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The Hidden
Her heart died in the war – can she breathe new life to it? Dora Simon and Joe O’Cleary live in separate countries, accepting of their twilight years. But their monochrome worlds are abruptly upended by the arrival of Barbara Hummel, who is determined to identify the mysterious woman whose photograph she has found among her mother’s possessions. Forced to confront a time they thought buried in the past, Dora and Joe’s lives unravel – and entwine. For, trapped on the Channel Islands under the German occupation in the Second World War, Dora, a Jewish refugee, had concealed her identity; while Joe, a Catholic priest, kept quite another secret... This is a story of love and betrayal, shame and survival. But can a speck of light diffuse the darkest shadows of war?
336 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2019
27 people are currently reading
744 people want to read
About the author
Mary Chamberlain
31 books126 followersMary Chamberlain is a novelist and historian. Her book Fenwomen: a portrait of women in an English village was the first book to be published by Virago Press in 1975. Since then, she has published six other works of history, and edited a further five. Her first novel, The Mighty Jester was published by Dr. Cicero Books in the US. Her British debut novel, The Dressmaker of Dachau was published by HarperCollins in the UK and, under the title The Dressmaker's War, by Random House in the USA. In all, it sold to 19 countries and was an international best-seller. Her novel, The Hidden, was published by Oneworld Publications in February 2019. The Sunday Times listed it as their MUST READ choice of the best recent books in February 2019. This was followed by, The Forgotten, 2021 and The Lie, 2023 both published by Oneworld. A special 50th anniversary edition of Fenowmen will be published by Virago in September 2025 as part of their Virago Modern Classics, with a new introduction by Alexandra Harris and a cover design by Eleanor Rose.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
April 16, 2019
A really captivating and thought provoking novel. I have read a lot about World War II book and Mary chamberlain takes this story inspired by true events on the Jersey Islands and puts her spin on it to create and entertaining and touching historical fiction story.
During the Second World War at least 34,000 women were trafficked into prostitution by the Nazis. Some were placed in concentration camps, others in the 500 military bordellos across occupied Europe. This included the Channel Islands: Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey.
Occupied by the Germans between 1940 and 1945, the Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to have been seized by the Nazi regime.
Mary chamberlain’s The hidden tells the Story of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey who are living out their retirement comfortably when their world’s are shattered y the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German determined to track down the identify of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
This is a slow burner of a story and to be honest I wasn’t really loving it at the start but the characters grow on you and you become invested in their stories and by the end I really enjoyed the book. Mary Chamberlain is historian and this was my first novel by this author and I really liked how she handled this story with a little fact and fiction we see how ugly the face of war is even on an Island where very little action takes place.
I found myself googling and looking for photographs and images of people and places by the end of this story and finished this book with a feeling of having learned something about the war and the Channel Islands
The Hidden is a book that shows us how secrets of the past can stay hidden for so long and how those secrets can Stir up so much emotion and sadness for those who would prefer them to stay hidden.
During the Second World War at least 34,000 women were trafficked into prostitution by the Nazis. Some were placed in concentration camps, others in the 500 military bordellos across occupied Europe. This included the Channel Islands: Alderney, Guernsey and Jersey.
Occupied by the Germans between 1940 and 1945, the Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to have been seized by the Nazi regime.
Mary chamberlain’s The hidden tells the Story of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey who are living out their retirement comfortably when their world’s are shattered y the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German determined to track down the identify of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
This is a slow burner of a story and to be honest I wasn’t really loving it at the start but the characters grow on you and you become invested in their stories and by the end I really enjoyed the book. Mary Chamberlain is historian and this was my first novel by this author and I really liked how she handled this story with a little fact and fiction we see how ugly the face of war is even on an Island where very little action takes place.
I found myself googling and looking for photographs and images of people and places by the end of this story and finished this book with a feeling of having learned something about the war and the Channel Islands
The Hidden is a book that shows us how secrets of the past can stay hidden for so long and how those secrets can Stir up so much emotion and sadness for those who would prefer them to stay hidden.
September 12, 2019
EXCERPT: She was propelled down the stairs, tumbling, dragged. Shoved into a car. She could sense the two Feldgendarmen following, sitting either side of her. She was aware of their arms, the hard metal badge on their chests, aware of them making gestures.
The car was driving fast, tyres squealing as they rounded the corners, hitting the kerb stones as they went, throwing (her) against the Feldgendarmen. The car came to a halt, the door opened.
'Raus.'
They pulled her out. She could smell the sea, hear the breath of waves as they lapped against the stone. Gulls screeched above. She was still in town. Perhaps by the harbour, in the square in front of the Pomme d'Or. A Feldgendarmen grabbed her arm, marched her up the steps. The Pomme d'Or had no stairs. She caught the scent of jasmine through the mouldy hessian of her hood. Jasmine.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Dora, Joe, and Geoffrey are living out their retirement comfortably when their worlds are shattered by the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German anxious to track down the identity of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
As the truth of what happened under the
occupation begins to be revealed, the lives of Dora, a Jewish refugee, and Joe, a Catholic priest, begin to unravel in shocking and surprising ways. The consequences of the lives they lived under the Germans and the lies that followed
are as unexpected as they are devastating.
MY THOUGHTS: I was lulled into a false sense of security at the beginning of The Hidden. It was such a comfortable read that I wanted to move in with these people. Now? No thank you!
Mary Chamberlain has perfected the art of contrasting the everyday, the mundane, with the horrors of the war. She details great beauty and great cruelty with equal passion. She makes us fall in love with her main characters, both the 1940s versions, and the people that they become.
She has introduced me to aspects of the war of which I was previously unaware. The Hidden had me falling in love with Jersey, and crying at the atrocities that took place. I stayed up late last night, reading, and was late to work this morning because I lingered over this book. I read it at morning tea, taking myself off to a quiet corner, and finished it over lunch with tears trickling down my cheeks.
The Hidden is a book that I unreservedly recommend. It is written with a great depth of feeling and the subject has been well researched.
❤💜🧡💛
THE AUTHOR: Mary Chamberlain is a novelist and historian. Her book Fenwomen was the first book to be published by Virago Press in 1975. Since then, she has published six other works of history, and edited a further five. Her first novel, The Mighty Jester was published by Dr. Cicero Books in the US. Her British debut novel, The Dressmaker of Dachau was published by HarperCollins in the UK and, under the title The Dressmaker's War, by Random House in the USA. In all, it sold to 19 countries and was an international best-seller. Her last novel, The Hidden, was published by OneWorld Publications in February 2019. The Sunday Times listed it as their MUST READ choice of the best recent books in February 2019.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to One World Publications via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
The car was driving fast, tyres squealing as they rounded the corners, hitting the kerb stones as they went, throwing (her) against the Feldgendarmen. The car came to a halt, the door opened.
'Raus.'
They pulled her out. She could smell the sea, hear the breath of waves as they lapped against the stone. Gulls screeched above. She was still in town. Perhaps by the harbour, in the square in front of the Pomme d'Or. A Feldgendarmen grabbed her arm, marched her up the steps. The Pomme d'Or had no stairs. She caught the scent of jasmine through the mouldy hessian of her hood. Jasmine.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Dora, Joe, and Geoffrey are living out their retirement comfortably when their worlds are shattered by the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German anxious to track down the identity of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
As the truth of what happened under the
occupation begins to be revealed, the lives of Dora, a Jewish refugee, and Joe, a Catholic priest, begin to unravel in shocking and surprising ways. The consequences of the lives they lived under the Germans and the lies that followed
are as unexpected as they are devastating.
MY THOUGHTS: I was lulled into a false sense of security at the beginning of The Hidden. It was such a comfortable read that I wanted to move in with these people. Now? No thank you!
Mary Chamberlain has perfected the art of contrasting the everyday, the mundane, with the horrors of the war. She details great beauty and great cruelty with equal passion. She makes us fall in love with her main characters, both the 1940s versions, and the people that they become.
She has introduced me to aspects of the war of which I was previously unaware. The Hidden had me falling in love with Jersey, and crying at the atrocities that took place. I stayed up late last night, reading, and was late to work this morning because I lingered over this book. I read it at morning tea, taking myself off to a quiet corner, and finished it over lunch with tears trickling down my cheeks.
The Hidden is a book that I unreservedly recommend. It is written with a great depth of feeling and the subject has been well researched.
❤💜🧡💛
THE AUTHOR: Mary Chamberlain is a novelist and historian. Her book Fenwomen was the first book to be published by Virago Press in 1975. Since then, she has published six other works of history, and edited a further five. Her first novel, The Mighty Jester was published by Dr. Cicero Books in the US. Her British debut novel, The Dressmaker of Dachau was published by HarperCollins in the UK and, under the title The Dressmaker's War, by Random House in the USA. In all, it sold to 19 countries and was an international best-seller. Her last novel, The Hidden, was published by OneWorld Publications in February 2019. The Sunday Times listed it as their MUST READ choice of the best recent books in February 2019.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to One World Publications via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
February 6, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley, Oneworld Publications and Mary Chamberlain for giving me a chance to read and review her new book: The Hidden.
I have read her previous book The Dressmaker Of Dachua, I really liked it and it's also called The Dressmakers War.
The Hidden: is a fictional story based around true facts about the German occupation of The Channel Islands during WW II and how the island of Jersey was cut off from England for five long years.
Jersey and the people who remained living there were completely isolated from the mainland from 1940 to 1945. They had to live with the German's controlling everything on the Island, they suffered terribly due to shortages of basic every day items such as food, medicine, new clothes, new shoes, bicycle tires and even soap!
