like flinging out hope. Full of holes. Then sit and wait, every breath a prayer. Then tug and heave and dredge up wriggle-bodied treasure, slippery and gleaming”; his catch can supplement the meagre rations they are allowed.
Edith Bisson is the island’s herbalist, and a Jerriais to her very bones. Labelled a quack by many, her popularity increases as Dr Carter’s wanes. She observes what is happening to her cherished home place and tries to care for those who need it most. But then events see her considering the unthinkable: “It’s a peculiar feeling, measuring out need and hope and love, as though they are liquids that can be crammed into cups”.
Lea’s attachment to Jersey is apparent in her gorgeous descriptive prose: “The island was like a beautiful jewel formed by years of pressure and compression, shaped by the elements and then constrained and combed and ordered by the metallic tools of man. The result was a savage, wild and rugged land with the long grasses gusted about by the wind, toothed ricks jutting from the soil, crusted with lichen: thousands of attentive gold and black ears, gaping at the slightest whisper of wind” and “They watched the shifting, rumpled surface of the sea, wrinkling under the fingers of the wind” are examples.
Her research into her subject, likewise, can be seen in the tiny details she seamlessly includes in her story. Her characters are realistic, multifaceted and appealing, for all their flaws. Her plot is original, with a twist or two before the final, heartrending climax. And throughout, evocative prose that glitters like the sun on the sea around her birthplace: “But then she coughed again, and it sounded like when the waves rattled stones on the beach. The rattling went on for a long time. Claudine knew that, over many years, the sea could make huge boulders disappear. She wondered how many coughs it would take for Maman’s lungs to be worn away to nothing”. Quite a remarkable debut novel.
October 2, 2022
I read this debut historical fiction novel by Jersey Island author Caroline Lea as part of my Read Around the World challenge. It is set during WW2. In 1940, after the withdrawal of British troops from the Channel Islands after their defeat in France, 12,000 German troops landed on Jersey. The story looks at the upheaval in the lives of the residents during this period.
Jersey, officially known as the Bailiwick of Jersey, is the largest of the Channel Islands off the coast of northwest France. Jersey was part of the Duchy of Normandy whose dukes invaded England and became kings there from 1066. Jersey is a self-governing democracy separate to the United Kingdom, but as a Crown Dependency the UK is responsible for its defense. The island has both British and Norman-French cultural influences with the Norman language Jèrriais still being used. Jersey is approximately 120km2 and has a population of around 105,000 people, around half of whom were born there.
The story is partly told through the eyes of ten-year-old Claudine, whose life is forever changed when she witnesses the village butcher burnt on the beach by a German bomb. Claudine is desperately trying to help her depressed mother put food on the table while her father is at war. She befriends German soldier Gregor, and learns that some Germans are kind-hearted and humane. Gregor is a stark contrast to Hans, her mother’s new friend. The story also includes fisherman Maurice, whose wife Marthe is struggling with Huntington's Chorea, Edith Bisson the proudly Jèrriais herbalist and English doctor Tim Carter who does not leave the island when the English evacuate but stays to help. Lastly there is the brutal, powerful Commandant who forces Tim to become his personal physician, making Tim an outcast and figure of suspicion with the islanders.
I found this a gripping, well told story that gave a vivid insight into life on Jersey during the war. The ending was a little unexpected but realistic. 4.5 stars.
Jersey, officially known as the Bailiwick of Jersey, is the largest of the Channel Islands off the coast of northwest France. Jersey was part of the Duchy of Normandy whose dukes invaded England and became kings there from 1066. Jersey is a self-governing democracy separate to the United Kingdom, but as a Crown Dependency the UK is responsible for its defense. The island has both British and Norman-French cultural influences with the Norman language Jèrriais still being used. Jersey is approximately 120km2 and has a population of around 105,000 people, around half of whom were born there.