The Hidden has a dual timeline and it's easy to follow. It's a story about the effects of isolation, survival, secrets, betrayal, humanity, shame and it's a very emotional book to read.
The story is based on three main characters living on the Island during WW II, the local midwife Dora Simon, Joe O'Cleary he's a very unhappy Irish priest and Geoffrey Laurent a lonely widowed farmer.
They all knew each other, they all had issues from their pasts that they wanted to keep hidden and they found themselves caught up in a very unique situation being stranded on Jersey at the time. They had no idea who they could trust and they had to deal with the constant threat from German soldiers. They arrested anyone who broke the rules, had not handed in their radios and people of Jewish heritage.
In 1985, Barbara Hummel is going through her deceased mothers Trude's things when she discovers some old photo's of a mystery woman with a German officer and they were taken during WW II on the island Jersey?
Her mother had always told her that her father died in the war but Barbara had always had her doubts about this being true? She has a feeling the mysterious woman in the photo might be able to help her find out the truth and she begins her search to discover who she is?
England 1985, Dora is contacted by Barbara and she also visits her, but she's very reluctant to tell her anything about her past, what happened to her during the war and especially about her Jewish heritage.
Barbara also travels to Jersey, she meets Joe who's living in a caravan on Geoffrey's land and he's taking care of the aging Geoffrey.
All three are connected by the past and are hiding what happened to them during WW II. They didn't want to talk about the terrible suffering they all experienced, it's a tragic story full of secrets, hardship and abuse.
I really enjoyed reading The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain, it's a brilliant emotional story that takes place during WW II in a unique setting and I gave it five stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
I have read her previous book The Dressmaker Of Dachua, I really liked it and it's also called The Dressmakers War.
The Hidden: is a fictional story based around true facts about the German occupation of The Channel Islands during WW II and how the island of Jersey was cut off from England for five long years.
Jersey and the people who remained living there were completely isolated from the mainland from 1940 to 1945. They had to live with the German's controlling everything on the Island, they suffered terribly due to shortages of basic every day items such as food, medicine, new clothes, new shoes, bicycle tires and even soap!
The Hidden has a dual timeline and it's easy to follow. It's a story about the effects of isolation, survival, secrets, betrayal, humanity, shame and it's a very emotional book to read.
The story is based on three main characters living on the Island during WW II, the local midwife Dora Simon, Joe O'Cleary he's a very unhappy Irish priest and Geoffrey Laurent a lonely widowed farmer.
They all knew each other, they all had issues from their pasts that they wanted to keep hidden and they found themselves caught up in a very unique situation being stranded on Jersey at the time. They had no idea who they could trust and they had to deal with the constant threat from German soldiers. They arrested anyone who broke the rules, had not handed in their radios and people of Jewish heritage.
In 1985, Barbara Hummel is going through her deceased mothers Trude's things when she discovers some old photo's of a mystery woman with a German officer and they were taken during WW II on the island Jersey?
Her mother had always told her that her father died in the war but Barbara had always had her doubts about this being true? She has a feeling the mysterious woman in the photo might be able to help her find out the truth and she begins her search to discover who she is?
England 1985, Dora is contacted by Barbara and she also visits her, but she's very reluctant to tell her anything about her past, what happened to her during the war and especially about her Jewish heritage.
Barbara also travels to Jersey, she meets Joe who's living in a caravan on Geoffrey's land and he's taking care of the aging Geoffrey.
All three are connected by the past and are hiding what happened to them during WW II. They didn't want to talk about the terrible suffering they all experienced, it's a tragic story full of secrets, hardship and abuse.
I really enjoyed reading The Hidden by Mary Chamberlain, it's a brilliant emotional story that takes place during WW II in a unique setting and I gave it five stars.
I have shared my review on Goodreads, NetGalley, Australian Amazon, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
October 22, 2019
Mary Chamberlain - britė, novelistė ir istorikė. Visa tai puikiai susipina jos knygoje "Paslėpta". Kūrinys pasakoja apie Antrojo Pasaulinio karo metu okupuotą Džersį, kuriame šeimininkauja vokiečiai. Karas paliečia visus ir jokia išimtis trys pagrindiniai herojai: pribuvėja Dora, pastorius Džo bei ūkininkas Džefris. Po karo nurimus audroms ir grįžus į įprastus gyvenimus (kiek tai būtų įmanoma) herojų ramybę sudrumsčia pasirodžiusi Barbara Hummel. Ši jaunutė vokietė vėl iškelia į paviršiu karo skaudulius ir sužadina prisiminimus. Kas ji tokia? Kaip susiję šie trys pagrindiniai veikėjai? Kaip karas paveikia mūsų pasirinkimus?
Istorija, turiu pripažinti, įsisiūbuoja pamažu. Autorė niekur neskuba, tad net ir po šimtojo puslapio dar neaiškūs veikėjų ryšiai ir vieta vienas kito gyvenime. Mary Chamberlain po truputį įveda vis naujus faktus ir įvykius. Istorija atvira, brutali ir drąsi. Knygos nugarėlė paskelbia apie neįtikėtinus seksualinės prievartos mastus Antrojo pasaulinio karo metu ir nors tai šokiruoja vis tik nėra pagrindinė knygos ašis. Žinoma išnaudotų moterų stigma yra laužanti gyvenimus ir verčianti slėpti savo tapatybes ir išgyvenimus lyg būtum dėl to kaltas, bet esminis dalykas yra karo poveikis žmogaus moraliniam stuburui. Jautrumo čia daug, bet knyga jokiais būdais nėra sentimantali. Manau, puikiai išlaikytas balansas tarp jautrumo ir "ašarų pakalnės". Šiam aspektui dedu didelį pliusą.
Kūrinyje aiškiai išskiariamos dvi jėgos: tie, kurie kuria blogį ir tie, kurie bando jame išgyventi. Autorei pavyko atskleisti žmogaus psichologiją tuo metu, kai jis akis į akį susiduria su išgyvenimo instinktu. Taip pat atveriama ir potrauminio streso sindromo pusė. Kaip sekasi gyventi po. Karo baisumai išties iškreipia pasaulį, jo suvokimą ir jausmus. Centrinė knygos figūra - Dora- tą puikiai parodo. Detalių atskleisti nenoriu, nes tai tolygu gadinti malonumą skaityti. Teks sužinoti patiems.
Silpnoji knygos pusė - vertimas. Jei pavyks nuo to atsiriboti ir labiau susikoncentruoti į pačią istoriją, manau, praleisite puikų laiką besimėgaudami jautria, trikrais įvykiais paremta ir santykiais grįsta žmogiškąja drama karo fone. Gero skaitymo
Istorija, turiu pripažinti, įsisiūbuoja pamažu. Autorė niekur neskuba, tad net ir po šimtojo puslapio dar neaiškūs veikėjų ryšiai ir vieta vienas kito gyvenime. Mary Chamberlain po truputį įveda vis naujus faktus ir įvykius. Istorija atvira, brutali ir drąsi. Knygos nugarėlė paskelbia apie neįtikėtinus seksualinės prievartos mastus Antrojo pasaulinio karo metu ir nors tai šokiruoja vis tik nėra pagrindinė knygos ašis. Žinoma išnaudotų moterų stigma yra laužanti gyvenimus ir verčianti slėpti savo tapatybes ir išgyvenimus lyg būtum dėl to kaltas, bet esminis dalykas yra karo poveikis žmogaus moraliniam stuburui. Jautrumo čia daug, bet knyga jokiais būdais nėra sentimantali. Manau, puikiai išlaikytas balansas tarp jautrumo ir "ašarų pakalnės". Šiam aspektui dedu didelį pliusą.
Kūrinyje aiškiai išskiariamos dvi jėgos: tie, kurie kuria blogį ir tie, kurie bando jame išgyventi. Autorei pavyko atskleisti žmogaus psichologiją tuo metu, kai jis akis į akį susiduria su išgyvenimo instinktu. Taip pat atveriama ir potrauminio streso sindromo pusė. Kaip sekasi gyventi po. Karo baisumai išties iškreipia pasaulį, jo suvokimą ir jausmus. Centrinė knygos figūra - Dora- tą puikiai parodo. Detalių atskleisti nenoriu, nes tai tolygu gadinti malonumą skaityti. Teks sužinoti patiems.
Silpnoji knygos pusė - vertimas. Jei pavyks nuo to atsiriboti ir labiau susikoncentruoti į pačią istoriją, manau, praleisite puikų laiką besimėgaudami jautria, trikrais įvykiais paremta ir santykiais grįsta žmogiškąja drama karo fone. Gero skaitymo
February 11, 2019
The Hidden is intense literary fiction moving from the occupied British Channel Islands in 1943 to London in 1985. A gripping story with well rounded characters in a grim landscape of natural beauty.
I knew about 'tar and feathers' for woman having collaborated with the German occupiers, but this book tells the other side of the story: the fate of woman who had no choice. A heartbreaking tale.
I'm deeply impressed by their strenght to hold on and later their struggle through PTS. The writing is excellent.
After all this endurance the story ends with a welcome twist that gives the book a pleasant finale.
The author's notes on this part of history are highly appreciated.
I knew about 'tar and feathers' for woman having collaborated with the German occupiers, but this book tells the other side of the story: the fate of woman who had no choice. A heartbreaking tale.