The story is partly told through the eyes of ten-year-old Claudine, whose life is forever changed when she witnesses the village butcher burnt on the beach by a German bomb. Claudine is desperately trying to help her depressed mother put food on the table while her father is at war. She befriends German soldier Gregor, and learns that some Germans are kind-hearted and humane. Gregor is a stark contrast to Hans, her mother’s new friend. The story also includes fisherman Maurice, whose wife Marthe is struggling with Huntington's Chorea, Edith Bisson the proudly Jèrriais herbalist and English doctor Tim Carter who does not leave the island when the English evacuate but stays to help. Lastly there is the brutal, powerful Commandant who forces Tim to become his personal physician, making Tim an outcast and figure of suspicion with the islanders.
I found this a gripping, well told story that gave a vivid insight into life on Jersey during the war. The ending was a little unexpected but realistic. 4.5 stars.
July 14, 2018
A treasure on my bookshelf to read again another day. Highly recommended.
January 12, 2016
From the startling opening to the realistic conclusion, you'll never read those throwaway lines about "England withdrawing from the Channel Islands" again without seeing scenes from this book flashing in your memory.
Near the start of World War II, British troops were withdrawn from the small island of Jersey, those English residents made their own evacuation plans, but many residents were reluctant to leave. Without military protection they were vulnerable, and soon occupied by the Germans, who bring with them suspicion, hunger, and ever-increasing restrictions of movement as some residents turn on each other, desperate for safety or food while others fraternize with the enemy for the same reason. Both are shocking, more for the truth behind them than for the actions themselves; how easily, it seems, do we turn on each other when circumstances go against us.
From the doctor to the healer, from the fisherman to the child, from the soldier to the Commandant, the characters lived, with histories, fears, loyalties and betrayals. Although some details were fictionalized, I believe the changes tended to shift facts to a new location or person rather than being inventions, which in some cases may be quite alarming. Woven throughout were vivid descriptions of the land and sea, helping me to understand why the Jèrriais did not wish to leave.
I won't forget their struggle in a hurry.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Near the start of World War II, British troops were withdrawn from the small island of Jersey, those English residents made their own evacuation plans, but many residents were reluctant to leave. Without military protection they were vulnerable, and soon occupied by the Germans, who bring with them suspicion, hunger, and ever-increasing restrictions of movement as some residents turn on each other, desperate for safety or food while others fraternize with the enemy for the same reason. Both are shocking, more for the truth behind them than for the actions themselves; how easily, it seems, do we turn on each other when circumstances go against us.
From the doctor to the healer, from the fisherman to the child, from the soldier to the Commandant, the characters lived, with histories, fears, loyalties and betrayals. Although some details were fictionalized, I believe the changes tended to shift facts to a new location or person rather than being inventions, which in some cases may be quite alarming. Woven throughout were vivid descriptions of the land and sea, helping me to understand why the Jèrriais did not wish to leave.
I won't forget their struggle in a hurry.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2021
4.5 ⭐ rounded up.
Trigger warnings: rape, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, beatings, murder, starvation, strong depictions of war...if I think of more I'll add more.
This was a hefty read. I really loved this, though admittedly it dragged a bit towards the end.
RTC.
Trigger warnings: rape, sexual abuse, child sexual abuse, beatings, murder, starvation, strong depictions of war...if I think of more I'll add more.
This was a hefty read. I really loved this, though admittedly it dragged a bit towards the end.
RTC.
January 9, 2016
I think the author did a great job with the story and the characters. She showed great emotional development, comradery between the islanders and a feeling to help each other against the enemy. The story was mostly about the islanders and how they felt and dealt with the Germans taking over their island, their homes, their food and their lives. There weren't any horror stories about any of the main characters, other than the little girl. In fact, there were really only two Germans that were named throughout the whole book. They were there but mostly in the background. I enjoyed reading it and how people started treating the doctor differently and then started going to Edith instead. (If this part doesn't make sense, I say buy the book and figure it out, HA!)
Seriously, the author told a great story with great characters that did keep me interested and absorbed.
Thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Seriously, the author told a great story with great characters that did keep me interested and absorbed.
Thanks to Kensington Books for approving my request and to Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2016
There are so many books about WWII, but this one is able to be unique as it is set in Jersey, one of the islands off the coast of France. In 1940, the English leave and the Germans quickly come to occupy the island leaving the residents in a state of constant fear and hunger.