I'm deeply impressed by their strenght to hold on and later their struggle through PTS. The writing is excellent.
After all this endurance the story ends with a welcome twist that gives the book a pleasant finale.
The author's notes on this part of history are highly appreciated.
February 10, 2019
Visit the locations in the novel The Hidden
A hidden gem of a read. What I mean is that from the blurb, this sounded like a fascinating account of war, an interesting account of one woman’s quest for the truth. What the book actually gave me however, was an immersive and historically fascinating account of the effects of war in the Channel Islands. How the population there coped and survived. The horrific treatment of women. The German Armed Forces occupied the Channel Islands during the war; the only part of the British Isles to be occupied.
The level of research and historical threads are impressive but at the heart of this novel is a human heart. A beating heat of passion and human dignity during troubled times. The three voices all tell a story and the threads of this weave their way into a tapestry of truth and hope. A tapestry which reflects the heartbreaking reality of living under occupation.
Apart from the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, I hadn’t really read much about the Channel Islands during the war. The islands were occupied for most of the duration of WW2 and were completely cut off from the UK during this time. Woman were prostituted and there were brothels in Alderney, Jersey and Guernsey. When you realise this, the story of The Hidden becomes all the more poignant.
The writing has a lightness of touch about it and it is both honest and raw. The evil of men never ceases to amaze me but neither does the capacity for love and survival. This is a fictional tale but the real events of war and world history provide the context. That’s when the use of the dual time line really helped to put events in context…only for Barbara to come and shake up their time line.
There’s a lot to appreciate here and it’s a remarkable tale which should not be hidden at all!
January 14, 2020
The Channel Island of Jersey, which was occupied by the Germans during WWII, provided the setting for this powerful, incredibly moving novel. A clear standout among the ever burgeoning mass of WWII historical fiction, The Hidden deals with a little known aspect. The title refers to the thousands of women subjected to sexual enslavement at the hands of their captors. Some were forced to work in brothels, and others to participate in the Lebenshorn programme, a breeding scheme of Heinrich Himmler’s, whereby senior SS officers impregnated ‘suitable’ women, and their babies were put up for adoption by acceptable German families. Along with the understandable anguish which would accompany such a fate, there were sexually transmitted diseases and involuntary abortions. Another aspect of this novel concerned the labor camps, fourteen on Jersey alone, where captives were transported from all over Europe and forced to work in the construction of heavy-duty fortifications for the Atlantic Wall.
Brought to light through dual time lines, the absorbing plot begins as a young woman finds a time-worn photograph and seeks to unravel the circumstances of her birth. Understandably, those involved initially shy away from awakening painful memories, long suppressed, and her quest is not an easy one. Despite the dark backdrop, the novel emerges as a tale peopled by many-faceted characters, who are able to find pockets of joy within the turmoil. Clearly, the background has been well researched. Following the conclusion, the author notes some of her findings.
‘At least 34,000 women were trafficked into prostitution by the Nazis in the Second World War. ‘
‘The victims of sexual enslavement did not speak out after the war. There was little sympathy with, or understanding of, victims of sexual violence, and the women in military brothels would have been particularly vulnerable to charges of collaboration. Many women suspected of sleeping with the enemy – for whatever reason – were subject to rough justice and humiliation by shaving or tarring and feathering.’
How well the author writes! She handles the difficult subject matter with grace and the plot comes together in a satisfying manner. The beauty and serenity of Jersey offer a startling contrast to the shock of occurring events. When the characters linger with the reader long after the book is finished, that is telling! I thought this novel was superb! Loved even the cover!
Brought to light through dual time lines, the absorbing plot begins as a young woman finds a time-worn photograph and seeks to unravel the circumstances of her birth. Understandably, those involved initially shy away from awakening painful memories, long suppressed, and her quest is not an easy one. Despite the dark backdrop, the novel emerges as a tale peopled by many-faceted characters, who are able to find pockets of joy within the turmoil. Clearly, the background has been well researched. Following the conclusion, the author notes some of her findings.
‘At least 34,000 women were trafficked into prostitution by the Nazis in the Second World War. ‘
‘The victims of sexual enslavement did not speak out after the war. There was little sympathy with, or understanding of, victims of sexual violence, and the women in military brothels would have been particularly vulnerable to charges of collaboration. Many women suspected of sleeping with the enemy – for whatever reason – were subject to rough justice and humiliation by shaving or tarring and feathering.’
How well the author writes! She handles the difficult subject matter with grace and the plot comes together in a satisfying manner. The beauty and serenity of Jersey offer a startling contrast to the shock of occurring events. When the characters linger with the reader long after the book is finished, that is telling! I thought this novel was superb! Loved even the cover!
January 24, 2021
„𝑱𝒊 𝒋𝒂𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒔. 𝑵𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒊 𝒗𝒆𝒊𝒅𝒐, 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒐žų, 𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒌𝒐, 𝒌𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒕ų 𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒆 𝒋ą. 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒅𝒐𝒋𝒂𝒊 𝒊𝒓 𝒊š𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊. 𝑴𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒋𝒐𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒅ė𝒔, 𝒏𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒆𝒍𝒃ė𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒊 𝒏𝒂𝒎ų 𝒈𝒂𝒕𝒗ė𝒔 𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒍ė𝒔. 𝑱𝒊 - 𝒃𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏č𝒊𝒂𝒊, 𝒕𝒖šč𝒊𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒊 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒖č𝒊𝒂𝒊, 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊 𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒌𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒐 ž𝒆𝒎ė𝒋𝒆.“
Galėtumėte manęs paklausti, kaip man neatsibosta skaityti knygas ta pačia ar bent jau panašia tematika, o aš galėčiau jums atsakyti, kad to pačio nuolat klausiu savęs. Man kiekviena knyga karo tema – unikali, savotiška istorija. Skaitydama negalvoju „O, apie tai jau esu skaičiusi“ ar „Neįdomu, tai jau girdėjau“. Vietoje to mano galvose sukasi mintys kaip „Tai jo/jos istorija, naujas požiūris, įdomu“, „Štai ką jis/ji išgyveno“ ir panašiai. Ką noriu pasakyti, tai jog man turbūt panašaus pobūdžio knygos (būtent apie pasaulinius karus) nekelia nuobodulio. Kiekvieną tokį kūrinį paėmusi į rankas jaučiuosi tarsi laikyčiau ne popierinį istorijos formatą, o pati žmogaus gyvenimą. Galiu pirštais pajusti kiekvieną jo raukšlelę, ilgų kančių įspaustą, kiekvieną randą, žiaurių išgyvenimų žymę. Knyga tampa sunki kaip ir visa patyrusio žmogaus gyvenimas. Tai tokios asmeniškos istorijos, į kurias mus įsileidžia jų veikėjai, taip pat kaip juos širdin įsileidžiu aš pati.
Dora Saimon gyvena Londone. Savo sunkią praeitį ji tempia paskui save it darbinis arklys, tačiau nemėgsta jos prisiminti, stengiasi pasislėpti nuo jos pati ir paslėpti ją nuo kitų. Moteris išgyveno karą, kurio metu joje paskendo begalė dalykų: meilė, širdis, mėgiamas darbas ir jo nešamas džiaugsmas, galimybė susilaukti vaikų... Džo O’Kleris – kunigo gyvenimą karo metu gyvenęs vyras, kurio tikėjimas kovos atmosferoje buvo sugriautas. Sudėtinga situacija šalyje atėmė iš jo didžiausią gyvenimo šviesą ir užtemdė pasaulį bei užliejo jį krauju. Sudužusios kunigo vertybės ir pažeistos švento gyvenimo taisyklės draskė vyro širdį, o sąžinė it peiliu pjaustė jo sielos dalis. Praėjus daugeliui metų po karo Džo nutarė prižiūrėti Džersio salos ūkį ir padėti jo šeimininkui.
Jauna vokietė Barbara Humel pradeda siųsti paslaptingus laiškus, ji atkakliai siekia išsiaiškinti senoje ir neryškioje nuotraukoje įamžintos moters tapatybę, jos gyvenimo istoriją ir kitus dalykus.👀 Doralein visais būdais stengiasi jos išvengti, mat toji nuotrauka jai priminė kažką, ko ji visai nenori prisiminti.
Ak... Nu nežinau, kas mane taip žavi tokiose istorijose. Doros ir Džefrio meilės istorija vietomis spaudė širdį, kitur šildė, kartais rodės kiek nepriimtina ir neteisinga, tačiau 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 buvo labai įdomi. Džo istorijos pusė domino ne mažiau nei pastaroji. Smalsiai aiškinausi kunigo gyvenimo ypatybes, jo kaitą karo metu, Džo elgesį, kovą su vidiniu balsu. Knygoje aptariamos problemos (susvetimėjimas, karo meto neadekvatus elgesys su žmonėmis, diskriminacija, rasizmas ir t.t.) man pasirodė labai svarbios ir džiaugiausi giliau jas nagrinėdama, artimiau susipažindama. Iš tiesų verčia susimąstyti ir liūdina tas faktas, jog kai kurie dalykai žmonių (žinoma, ne visų) elgesyje/mąstyme išlikę ir iki šių dienų.
Mary Chamberlain „Paslėpta“ – istoriniais faktais paremtas romanas, pasakojantis ne tik istoriją apie stiprią meilę, tačiau ir apie išdavystes, sąžinės graužatį nusikaltus, sunkų žmonių išlikimo kelią Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais. Ne kartą minėjau, kad tokios tematikos knygos dažnai tampa vienomis mano mėgstamiausiųjų, o ši knyga – ne išimtis. Ji man suteikė tiek šiltus, tiek širdį griaužiančius, tiek ašarą spaudžiančius jausmus... Pabaiga išvis nubloškė, nors ir pasirodė kiek nenatūrali, tačiau patiko. Sunkiai tvardžiau išsiveržti norinčią raudą... Kūrinyje iškeliamos problemos bei aptariamos temos svarbios ne tik to meto, bet ir šiuolaikiniam žmogui, kas, manau, visuomet prideda knygai papildomo ryškumo, apmąstymų, kiek sukrečia. Nežinau, ar kada nusibos skaityti romanus/memuarus apie pasaulinių karų išgyvenimus, tačiau kol kas visiškai nesiruošiu skirtis su jais ir toliau tokias knygas trauksiu į mėgstamiausiųjų sąrašą. Rekomenduoju visiems, kuriems mano nuomonė pasirodė artima.
Galėtumėte manęs paklausti, kaip man neatsibosta skaityti knygas ta pačia ar bent jau panašia tematika, o aš galėčiau jums atsakyti, kad to pačio nuolat klausiu savęs. Man kiekviena knyga karo tema – unikali, savotiška istorija. Skaitydama negalvoju „O, apie tai jau esu skaičiusi“ ar „Neįdomu, tai jau girdėjau“. Vietoje to mano galvose sukasi mintys kaip „Tai jo/jos istorija, naujas požiūris, įdomu“, „Štai ką jis/ji išgyveno“ ir panašiai. Ką noriu pasakyti, tai jog man turbūt panašaus pobūdžio knygos (būtent apie pasaulinius karus) nekelia nuobodulio. Kiekvieną tokį kūrinį paėmusi į rankas jaučiuosi tarsi laikyčiau ne popierinį istorijos formatą, o pati žmogaus gyvenimą. Galiu pirštais pajusti kiekvieną jo raukšlelę, ilgų kančių įspaustą, kiekvieną randą, žiaurių išgyvenimų žymę. Knyga tampa sunki kaip ir visa patyrusio žmogaus gyvenimas. Tai tokios asmeniškos istorijos, į kurias mus įsileidžia jų veikėjai, taip pat kaip juos širdin įsileidžiu aš pati.
Dora Saimon gyvena Londone. Savo sunkią praeitį ji tempia paskui save it darbinis arklys, tačiau nemėgsta jos prisiminti, stengiasi pasislėpti nuo jos pati ir paslėpti ją nuo kitų. Moteris išgyveno karą, kurio metu joje paskendo begalė dalykų: meilė, širdis, mėgiamas darbas ir jo nešamas džiaugsmas, galimybė susilaukti vaikų... Džo O’Kleris – kunigo gyvenimą karo metu gyvenęs vyras, kurio tikėjimas kovos atmosferoje buvo sugriautas. Sudėtinga situacija šalyje atėmė iš jo didžiausią gyvenimo šviesą ir užtemdė pasaulį bei užliejo jį krauju. Sudužusios kunigo vertybės ir pažeistos švento gyvenimo taisyklės draskė vyro širdį, o sąžinė it peiliu pjaustė jo sielos dalis. Praėjus daugeliui metų po karo Džo nutarė prižiūrėti Džersio salos ūkį ir padėti jo šeimininkui.
Jauna vokietė Barbara Humel pradeda siųsti paslaptingus laiškus, ji atkakliai siekia išsiaiškinti senoje ir neryškioje nuotraukoje įamžintos moters tapatybę, jos gyvenimo istoriją ir kitus dalykus.👀 Doralein visais būdais stengiasi jos išvengti, mat toji nuotrauka jai priminė kažką, ko ji visai nenori prisiminti.
Ak... Nu nežinau, kas mane taip žavi tokiose istorijose. Doros ir Džefrio meilės istorija vietomis spaudė širdį, kitur šildė, kartais rodės kiek nepriimtina ir neteisinga, tačiau 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 buvo labai įdomi. Džo istorijos pusė domino ne mažiau nei pastaroji. Smalsiai aiškinausi kunigo gyvenimo ypatybes, jo kaitą karo metu, Džo elgesį, kovą su vidiniu balsu. Knygoje aptariamos problemos (susvetimėjimas, karo meto neadekvatus elgesys su žmonėmis, diskriminacija, rasizmas ir t.t.) man pasirodė labai svarbios ir džiaugiausi giliau jas nagrinėdama, artimiau susipažindama. Iš tiesų verčia susimąstyti ir liūdina tas faktas, jog kai kurie dalykai žmonių (žinoma, ne visų) elgesyje/mąstyme išlikę ir iki šių dienų.
Mary Chamberlain „Paslėpta“ – istoriniais faktais paremtas romanas, pasakojantis ne tik istoriją apie stiprią meilę, tačiau ir apie išdavystes, sąžinės graužatį nusikaltus, sunkų žmonių išlikimo kelią Antrojo pasaulinio karo metais. Ne kartą minėjau, kad tokios tematikos knygos dažnai tampa vienomis mano mėgstamiausiųjų, o ši knyga – ne išimtis. Ji man suteikė tiek šiltus, tiek širdį griaužiančius, tiek ašarą spaudžiančius jausmus... Pabaiga išvis nubloškė, nors ir pasirodė kiek nenatūrali, tačiau patiko. Sunkiai tvardžiau išsiveržti norinčią raudą... Kūrinyje iškeliamos problemos bei aptariamos temos svarbios ne tik to meto, bet ir šiuolaikiniam žmogui, kas, manau, visuomet prideda knygai papildomo ryškumo, apmąstymų, kiek sukrečia. Nežinau, ar kada nusibos skaityti romanus/memuarus apie pasaulinių karų išgyvenimus, tačiau kol kas visiškai nesiruošiu skirtis su jais ir toliau tokias knygas trauksiu į mėgstamiausiųjų sąrašą. Rekomenduoju visiems, kuriems mano nuomonė pasirodė artima.
February 2, 2019
This book looks at the experiences of three main characters living on Jersey towards the end of World War Two. Dora is a midwife who meets farmer Geoffrey when called to a birth at his farm. Joe is an Irish priest and boxer. The memories of what happened to them during the war is brought back to them by visits and letters from a woman trying to find out about her mother who was also in Jersey during the war. She has photographs which bring so many memories flooding back, memories of shame and heartbreak.
I love dual timeline stories where there is a mystery connecting past and present waiting to be solved. I also am drawn to books set in wartime. This book brought to light an element of women's experiences in WW2 which I was unaware of and I was fascinated, though also horrified, to read the facts that this story was based on and inspired by. It was interesting and rather puzzling to read that Britain chose not to prosecute these atrocities and war crimes carried out on the Channel Islands, the only part of UK soil occupied during the war.
This book is well named with so many secrets kept hidden for so many years. I could easily understand why the characters, and Dora in particular, didn't want to talk about what happened and when you hear about these experiences, it's not surprising. The characters felt compelled to hide parts of their personality, their backgrounds and their feelings during the war too in order to keep safe, and who could blame them? I'm not sure that I could have been as brave as they were faced with such appalling circumstances.
The Hidden explores the capacity of human spirit to survive and carry on. Mary Chamberlain clearly shows the enormous feelings of guilt felt by her characters even though they were not the ones who should be feeling guilty. Her compelling novel weaves together past and present, telling a story of women in war that is perhaps not widely known.
I love dual timeline stories where there is a mystery connecting past and present waiting to be solved. I also am drawn to books set in wartime. This book brought to light an element of women's experiences in WW2 which I was unaware of and I was fascinated, though also horrified, to read the facts that this story was based on and inspired by. It was interesting and rather puzzling to read that Britain chose not to prosecute these atrocities and war crimes carried out on the Channel Islands, the only part of UK soil occupied during the war.
This book is well named with so many secrets kept hidden for so many years. I could easily understand why the characters, and Dora in particular, didn't want to talk about what happened and when you hear about these experiences, it's not surprising. The characters felt compelled to hide parts of their personality, their backgrounds and their feelings during the war too in order to keep safe, and who could blame them? I'm not sure that I could have been as brave as they were faced with such appalling circumstances.
The Hidden explores the capacity of human spirit to survive and carry on. Mary Chamberlain clearly shows the enormous feelings of guilt felt by her characters even though they were not the ones who should be feeling guilty. Her compelling novel weaves together past and present, telling a story of women in war that is perhaps not widely known.
February 10, 2019
Until I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, my knowledge of the German occupation of the English Channel Islands was quite slim. The Hidden takes the reader back to that time, but on the island of Jersey, the other occupied island. The occupation of Guernsey and Jersey was a long one, five years – most of the second world war, and they were completely cut off from Britain for the duration. The Channel Islands were the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by German Armed Forces during the war. The effects of this have been lasting, for all those who were trapped on either island, and this novel takes an empathic approach to exploring this.
‘His war was not the war the British fought and won. His war was one of cruelty and loss. Guilt and betrayal. Savage as wolves that return to their prey, that it was.’
The two main characters, Joe and Dora, are connected by a mutual friend, but the depth of this connection becomes more apparent as the novel progresses. Both Joe and Dora were imprisoned during the war, forced into places and situations they never would have found themselves in during times of peace. The beauty in this novel is in its honesty, the brutality exposed, the deprivation, the debasement; at times it’s not an easy novel to read but it’s a profoundly moving one.