This novel explores what "ordinary" people do in times of war and how morals and ethics can change. For the sake of their own safety/security, or that of their family, how neighbours will report on eachother to the enemy, steal from eachother, and even harm or kill on another if necessary.
Make no mistake, this is not a novel about overcoming adversity or how war "builds character". In fact, it is rather bleak and paints an often negative picture of humanity.
The characters are well developed and easy to believe in, and the setting is unique and beautifuly depicted. 3.5 stars as although really well written it is a hard novel to walk away from without feeling a sense of loss and sadness.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This novel explores what "ordinary" people do in times of war and how morals and ethics can change. For the sake of their own safety/security, or that of their family, how neighbours will report on eachother to the enemy, steal from eachother, and even harm or kill on another if necessary.
Make no mistake, this is not a novel about overcoming adversity or how war "builds character". In fact, it is rather bleak and paints an often negative picture of humanity.
The characters are well developed and easy to believe in, and the setting is unique and beautifuly depicted. 3.5 stars as although really well written it is a hard novel to walk away from without feeling a sense of loss and sadness.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 10, 2019
*Gasps*
Indeed I have not read something so utterly heart wrenching for a long time. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good sad story.
Indeed I have not read something so utterly heart wrenching for a long time. I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves a good sad story.
July 31, 2017
Historical novels are tricky beasts, and probably harder to write when events are still within living memory. Because it isn’t just a matter of researching the era and getting the details right, it’s a matter of recapturing the mindset of the characters in a way that’s convincing. There’s a still-living generation whose youth and early adulthood was, for example, under German Occupation, and their children and grandchildren know their stories and have some comprehension of their feelings.
The complex mindset of a place under Occupation is perhaps one of the most difficult to render effectively. There is the shock of defeat or surrender along with guilt; there are feelings of abandonment by allies or the international community; there is resentment at changes imposed by the new administration whether brutal or otherwise; there is hope too, however unrealistic, that the occupiers will leave. And there is also the legitimate fear of vulnerability at the hands of the unknown; anger about the humiliation of defeat; and grief about the loss of national identity alongside personal grief over the fallen. Tragically destructive, suspicion and wariness also spread through the community like a savage cancer.
At the personal level there is having to cope with the enemy in the flesh – not some far away disembodied propaganda creature that can be hated in the abstract – but present, oppressively so, and in all the complex forms of humanity. As we see in the exceptionally good TV series Un Village Français those living under an Occupation respond in all sorts of ways, from sustained hatred and active (sometimes inept) resistance, to mild (usually pragmatic) forms of collaboration and outright betrayal (sometimes for spiteful reasons, sometimes because of values shared with the Occupier). As we see in Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Française, written during the German Occupation of France, coexistence can mean a handsome, kindly Occupier slowly finding a place in a woman’s reluctant heart. The best of historical novels on this theme include....
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/02/24/w...
The complex mindset of a place under Occupation is perhaps one of the most difficult to render effectively. There is the shock of defeat or surrender along with guilt; there are feelings of abandonment by allies or the international community; there is resentment at changes imposed by the new administration whether brutal or otherwise; there is hope too, however unrealistic, that the occupiers will leave. And there is also the legitimate fear of vulnerability at the hands of the unknown; anger about the humiliation of defeat; and grief about the loss of national identity alongside personal grief over the fallen. Tragically destructive, suspicion and wariness also spread through the community like a savage cancer.
At the personal level there is having to cope with the enemy in the flesh – not some far away disembodied propaganda creature that can be hated in the abstract – but present, oppressively so, and in all the complex forms of humanity. As we see in the exceptionally good TV series Un Village Français those living under an Occupation respond in all sorts of ways, from sustained hatred and active (sometimes inept) resistance, to mild (usually pragmatic) forms of collaboration and outright betrayal (sometimes for spiteful reasons, sometimes because of values shared with the Occupier). As we see in Irene Nemirovsky’s Suite Française, written during the German Occupation of France, coexistence can mean a handsome, kindly Occupier slowly finding a place in a woman’s reluctant heart. The best of historical novels on this theme include....
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/02/24/w...