‘Would she have told a sister, if she’d had one, about the war? Sworn her to secrecy? She used to think so, but not now. She was used to her burden, carried it around wherever she went . Her memories were all she had in the world. Sometimes she thought of them crammed into a Gladstone, or a carpet bag, something soft and shapeless that expanded, with secret pockets and compartments.’
The instinct for human survival never ceases to amaze me, just as the evil that rests within humans no longer surprises me. This novel is very much a study within both of these spaces: survival and evil. The Hidden portrays its history well, and while this is a fictional story, it’s tethered by historical events and the author notes detailing the sources accessed demonstrates the novel’s validity. The dual timeline worked particularly well moving between 1985 and the occupied years. In 1985, the Berlin Wall was still standing, the Iron Curtain still closed; WWII was still a present history for all. This is well demonstrated through the character of Barbara Hummell, who is shaking up the lives of Joe and Dora with her persistence in seeking information from them about their experiences in Jersey during the war. Barbara carries her own burden as a child of Germany, born during the war years, uncertain of her parentage and seeking to find her place in a world still bearing deep scars from Nazism.
‘It’s been difficult for my generation of Germans,’ she said. ‘To live in the shadow of the war, with parents refusing to admit what happened. We took on their guilt.’ ‘You can’t be blamed for the past.’ ‘No, but we are responsible for the future. We need to account for what went on, before we can forge ahead. That doesn’t start in the archive. It starts at home.’
The Hidden is beautifully written, the prose almost poetic at times. Even when describing boxing the author gave it a certain grace that elevated it into a form of art. The story was so powerful that there was no need for dramatic overplay. It is a very well written novel by an author who knows just how much to give and just how much to hold back; perfectly balanced. I highly recommend The Hidden to those who like their historical fiction unapologetically honest.
‘Joe stared through the open window at the darkening sky. This time of a June evening, it folded around them like an indigo scarf. The silence was broken by the chirring of a nightjar, his soft hum rising and falling. It was a difficult bird to spot. Bad enough by day, impossible by night unless you caught it flying. But you could hear it. Listen and look.’
Thanks is extended to Oneworld via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Hidden for review.
‘His war was not the war the British fought and won. His war was one of cruelty and loss. Guilt and betrayal. Savage as wolves that return to their prey, that it was.’
The two main characters, Joe and Dora, are connected by a mutual friend, but the depth of this connection becomes more apparent as the novel progresses. Both Joe and Dora were imprisoned during the war, forced into places and situations they never would have found themselves in during times of peace. The beauty in this novel is in its honesty, the brutality exposed, the deprivation, the debasement; at times it’s not an easy novel to read but it’s a profoundly moving one.
‘Would she have told a sister, if she’d had one, about the war? Sworn her to secrecy? She used to think so, but not now. She was used to her burden, carried it around wherever she went . Her memories were all she had in the world. Sometimes she thought of them crammed into a Gladstone, or a carpet bag, something soft and shapeless that expanded, with secret pockets and compartments.’
The instinct for human survival never ceases to amaze me, just as the evil that rests within humans no longer surprises me. This novel is very much a study within both of these spaces: survival and evil. The Hidden portrays its history well, and while this is a fictional story, it’s tethered by historical events and the author notes detailing the sources accessed demonstrates the novel’s validity. The dual timeline worked particularly well moving between 1985 and the occupied years. In 1985, the Berlin Wall was still standing, the Iron Curtain still closed; WWII was still a present history for all. This is well demonstrated through the character of Barbara Hummell, who is shaking up the lives of Joe and Dora with her persistence in seeking information from them about their experiences in Jersey during the war. Barbara carries her own burden as a child of Germany, born during the war years, uncertain of her parentage and seeking to find her place in a world still bearing deep scars from Nazism.
‘It’s been difficult for my generation of Germans,’ she said. ‘To live in the shadow of the war, with parents refusing to admit what happened. We took on their guilt.’ ‘You can’t be blamed for the past.’ ‘No, but we are responsible for the future. We need to account for what went on, before we can forge ahead. That doesn’t start in the archive. It starts at home.’
The Hidden is beautifully written, the prose almost poetic at times. Even when describing boxing the author gave it a certain grace that elevated it into a form of art. The story was so powerful that there was no need for dramatic overplay. It is a very well written novel by an author who knows just how much to give and just how much to hold back; perfectly balanced. I highly recommend The Hidden to those who like their historical fiction unapologetically honest.
‘Joe stared through the open window at the darkening sky. This time of a June evening, it folded around them like an indigo scarf. The silence was broken by the chirring of a nightjar, his soft hum rising and falling. It was a difficult bird to spot. Bad enough by day, impossible by night unless you caught it flying. But you could hear it. Listen and look.’
Thanks is extended to Oneworld via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Hidden for review.
November 14, 2019
Antrojo pasaulinio karo istorijos yra linkusios suvirpinti iki sielos gelmių, paliesti širdžiai opiausias to meto problemas arba tiesiog į paviršių iškelti seniai dūlėjusius prisiminimus. Vienos to meto istorijos priverčia nubraukti ašarą ir susimąstyti, kitos iškelia daug retorinių klausimų, o kitos giliai įstringa atmintyje. Per šiuos metus jų perskaičiusi gan nemažai, esu linkusi juokauti, kad jas tuoj pradėsiu kolekcionuoti, nes dažnam skaitytojui ar pažįstamui paklausus, ką galiu rekomenduoti Antrojo pasaulinio karo tema, tokių istorijų esu mintyse paruošusi visą tuntą. Šie metai jau tokie-karo istorijų metai. Kiekviena iš jų savitai įdomi, įtraukianti, paliečianti arba tiesiog dar viena istorija į kolekciją karo tematika. Viena iš tokių, apie kurią ir norėčiau pakalbėti yra Mary Chamberlain knyga "Paslėpta". Šią istoriją galėčiau pavadinti moters išgyvenimo istorija Antrojo pasaulinio karo metu. Tai knyga apie karo moteris, kurios turėjo būti stiprios visomis prasmėmis, turėjo būti ne tik priešės, bet ir aukos, turėjo ne tik mylėti, bet ir kentėti, leisdamos savo moterišką padermę trypti ir niekinti priešininkų vyrams. Viena iš tokių moterų ir buvo Dora Saimon, kuri skaitytoją pasitinka jau sulaukusi garbingo amžiaus. Tačiau Doros širdis kaip ir jos visas gyvenimas mirė per karą. Nors širdis ir mirusi, bet jos kūnas gyvena Londone: rūpinasi senu sodu ir stengiasi išvengti bet ko, kas susiję su praeitimi. Kitas veikėjas, turintis sąsajų su Dora yra Džo O'Kleris, kurio tikėjimas sudužo per karą. Savo senatvę jis leidžia prižiūrėdamas atokų Džersio salos ūkį, padėdamas jo ligotam šeimininkui. Tačiau vieną dieną Doros ir Džo gyvenimus sutrikdo jaunos moters laiškai. Kas iš tikrųjų yra ta Barbara Humel, kuri siekia išsiaiškinti fotografijoje, rastą tarp mirusios motinos daiktų, esančios moters tapatybę? Koks yra Doros ir Džo tarpusavio ryšys? Ką tokio patyrė šie žmonės, kad praeities nenori kelti į viešumą? Kokias paslaptis saugo Dora ir Džo? Nieko nelaukus kviečiu išsiaiškinti ir jus, pasineriant į šią painią istoriją, kuri nukels jus ne tik į karo mėsmalę, bet ir privers pamatyti tai, apie ką dažnai linkę nutylėti istorijos vadovėliai, to meto kronikos. Tai apie moterų padėtį karo metu. Juk ne paslaptis, kad per Antrąjį pasaulinį karą naciai privertė užsiimti prostitucija beveik 34 tūkstančius moterų. Tam net buvo sukurti viešnamiai, kuriuose jos buvo išnaudojamos seksualiai prieš jų valią, o daugelis už tai, kad bendradarbiavo su priešu, būdavo viešai žeminamos ar linčiuojamos nuskutant, ištepant degutu ir išvoliojant plunksnose. Visa tai galite paskaityti šioje knygoje, o Dora yra viso to gyva liudininkė, patyrusi tai savu kailiu. Ši knyga atskleidžia daugiau patį faktą kaip buvo elgiamasi su moterimis karo metu, ką joms teko patirti atsidūrus priešo barikados pusėje, kokios pasekmės buvo tolimesniam jų gyvenimui. Skaitant vietomis net pykau ir bjaurėjausi, kokie gali būti žiaurūs vyrai. Atrodo, kad ne žmonės, o sulaukėję gyvuliai, kuriems svarbu patenkinti tik savo gyvuliškus instinktus, o moteris jiems kaip skuduras, į kurią galima nusivalyti purvinus batus ir panaudojus numesti. Nepaisant šių baisumų, knygoje galima rasti ir meilės akibrokštų, tačiau ji labai tauri, bet su diena vis ant užgesimo ribos, nes nuolat tenka bijoti, slėptis arba reikalui esant ją užmiršti. Tokia ji buvo karo metu: netikėtai prasidėjus, bet dar greičiau pasibaigus. Visa ši knyga man toks vienas didelis skausmo pūlinys, kad atrodo, kur bedurtum-vien sielvartas, širdgėla arba baisūs prisiminimai. Tačiau kaip ir gyvenime, taip ir šioje knygoje visada būna šviesulys, kuris viską sustyguoja reikiama linkme. Šį kartą tai buvo Barbara Humel, mergina, kuri sujudina ir supurto šių veikėjų gyvenimus taip stipriai, kad jie lieka netekę žado, tačiau viską išgyvenantys vėl iš naujo. Sakyčiau, kad šis kūrinys tikra karo drama, kuri priverčia surasti paklydusias sielas ir joms vėl susieiti krūvon. Kam rekomenduočiau šią knygą? Visų pirma, tai Antrojo pasaulinio karo istorijų gerbėjams, kurie nebijo ir nori pažvelgti į moterų likimus, kurie nori už širdį griebiančio pasakojimo apie to meto karo baisumus. Noriu akcentuoti, kad tai nebus meilės romanas, nes čia ne tas kalibras. Čia vyrauja moterys kovotojos, priešai-žvėrys, sutuoktiniai ir vaikų tėvai-pasmerkti myriop. Tokia šio romano pagrindinė mintis. Todėl labai tikiu, kad ši knyga suras savą skaitytoją ir privers susimąstyti, kad karas ne tik sugriauna gyvenimus, bet karas arba praeitis juos suveda atgal, belieka tik dėkoti likimui, kad jis kartais būna ir gailestingas.