March 5, 2017
One June day just two weeks after those who had decided to evacuate had left on a boat to the mainland, the sky in Jersey was ablaze, the Germans were bombing and poor Clement Hacquoil, the local butcher is set alight. Watching from the side-lines is ten-year old Claudine whose own father has left the island to fight the war against the Nazis.
This shocking opening sets a scene that is only two believable with the author using the German bombs as a way of introducing some of the main characters that populate this often heart-breaking tale. Dr Carter is an English doctor who if he’d followed the orders should have departed on the boat but is needed on an island which still has a sizeable population left. Edith is an older local woman who is on hand to help the injured butcher with her knowledge of plants which can help the sick and the injured. The locals under Edith’s watchful eye remove Clement from the beach and take him to the hospital but he is too sick to attempt to leave on the last boat out of the island before the German soldiers arrive.
Jersey was under German occupation for five long years. Years where food was short, the remote location and the sheer number of German soldiers which meant that there simply wasn’t enough food to go around. This shortage is mentioned regularly throughout the book in a number of ways including the variety of hot drinks and dishes the islanders made in place of their pre-war favourites; acorn coffee anyone? Potato peel pie? Mmm…
In When the Sky Fell Apart the Commandment in charge of the island is a real brute who has the local population and his own men jumping to ever changing rules. Of course in reality the rules were long, and often petty designed to stop the islanders seeking to defend themselves whilst the Germans busied themselves with the help of the prisoners of war to fortify the island with bunkers, tunnels and sea walls that are still evident today.
So while the story is based on a historical event that left a long shadow, the book is peopled by those of the author’s imagination. And she has created a really good cast. The key members being Maurice, a man with a sick wife, Edith the local healer, Dr Carter and Claudine who all see the war and the occupying soldiers through the prism of their own war years. The characters are varied, at different stages of their lives and all battling their own personal battles because of even a war didn’t stop all other battles small and large that people face in life. I liked all the characters because each one had their good points, and at times not so good. The shifting alliances underlining what people need to do to survive in extreme circumstances. This really is a book where the human element is as strong as the true events that it is depicting and I found both elements equally compelling.
While the years of the war roll by we get to see the personal battles and the way our key characters interact with each other and their neighbours on the island and with so much to engage the reader, the book avoided that mid-book slump that historical novels can be particularly susceptible to. I think it helps that the author was born and bred in Jersey with the local names rolling off the tongue, or perhaps that should be page!
Some of the events this book is based upon are very familiar to me and have also been captured in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society but the story itself is far more than historical events, this is a book where I cared about the characters and willed them to have the best war years possible, and hope that when it was all over, their post year lives were spent in tranquillity.
This shocking opening sets a scene that is only two believable with the author using the German bombs as a way of introducing some of the main characters that populate this often heart-breaking tale. Dr Carter is an English doctor who if he’d followed the orders should have departed on the boat but is needed on an island which still has a sizeable population left. Edith is an older local woman who is on hand to help the injured butcher with her knowledge of plants which can help the sick and the injured. The locals under Edith’s watchful eye remove Clement from the beach and take him to the hospital but he is too sick to attempt to leave on the last boat out of the island before the German soldiers arrive.
Jersey was under German occupation for five long years. Years where food was short, the remote location and the sheer number of German soldiers which meant that there simply wasn’t enough food to go around. This shortage is mentioned regularly throughout the book in a number of ways including the variety of hot drinks and dishes the islanders made in place of their pre-war favourites; acorn coffee anyone? Potato peel pie? Mmm…
In When the Sky Fell Apart the Commandment in charge of the island is a real brute who has the local population and his own men jumping to ever changing rules. Of course in reality the rules were long, and often petty designed to stop the islanders seeking to defend themselves whilst the Germans busied themselves with the help of the prisoners of war to fortify the island with bunkers, tunnels and sea walls that are still evident today.
So while the story is based on a historical event that left a long shadow, the book is peopled by those of the author’s imagination. And she has created a really good cast. The key members being Maurice, a man with a sick wife, Edith the local healer, Dr Carter and Claudine who all see the war and the occupying soldiers through the prism of their own war years. The characters are varied, at different stages of their lives and all battling their own personal battles because of even a war didn’t stop all other battles small and large that people face in life. I liked all the characters because each one had their good points, and at times not so good. The shifting alliances underlining what people need to do to survive in extreme circumstances. This really is a book where the human element is as strong as the true events that it is depicting and I found both elements equally compelling.
While the years of the war roll by we get to see the personal battles and the way our key characters interact with each other and their neighbours on the island and with so much to engage the reader, the book avoided that mid-book slump that historical novels can be particularly susceptible to. I think it helps that the author was born and bred in Jersey with the local names rolling off the tongue, or perhaps that should be page!
Some of the events this book is based upon are very familiar to me and have also been captured in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society but the story itself is far more than historical events, this is a book where I cared about the characters and willed them to have the best war years possible, and hope that when it was all over, their post year lives were spent in tranquillity.
April 6, 2025
Personally, I tend to avoid novels set during wars and novels with multiple perspectives. Therefore, when I was recommended this book I really didn't expect to enjoy it, in fact, I only read it as I will be meeting the author fairly soon and felt it would be impolite to not have a knowledge of the book.
Despite all my initial judgements of the book, I absolutely loved it!
I found the setting very interesting as I feel this has largely been forgotten in history.
Every character was incredible, all so vivid and real that I really connected with all of the narratives. The separate narratives were done very skillfully and I found that each character had their own distinct voice and that the writing style changed for each character.
I also loved the intricacies of the plot. Without giving too much away, I loved the way that favours were remembered and exploited.
While segments of this novel are fairly disturbing, I would recommend this book very highly.
UPDATE: I met the author of this book and she is so lovely and I know that she's going to do so well in this career!
Despite all my initial judgements of the book, I absolutely loved it!
I found the setting very interesting as I feel this has largely been forgotten in history.
Every character was incredible, all so vivid and real that I really connected with all of the narratives. The separate narratives were done very skillfully and I found that each character had their own distinct voice and that the writing style changed for each character.
I also loved the intricacies of the plot. Without giving too much away, I loved the way that favours were remembered and exploited.
While segments of this novel are fairly disturbing, I would recommend this book very highly.
UPDATE: I met the author of this book and she is so lovely and I know that she's going to do so well in this career!
July 10, 2016
This the first novel set during the Jersey Occupation that I've read and I did enjoy it. Although it is a work of fiction it was hard to read in the light of the fact that my mother and her family lived through this dark part of my island's history. I kept thinking about them and how they coped. I liked the main characters, Edith in particular made me smile a lot with very her Jersey ways. I found the doctor a very hard character to like as I was torn by his dithering and silence, but could sympathise with his predicament. Great characters and a good story which I recommend for readers who enjoy stories set during WW2.
April 16, 2017
Another .. ho hum, it was good but not fantastic or as good as I expected.
April 21, 2019
I found the characterizations and actions in this book predictable and at times totally unbelievable in their behaviour. However, I enjoyed reading the historic elements of the book.
March 8, 2017
When the Sky Fell Apart by Caroline Lea was a fascinating look into a little known chapter of World War II history. The Channel Islands, owned by England but located very close to the French coast, were to be the launching pad for Hitler's invasion of England. Instead the Islands and their inhabitants endured years of occupation and deprivation.
Ms. Leas does such a wonderful job of creating not only the atmosphere of the time and place but the culture as well. For example, early in the book a resident of the Islands is explaining to an English immigrant the relationship between Island and Country. The character Edith explains, "It's like this you see: when William of Normandy took England for his own, we were part of Normandy. Part of the conquering army, if you like. Which means that we don't belong too England - England belongs to us. Our oldest possession, she is." Just that quote explains the complicated relationship between England and the Islands. England thinks they own the Islands and the Islands let them think that and continue to do whatever they want.
That independent spirit is a strong theme in the book.England abandoned the Islands supposedly to protect the civilian population. To the Islanders, England abandon them. They knew they would have to survive on their own without any help from anyone. The characters in the book all reflect that theme. The Islanders dig in their heels and work to survive. The German occupiers try to control a population defines passive-aggressive. The long Englishman in the book is precariously balanced between fear of the Germans sending him to a camp in Germany and trying to help the population who general distrust outsiders.