February 11, 2025
This is a good book that I found very hard going. Any WWII story is going to be dark and traumatic, but this was truly deeply despairing. Think Sophie’s Choice and make it more claustrophobic by setting it in the occupied Channel Islands.
The narrative switches randomly between 1943 and 1985, and it sometimes feels like the snatches of 1943 are dabbed in to help explain, deepen, dramatise or excuse events of 1985.
I found it hard to connect with Dora, the main character, because of her many secrets and passivity - I understand why she is like this at times, but we never really see her being active and competent although she is a nurse, she instead seems to react to what is happening around her. I was intrigued by Geoffrey but we don't get anything from his perspective. Father Joe is a good character, but very stunted by his past. That makes sense, but also makes it more difficult to warm to him.
And it might have been interesting to have some scenes from the point of view of the enemy - from List or Trude - because they are pretty one-dimensional bad guys.
All that being said, I couldn't put this book down. Although I wouldn't say i 'enjoyed' it (subject matter makes that hard), I had to keep reading to find out just how horrible the story was going to be by the end. It's meant to finish with a gleam of hope, but it's a pretty narrow gleam.
A grinding insight into a dreadful episode of histpry.
The narrative switches randomly between 1943 and 1985, and it sometimes feels like the snatches of 1943 are dabbed in to help explain, deepen, dramatise or excuse events of 1985.
I found it hard to connect with Dora, the main character, because of her many secrets and passivity - I understand why she is like this at times, but we never really see her being active and competent although she is a nurse, she instead seems to react to what is happening around her. I was intrigued by Geoffrey but we don't get anything from his perspective. Father Joe is a good character, but very stunted by his past. That makes sense, but also makes it more difficult to warm to him.
And it might have been interesting to have some scenes from the point of view of the enemy - from List or Trude - because they are pretty one-dimensional bad guys.
All that being said, I couldn't put this book down. Although I wouldn't say i 'enjoyed' it (subject matter makes that hard), I had to keep reading to find out just how horrible the story was going to be by the end. It's meant to finish with a gleam of hope, but it's a pretty narrow gleam.
A grinding insight into a dreadful episode of histpry.
July 7, 2019
A book that made me cry. More than once. This is a complex interwoven tale, with characters who are multifaceted and real. I was on Barbara’s side all the way, so clever to leave her without a point of view. Found myself shouting at the older generation to loosen up, to look and listen and FEEL before it was too late. But it’s never that simple and Mary Chamberlain has done a magnificent job of ramping up the tension and keeping the reader on the hook long after they’ve figured out all the secrets. The treatment of the military bordellos and what women did to survive is harrowing and profoundly depressing, but there is no glossing over the brutality of war and occupation for men, women...and children. A piecing searchlight illuminates the corrupting effect of any imbalance of power (organised religion, enemy occupation), dissecting experiences that, while uncomfortable, in these expert hands, feel absolutely true. I learned a great deal while revelling in this timeless, beautifully woven tapestry of love.
April 10, 2020
Definitely not my usual choice of genre, but this tale World War 2 is an exceptional piece of storytelling. Focusing predominantly on the lives and exploitation of women on the occupied Channel Islands it provides a unique perspective from previously voiceless victims of the conflict. It's a harrowing and disturbing tale and similar in tone to The Dressmaker of Dachau, but a more polished and complete novel in many ways. Likeable, believable characters, literally horrific events and the story skillfully told from different perspectives and time periods combine to make this a great read.
April 6, 2020
Yet another amazing read from Mary Chamberlain. An emotional, personal and very telling novel highlighting the gendered differences of war-time experiences. Chamberlain uncovers a side to the war not known by many, but one that is so important for so many reasons. Mary Chamberlain is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, and I would highly recommend this book!
April 15, 2020
4.5 stars. I knocked off 1/2 star just because at times I found it a little confusing at the beginning of the book. Enjoyed the writing style and the afterword was interesting and informative. Good stuff 👍🏻
Read
April 30, 2019No review because I could not get any further than the first few chapters. Maybe it was the narrator, her voice was monotonous, or maybe it was the characters and/or plot structure.
December 30, 2019
When Barbara Hummel, a young German woman, is sorting through her late-mother’s possessions she comes across a “mug-shot” photograph of an unknown woman, as well as a studio portrait of an SS officer, taken on Jersey during the war. Barbara’s mother had always told her that her father had died during the war but, as her mother was reluctant to talk about the past, she had always harboured doubts about whether this was true. Eager to discover more about her roots, and recalling some snippets of information her mother had let slip about a priest who took her bird-watching when she was a nurse on Jersey, Barbara is now keen to trace both him, and the woman in the photograph, hoping they will be able to help her to discover the truth about her heritage. Little does she realise how many long-held secrets will be exposed as a result of her determined pursuit of the truth, or how much distress this tearing open of old wounds will bring to the three people she tracks down.
Switching between the 1940s during the German Occupation, and London and Jersey in 1985, and using the narrative voices of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, this dark, tragic and powerfully moving story explores the inter-connectedness of these three characters as they endured the years of war-time occupation and how, post-war, they’d managed to forge new lives only by burying many of their feelings about their experiences. Dora was a German Jew but claimed to be Swedish when she moved to Jersey in the 1940s and, because this deception wasn’t exposed, was able to work as a midwife. It was in this capacity that she first met Geoffrey, when she was called to assist with a birth at his farm; they later developed a close relationship. Joe was a young Irish priest who, although struggling with his faith, managed to find distractions by teaching young boys how to box and going bird-watching, particularly on a favoured location on Geoffrey’s farm.
In order to survive conditions on the island each of these characters was faced with having to make compromises and to do things which would cause them the anguish of shame and guilt. However, in the decades following the end of the war, they’d been reasonably successful in burying their secrets and getting on with their lives. The arrival of Barbara, with all her difficult questions, and her dogged persistence in the face of their initial resistance, quickly undermined their defences, forcing them to re-visit all the painful and shameful memories they had worked so hard to bury.
The author’s background as a professional historian provides a chilling and disturbing authenticity to what happened during those long years of the war. Although I knew quite a lot about the history of the Occupation, as I read this story I felt that not only were additional layers of understanding added to my existing knowledge, but I also discovered much that was new to me, in particular about the vast numbers of women who were trafficked into prostitution, some via brothels in concentration camps, and others in the military brothels which existed on Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney, as well as throughout occupied Europe. I was horrified to discover from the author’s “Afterword” that, despite evidence of sexual offences against these women, these were not included as a “crime against humanity” as defined at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945-6. Little wonder then that these women weren’t inclined to speak out about their experiences, either at the time or after the war; they would have been well-aware of the rough justice meted out to any woman who was seen as having “collaborated” with the enemy. Fear of the humiliation of being tarred and feathered and having her head shaved would have been a powerful reason for any woman to do all she could to avoid such a public humiliation.
Although there were labour camps on Jersey and Guernsey, the author used characters in this book to expose the truly terrible atrocities which took place in the forced-labour camps which were established on Alderney. One of these was Lager Sylt, which was operated under the authority of the SS and was the only concentration camp to be established on British soil. Thousands are thought to have perished as a result of the brutal treatment and the inhumane conditions in these camps but particularly in Lager Sylt, and yet, shockingly, Britain chose not to prosecute its commandant, Maximilian List, thus enabling him to live out his natural life in Hamburg, until his death in the 1980s.
This is a story about hardship and abuse, love, betrayal and loss, humiliation and shame and demonstrates the lengths to which people will go in order to survive such horrific experiences. It also explores the lengths to which those same people will go to not only keep their secrets hidden from the outside world, but also to confine them to the “history” of their unconscious. Through the well-developed characters of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, the author offered insights into why each of them felt compelled to do this, both during the war as a means to survive, and in the years after the war as a way of coping with the guilt and shame they felt. Their individual voices were so compelling that there were moments when I wanted to reach out to them and to remind them that they were the victims, that they had no cause to feel so much guilt for the decisions they made in order to survive. However, their very stoicism reminded me that they were of a generation which didn’t easily talk about traumatic experiences, not for them the offer of any post-traumatic counselling, they just quietly got on with their lives, even though this meant that so much of what was left unsaid and unacknowledged left profound emotional scars.