There are good Islanders as well as bad ones. Also good Germans as well as the brutal Nazis. And there are many in between. Part of the charm of this book is that it was not predictable, did not end as I thought and managed to break my heart several times.
If you have seen the BBC production of "Islands at War", be aware that is a very different picture than When the Sky Fell Apart. The book is probably a more accurate picture of how the civilians suffered during the occupation but did not break. I reccomend When the Sky Fell Apart with 4 out of 5 Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a fair review.
Ms. Leas does such a wonderful job of creating not only the atmosphere of the time and place but the culture as well. For example, early in the book a resident of the Islands is explaining to an English immigrant the relationship between Island and Country. The character Edith explains, "It's like this you see: when William of Normandy took England for his own, we were part of Normandy. Part of the conquering army, if you like. Which means that we don't belong too England - England belongs to us. Our oldest possession, she is." Just that quote explains the complicated relationship between England and the Islands. England thinks they own the Islands and the Islands let them think that and continue to do whatever they want.
That independent spirit is a strong theme in the book.England abandoned the Islands supposedly to protect the civilian population. To the Islanders, England abandon them. They knew they would have to survive on their own without any help from anyone. The characters in the book all reflect that theme. The Islanders dig in their heels and work to survive. The German occupiers try to control a population defines passive-aggressive. The long Englishman in the book is precariously balanced between fear of the Germans sending him to a camp in Germany and trying to help the population who general distrust outsiders.
There are good Islanders as well as bad ones. Also good Germans as well as the brutal Nazis. And there are many in between. Part of the charm of this book is that it was not predictable, did not end as I thought and managed to break my heart several times.
If you have seen the BBC production of "Islands at War", be aware that is a very different picture than When the Sky Fell Apart. The book is probably a more accurate picture of how the civilians suffered during the occupation but did not break. I reccomend When the Sky Fell Apart with 4 out of 5 Stars.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for a fair review.
February 23, 2016
When the Sky Fell Apart begins loudly and drops you bang in the middle of the situation the Jersey Islanders find themselves facing...imminent occupation by Nazi Germany.
To me, what sets this book apart is the exquisitely descriptive prose, used to connect the reader with not only the characters, but their situation both physical and emotional. The way that the author metaphorically ties the landscape to descriptions of mood and character - and to how both the landscape and the people are changed by war, by horror, by fear and by suffering is subtle and engrossing. That her main protagonists are driven by love in desperate times makes this a heart breaking read.
The relationships feel real, honest, sometimes difficult. The horrors of war are apparent, the disastrous outcome for Jersey of being abandoned by the English is apparent but the personal and shared pain are exposed through the characterisation so well built and executed. Each back story is well told and interspersed throughout the book, each character takes over with their own voice and view point in a style that ensured the pace kept up and built toward a believable if difficult outcome.
As you can probably tell, I am not used to writing reviews. I don't want to tell you the story as Caroline Lea does this so very well through her characters. But the connection that I had with this story and the enjoyment I derived from each page has driven me to attempt to write a review. Although it took me maybe a dozen or so pages to acclimatise to the descriptive nature of the prose, feeling at first a wee bit clunky, within those few pages it became a part of the landscape of the story and this was a most enjoyable read. I applaud Caroline for showing that wartime stories often have little to smile about - and yet there are moments of joy dispensed within the horrors of occupation and war.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
To me, what sets this book apart is the exquisitely descriptive prose, used to connect the reader with not only the characters, but their situation both physical and emotional. The way that the author metaphorically ties the landscape to descriptions of mood and character - and to how both the landscape and the people are changed by war, by horror, by fear and by suffering is subtle and engrossing. That her main protagonists are driven by love in desperate times makes this a heart breaking read.
The relationships feel real, honest, sometimes difficult. The horrors of war are apparent, the disastrous outcome for Jersey of being abandoned by the English is apparent but the personal and shared pain are exposed through the characterisation so well built and executed. Each back story is well told and interspersed throughout the book, each character takes over with their own voice and view point in a style that ensured the pace kept up and built toward a believable if difficult outcome.