Although much of the story is focused on the three main characters, Barbara was also very well portrayed. Her role was pivotal in the gradual emergence of the background stories of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, but it also enabled the author to explore the legacy of guilt she experienced as a post-war child of a Germany scarred by the legacy of Nazism. ‘It’s been difficult for my generation of Germans,’ she said. ‘To live in the shadow of the war, with parents refusing to admit what happened. We took on their guilt.’ ‘You can’t be blamed for the past.’ ‘No, but we are responsible for the future. We need to account for what went on, before we can forge ahead. That doesn’t start in the archive. It starts at home.’
Her descriptions of brutal treatment in general, but particularly those of women forced into prostitution and military bordellos, were harrowing at times and more than once I found myself in tears. However, there was never a moment when I felt that the writing was either sensationalised or in any way judgemental about the choices any of her characters made: rather, as the author deftly interwove past and present, it was measured and full of compassion and always thought-provoking. Another of the strengths of this remarkable story lies in the fact that the author managed to convey the impact on the whole community, as well as on individuals, of occupation, of the brutalising effects of war and the inevitable abuse of power exercised by the occupying forces.
This is a complex, multi-layered story which explores the hardships, abuse and fear people faced when living on the Channel Islands during the period of occupation. If you’ve read and enjoyed “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and are expecting something similar from this story I should warn you that Mary Chamberlain’s novel is considerably darker in its exploration of the effects this period had on so many of the islands’ residents, and even on the very landscape of the islands. However, although it is so viscerally disturbing, this is probably why I found this book a much more satisfying read. It is one which I know will remain vivid in my memory so I recommend it without any hesitation to anyone who enjoys multi-faceted characters, nuanced, highly evocative prose and an exceptionally well-crafted story. It would also make an ideal choice for reading groups.
With thanks to LibraryThing and NB for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Switching between the 1940s during the German Occupation, and London and Jersey in 1985, and using the narrative voices of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, this dark, tragic and powerfully moving story explores the inter-connectedness of these three characters as they endured the years of war-time occupation and how, post-war, they’d managed to forge new lives only by burying many of their feelings about their experiences. Dora was a German Jew but claimed to be Swedish when she moved to Jersey in the 1940s and, because this deception wasn’t exposed, was able to work as a midwife. It was in this capacity that she first met Geoffrey, when she was called to assist with a birth at his farm; they later developed a close relationship. Joe was a young Irish priest who, although struggling with his faith, managed to find distractions by teaching young boys how to box and going bird-watching, particularly on a favoured location on Geoffrey’s farm.
In order to survive conditions on the island each of these characters was faced with having to make compromises and to do things which would cause them the anguish of shame and guilt. However, in the decades following the end of the war, they’d been reasonably successful in burying their secrets and getting on with their lives. The arrival of Barbara, with all her difficult questions, and her dogged persistence in the face of their initial resistance, quickly undermined their defences, forcing them to re-visit all the painful and shameful memories they had worked so hard to bury.
The author’s background as a professional historian provides a chilling and disturbing authenticity to what happened during those long years of the war. Although I knew quite a lot about the history of the Occupation, as I read this story I felt that not only were additional layers of understanding added to my existing knowledge, but I also discovered much that was new to me, in particular about the vast numbers of women who were trafficked into prostitution, some via brothels in concentration camps, and others in the military brothels which existed on Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney, as well as throughout occupied Europe. I was horrified to discover from the author’s “Afterword” that, despite evidence of sexual offences against these women, these were not included as a “crime against humanity” as defined at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg in 1945-6. Little wonder then that these women weren’t inclined to speak out about their experiences, either at the time or after the war; they would have been well-aware of the rough justice meted out to any woman who was seen as having “collaborated” with the enemy. Fear of the humiliation of being tarred and feathered and having her head shaved would have been a powerful reason for any woman to do all she could to avoid such a public humiliation.
Although there were labour camps on Jersey and Guernsey, the author used characters in this book to expose the truly terrible atrocities which took place in the forced-labour camps which were established on Alderney. One of these was Lager Sylt, which was operated under the authority of the SS and was the only concentration camp to be established on British soil. Thousands are thought to have perished as a result of the brutal treatment and the inhumane conditions in these camps but particularly in Lager Sylt, and yet, shockingly, Britain chose not to prosecute its commandant, Maximilian List, thus enabling him to live out his natural life in Hamburg, until his death in the 1980s.
This is a story about hardship and abuse, love, betrayal and loss, humiliation and shame and demonstrates the lengths to which people will go in order to survive such horrific experiences. It also explores the lengths to which those same people will go to not only keep their secrets hidden from the outside world, but also to confine them to the “history” of their unconscious. Through the well-developed characters of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, the author offered insights into why each of them felt compelled to do this, both during the war as a means to survive, and in the years after the war as a way of coping with the guilt and shame they felt. Their individual voices were so compelling that there were moments when I wanted to reach out to them and to remind them that they were the victims, that they had no cause to feel so much guilt for the decisions they made in order to survive. However, their very stoicism reminded me that they were of a generation which didn’t easily talk about traumatic experiences, not for them the offer of any post-traumatic counselling, they just quietly got on with their lives, even though this meant that so much of what was left unsaid and unacknowledged left profound emotional scars.
Although much of the story is focused on the three main characters, Barbara was also very well portrayed. Her role was pivotal in the gradual emergence of the background stories of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey, but it also enabled the author to explore the legacy of guilt she experienced as a post-war child of a Germany scarred by the legacy of Nazism. ‘It’s been difficult for my generation of Germans,’ she said. ‘To live in the shadow of the war, with parents refusing to admit what happened. We took on their guilt.’ ‘You can’t be blamed for the past.’ ‘No, but we are responsible for the future. We need to account for what went on, before we can forge ahead. That doesn’t start in the archive. It starts at home.’
Her descriptions of brutal treatment in general, but particularly those of women forced into prostitution and military bordellos, were harrowing at times and more than once I found myself in tears. However, there was never a moment when I felt that the writing was either sensationalised or in any way judgemental about the choices any of her characters made: rather, as the author deftly interwove past and present, it was measured and full of compassion and always thought-provoking. Another of the strengths of this remarkable story lies in the fact that the author managed to convey the impact on the whole community, as well as on individuals, of occupation, of the brutalising effects of war and the inevitable abuse of power exercised by the occupying forces.
This is a complex, multi-layered story which explores the hardships, abuse and fear people faced when living on the Channel Islands during the period of occupation. If you’ve read and enjoyed “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” and are expecting something similar from this story I should warn you that Mary Chamberlain’s novel is considerably darker in its exploration of the effects this period had on so many of the islands’ residents, and even on the very landscape of the islands. However, although it is so viscerally disturbing, this is probably why I found this book a much more satisfying read. It is one which I know will remain vivid in my memory so I recommend it without any hesitation to anyone who enjoys multi-faceted characters, nuanced, highly evocative prose and an exceptionally well-crafted story. It would also make an ideal choice for reading groups.
With thanks to LibraryThing and NB for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 9, 2019
Based on real events which occurred in occupied Jersey in WW11 this is a fictional story of three protagonists : Dora , Geoffrey and Joe. The novel successfully flits between two time periods , during the occupation in the 40s and the mid 1980s when our characters are elderly. A young woman arrives into their lives in the 80s investigating her parents who she believed to be German and based in jersey.
I have read many books set during the Second World War and recently my favourite was the nightingale. The hidden is a well written , researched novel and I enjoyed it, however the reason it hasn’t made 5 stars ⭐️ personally for me is that the beginning of the story flowed beautifully but mid way in parts of the novel were drawn out and a little flat, pages taken to description which could have been reduced to paragraphs. I found the character “joe” waffled unnecessarily, to the point of sadly becoming dull. A blessing that the chapters were short.
I also found the love affair between Dora and Geoffrey unbelievable there was no passion and no spark. However the events depicted in Jersey were very well written very believable and clearly well researched. Anyone interested In this period or the occupation of the Channel Islands would find this book interesting and well written , I haven’t read the Guernsey literary potato peel society so can’t compare to that , but it is on my TBR pile.
Thanks to Faber and Faber and Net galley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have read many books set during the Second World War and recently my favourite was the nightingale. The hidden is a well written , researched novel and I enjoyed it, however the reason it hasn’t made 5 stars ⭐️ personally for me is that the beginning of the story flowed beautifully but mid way in parts of the novel were drawn out and a little flat, pages taken to description which could have been reduced to paragraphs. I found the character “joe” waffled unnecessarily, to the point of sadly becoming dull. A blessing that the chapters were short.
I also found the love affair between Dora and Geoffrey unbelievable there was no passion and no spark. However the events depicted in Jersey were very well written very believable and clearly well researched. Anyone interested In this period or the occupation of the Channel Islands would find this book interesting and well written , I haven’t read the Guernsey literary potato peel society so can’t compare to that , but it is on my TBR pile.
Thanks to Faber and Faber and Net galley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 12, 2018
The story involves Dora, a German Jew who is trying to keep her religion a secret - so pretending to be a Swedish Aryan. Joe, a Catholic Priest and ex boxing champion, and Geoffrey, a farmer. The backdrop is WW2 interspersed with scenes taking place in the 1980s, all taking place in the Channel Islands.
The book is well researched, and whilst the characters and plot are fictional, the stories are based on various people living at the time, and their stories -amalgamated and embellished for literary effect.
Definitely one to read.
The book is well researched, and whilst the characters and plot are fictional, the stories are based on various people living at the time, and their stories -amalgamated and embellished for literary effect.
Definitely one to read.
May 1, 2019
“Love was amber. It trapped her in its honey resin, warm and glowing as they lay curled, melted into one, heart and soul.”