As you can probably tell, I am not used to writing reviews. I don't want to tell you the story as Caroline Lea does this so very well through her characters. But the connection that I had with this story and the enjoyment I derived from each page has driven me to attempt to write a review. Although it took me maybe a dozen or so pages to acclimatise to the descriptive nature of the prose, feeling at first a wee bit clunky, within those few pages it became a part of the landscape of the story and this was a most enjoyable read. I applaud Caroline for showing that wartime stories often have little to smile about - and yet there are moments of joy dispensed within the horrors of occupation and war.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
February 24, 2016
What happened to Jersey and its people when it was occupied by the Germans in June 1940 and how did it affect each of their lives?
In the book we meet 10 year old Claudine who befriends a German soldier who is a good man but her innocent friendship has consequences. Inadvertently it also brings her in contact with people that will exploit her naivety.
We also meet Maurice, a local fisherman, who risks endangering his own life in order to care for and keep his sick wife safe.
As well we get to know the English doctor, Tim Carter, who is called a traitor by the other Jersey locals but is in fact being forced to collaborate with the Germans in order to protect the local population from harm.
Finally there’s Edith, a natural healer, who was born and raised in Jersey. She does her utmost to heal people and not just by providing them with natural remedies. However at some point she has to accept that some people can’t be saved.
The author’s writing style took a bit of time to get used to. It felt a bit stilted in the beginning but got better as the plot developed. The story-line gave a realistic insight into what life was like during the occupation of Jersey for ordinary people and the challenges they might have faced. As this is a literary fiction novel the story focuses more on the emotional development of the characters, how they handle situations, rather than it being a war drama full of action and suspense. Consequently the characters were complex and portrayed realistic traits like love, fear, despair, loyalty and betrayal.
Overall an enjoyable interesting story, fans of literary fiction or historical fiction will like this book. I give it 3.5 stars.
Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
In the book we meet 10 year old Claudine who befriends a German soldier who is a good man but her innocent friendship has consequences. Inadvertently it also brings her in contact with people that will exploit her naivety.
We also meet Maurice, a local fisherman, who risks endangering his own life in order to care for and keep his sick wife safe.
As well we get to know the English doctor, Tim Carter, who is called a traitor by the other Jersey locals but is in fact being forced to collaborate with the Germans in order to protect the local population from harm.
Finally there’s Edith, a natural healer, who was born and raised in Jersey. She does her utmost to heal people and not just by providing them with natural remedies. However at some point she has to accept that some people can’t be saved.
The author’s writing style took a bit of time to get used to. It felt a bit stilted in the beginning but got better as the plot developed. The story-line gave a realistic insight into what life was like during the occupation of Jersey for ordinary people and the challenges they might have faced. As this is a literary fiction novel the story focuses more on the emotional development of the characters, how they handle situations, rather than it being a war drama full of action and suspense. Consequently the characters were complex and portrayed realistic traits like love, fear, despair, loyalty and betrayal.
Overall an enjoyable interesting story, fans of literary fiction or historical fiction will like this book. I give it 3.5 stars.
Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
October 6, 2016
Set on the island of Jersey during the Nazi occupation in the 1940s, the book centres around a small number of characters. As the food gets scarcer and the restrictions bite, each person is forced to make life changing choices, to collaborate or fight in their own way. Maurice, the fisherman hides his sick wife away, fearful of Nazi intolerance to weakness; Carter the island's doctor is forced to tend to the volatile Commandant or lose the hospital; Claudine, a child, befriends a soldier, not understanding the consequences to her or her family; and Edith, the island's 'wise woman' holds them all together. The tension builds as the Nazi occupation tightens, forcing the friends to make a life changing decision. A wonderfully paced book, with beautifully imagined characters. The reader is drawn in immediately and kept hooked until the end. Based on real stories from the archives, Caroline Lea has recreated the fear and privations of everyday life under a violent and unpredictable occupying force.
February 16, 2016
When I started reading this sensitive novel by Caroline Lea, I was immediately sucked into the plot.
It is set in 1940 when the Germans occupied Jersey, giving the reader an insight into how life actually changed for the inhabitants in the blink of an eye!
The narrative concentrates on just a handful of main characters whose fates become intertwined. We are shown how shocking their existence had become and highlights the horrors of the German occupation. It also shows their immense strength in the face of adversity.
I felt that 'When The Sky Fell Apart' deserves five stars due to the fast pace of this beautifully written novel and I loved the surprising relationships showing their strong bonds and human resilience.
Peggy Sutton AKA Galadriel
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
It is set in 1940 when the Germans occupied Jersey, giving the reader an insight into how life actually changed for the inhabitants in the blink of an eye!
The narrative concentrates on just a handful of main characters whose fates become intertwined. We are shown how shocking their existence had become and highlights the horrors of the German occupation. It also shows their immense strength in the face of adversity.
I felt that 'When The Sky Fell Apart' deserves five stars due to the fast pace of this beautifully written novel and I loved the surprising relationships showing their strong bonds and human resilience.
Peggy Sutton AKA Galadriel
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review
September 17, 2017
I read a review of this novel, which is set in Jersey in the early part of the German occupation of the Channel Islands, which prompted me to read it. The story revolves around a mixed group of people, Claudine, a young girl; Edith, a wise woman; Maurice a fisherman with a sick wife; Carter, a cowardly English doctor and a German soldier whom they befriended. Through the trials and tribulations of the regime and the brutal rule of a fictitious Commandant, the group pull together and try to help one another until, in one last desperate move, they try to escape the island and the retribution they know is coming. The style is occasionally literary but that didn’t out me off because the characters were all so believable, even the objectionable Commandant. The setting is totally authentic and having visited Jersey last year, I was able to identity several of the locations.
February 29, 2016
Debut author Lea’s no-holds-barred approach truly depicts what life under German occupation was like, through the eyes of four Jersey residents. Themes include violence, power, deceit and an overwhelming sense of fear throughout, contrasted with our four heroes challenging authority and maintaining their resilience. Lea also brilliantly showcases how real love is far more than affection, with terminal illnesses, mental health and dashed last chances all narrated beautifully among the fallout. Although upsetting, ‘When the Sky Fell Apart’ will inspire you to hold your loved ones close, or take the chance on those who you haven’t yet let into your heart.
Full review: http://mungleville.com/2016/02/29/whe...
Full review: http://mungleville.com/2016/02/29/whe...
May 9, 2016
When the Sky Fell Apart is a brutal and honest feeling story told in beautiful prose. The last remaining people of Jersey are trapped on their home island with thousands of German soldiers. Many laws of civilization are thrown over as everyone struggles to survive. While this is a spare and often bleak tale, there is much beauty to be had in the small victories to be found even in a Nazi occupation. The characters seem real, and now that I've finished reading the book, I wonder about how their lives went after wartime. I wish them the best, even though I know perfectly well they are fictional.
February 6, 2016
What a great read! And beautifully written. Couldn't put it down! I can't remember the last time I read a book where I loved the characters and cared about all of them so much. I thought it was brilliant how the war changed everyone, and it really made me think about how difficult it must have been for people living in an occupied war zone. I thought the pacing was great and the ending was brilliant. This reminded me a lot of Captain Corelli's Mandolin and I thought the love stories were really emotional. I also thought the wonderful descriptions of Jersey were beautiful.
April 9, 2016
I wanted to like this book more. You could see where Lea wanted to take the story, but somehow it lacked depth for me. Some of the characters were fabulous - Claudine, Edith and Maurice in particular- but Carter's background didn't seem believable ( she was trying to tick too many boxes at once - homosexuality in pre-war Britain, father-son relationships, romance) A really good editor could have made this book so much better.
December 24, 2016
Excellent book. History brought down to the small town level. German troops take control of small island off England coast.They strip town of anything and everything. Food, medicines all disappear into the clutches of evil commander. A fisherman, doctor, healer, child and one German solder try escape.
June 14, 2018
At times this raced along nicely. But Dr Carter charactor was shallow and could have been better. His implied history at the start wasn't teasingly interesting to keep you reading, just frustrating enough once it was explained to not like his history.
Also Gregor, from a farm, would not have had a powerful father in the army to keep him safe.
Also Gregor, from a farm, would not have had a powerful father in the army to keep him safe.
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