Mary Chamberlain tells this important story of women and war with elegance and sensitivity. Whilst the revelation of life in the Channel Islands under Nazi occupation is unflinching, the story is made all the more compelling by the undercurrents of love, survival and human resilience.
Mary Chamberlain tells this important story of women and war with elegance and sensitivity. Whilst the revelation of life in the Channel Islands under Nazi occupation is unflinching, the story is made all the more compelling by the undercurrents of love, survival and human resilience.
November 17, 2018
Dora lives a quiet life in London where no one knows her past. In the Channel Islands live Geoffrey and Joe on a quiet farm. All are living out their retirement years giving as little thought as possible to the past. Enter Barbara Hummel. A German woman who seems determined to discover the stories of the Occupation of the Channel Islands. The past becomes disturbed and Dora, Joe & Geoffrey must face the past - the terrible times & the better ones.
I have previously read books on the occupation of the Channel Islands - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society springs to mind. This book takes the story a little deeper. There are some terribly dark times for the people in the story, especially Dora, during the war. In places it was quite difficult to read. The standard of research was high and the book detailed.
Dora, Joe and Geoffrey are caught up in a whirl of events which they thought they had some control of but which disappeared rapidly. Dora was of German Jewish descent but claimed to be Swedish. This was accepted and she seemed quite happy (as the circumstances allowed) as a midwife and also seeing Geoffrey. Joe was a doubting Irish Priest who taught young boys boxing and took a German occupying nurse birdwatching. Unfortunately, they became part of a bigger plan which tore them apart and which they only fully began to understand when Barbara appears on the scene. I can't explain more as I am avoiding spoliers - I suggest you read it yourself!
This was a well written book with three dimensional characters. The author pulled no punches in her descriptions and the book was better because of that. I am glad that I read it.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
I have previously read books on the occupation of the Channel Islands - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society springs to mind. This book takes the story a little deeper. There are some terribly dark times for the people in the story, especially Dora, during the war. In places it was quite difficult to read. The standard of research was high and the book detailed.
Dora, Joe and Geoffrey are caught up in a whirl of events which they thought they had some control of but which disappeared rapidly. Dora was of German Jewish descent but claimed to be Swedish. This was accepted and she seemed quite happy (as the circumstances allowed) as a midwife and also seeing Geoffrey. Joe was a doubting Irish Priest who taught young boys boxing and took a German occupying nurse birdwatching. Unfortunately, they became part of a bigger plan which tore them apart and which they only fully began to understand when Barbara appears on the scene. I can't explain more as I am avoiding spoliers - I suggest you read it yourself!
This was a well written book with three dimensional characters. The author pulled no punches in her descriptions and the book was better because of that. I am glad that I read it.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.
July 19, 2021
Whilst the story line of this novel is heart wrenching, gripping and seeps under your skin, I found the writing style to be difficult to engage with and hard to follow.
It was fascinating to learn more about the Nazi occupation in Jersey, and the forced prostitution of women is an important and often overlooked casualty of the war. However, despite these topics being so interesting and vital, the writing let them down. The characters are never fully developed and play second fiddle to merely getting the story across. Even this is not achieved in a great way - the novel moves from being engrossed in the doings of Nazis, to suddenly describing birds and scenery for what seems endless amounts of time.
It felt, in certain parts, as though the writer was trying to be poetic for poetics sake, and failed. This also meant that often, the story almost seemed to lose its way.
I am a huge fan of writing set in different times, however, the jumping between the two, the use of memory in the later years, and the constant reflection to the time of the war seemed to make this pointless, and the story could have survived being spoken of in the later years looking back alone.
I found Dora to be unlikeable, difficult to engage with and an underdeveloped character. Although the same rings true for Geoffrey, the Priest and Pierre. I’m still unsure of Pierre’s relevance to the novel. Additionally, the Priest’s experience of the war after arrest is revealed in its entirety, but Geoffrey’s, whose character bares far more relevance to the novel, is not.
I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, and have based my rating purely on this, but unfortunately, would not recommend.
It was fascinating to learn more about the Nazi occupation in Jersey, and the forced prostitution of women is an important and often overlooked casualty of the war. However, despite these topics being so interesting and vital, the writing let them down. The characters are never fully developed and play second fiddle to merely getting the story across. Even this is not achieved in a great way - the novel moves from being engrossed in the doings of Nazis, to suddenly describing birds and scenery for what seems endless amounts of time.
It felt, in certain parts, as though the writer was trying to be poetic for poetics sake, and failed. This also meant that often, the story almost seemed to lose its way.
I am a huge fan of writing set in different times, however, the jumping between the two, the use of memory in the later years, and the constant reflection to the time of the war seemed to make this pointless, and the story could have survived being spoken of in the later years looking back alone.
I found Dora to be unlikeable, difficult to engage with and an underdeveloped character. Although the same rings true for Geoffrey, the Priest and Pierre. I’m still unsure of Pierre’s relevance to the novel. Additionally, the Priest’s experience of the war after arrest is revealed in its entirety, but Geoffrey’s, whose character bares far more relevance to the novel, is not.
I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, and have based my rating purely on this, but unfortunately, would not recommend.
January 18, 2019
Having lived on Jersey in the mid 1990's, a mere 10 years after the fictional setting of this book in 1985 and having visited The Jersey War Museum and the unfinished German Underground Hospital many times on visits back to the Island, I chose this book to read because I love WW2 historical fiction and I am also keenly aware of the occupation of Jersey and the cost to its residents. This book is set in two time periods, 1985 and 1943-45 and surrounds Dora, a German Jewish nurse living in St. Helier passing herself off as a Swedish aryian, Fr. Joe O'Cleary, a conflicted Irish priest, and Geoffrey, a local Jersey farmer. When a German woman comes looking for details of her own heritage in 1985, a chain of events is set off whereby Dora, Joe and Geoffrey have to confront and reconcile themselves with memories of the past. The story tells the good times and the horrific times the characters, and indeed Islanders generally, experienced during the war. It is very well researched and I could imagine, and was familiar with, a lot of the Jersey locations mentioned at that time during the occupation. I really enjoyed this story. It is a slow burner and not too many details are given away throughout the book, only hinted at. If you are a fan of The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society or indeed 20th century historical fiction, then this book will appeal to you. It is a deeply human story and it evokes a great empathy in the reader for the as it tells of everyday life at the hands of the Nazis on the Island.
June 30, 2019
Setting: Channel Islands & London; WW2 & 1985. In 1985 London, former midwife Dora is trying to forget her experiences living on Jersey during the German occupation. During the war, life on Jersey is fraught for Dora as her Aryan looks and alleged Swedish heritage hides the fact that she is actually Jewish, but Dora finds love in the unlikely arms of local farmer Geoffrey. Also living on Jersey is Roman Catholic priest Joseph O'Cleary whose experiences under the occupation bring about a crisis of faith. Despite their horrendous experiences under the occupation, which are gradually revealed throughout the book, each of Dora, Joe and Geoffrey have their own reasons for not wanting to revisit their pasts. So when a young German woman, Barbara Hummel, starts asking questions about a photograph of a woman taken during the war which she found in her dead mother's possessions, Dora and Joe in particular are initially reluctant to help her.....
An excellent portrayal of what life must have been like under the German occupation of the Channel Islands coupled with the superbly-intertwined stories of the three main characters makes this an excellent read - loved it! - 9.5/10.
An excellent portrayal of what life must have been like under the German occupation of the Channel Islands coupled with the superbly-intertwined stories of the three main characters makes this an excellent read - loved it! - 9.5/10.
September 1, 2023
I started reading this book then found I couldn't finish it - I wasn't in the right place to be reading this story but kept the book and kept thinking about it. In the end skipped a few parts I didn't want to read(cruelty) and then got hooked into finishing it to find out the truth. Learnt a lot on the way
Dora, Joe, and Geoffrey are living out their retirement comfortably when their worlds are shattered by the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German anxious to track down the identity of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
As the truth of what happened under the
occupation begins to be revealed, the lives of Dora, a Jewish refugee, and Joe, a Catholic priest, begin to unravel in shocking and surprising ways. The consequences of the lives they lived under the Germans and the lies that followed
are as unexpected as they are devastating.
THE HIDDEN is a heart-rending and provocative story of love and abandonment, shame and
survival, that casts a light onto the forgotten shadows of the war in occupied Jersey.
Dora, Joe, and Geoffrey are living out their retirement comfortably when their worlds are shattered by the arrival of Barbara Hummel, a young German anxious to track down the identity of a mysterious woman whose photograph she finds amongst her mother’s possessions.
As the truth of what happened under the
occupation begins to be revealed, the lives of Dora, a Jewish refugee, and Joe, a Catholic priest, begin to unravel in shocking and surprising ways. The consequences of the lives they lived under the Germans and the lies that followed
are as unexpected as they are devastating.
THE HIDDEN is a heart-rending and provocative story of love and abandonment, shame and
survival, that casts a light onto the forgotten shadows of the war in occupied Jersey.
January 11, 2025
Trys pagr. veikėjai - Dora, Džefris ir Džo. Suprantama, reikia sukurti aiškius veikėjų portretus, jų istorijas. Bet man tai tęsėsi pernelyg ilgai. Tik nuo maždaug 200 psl pajutau didesnį susidomėjimą skaitant. Ir tai, iš knygos aprašymo susidariau įspūdį, jog bus daugiau pasakojama apie moterų patirtis WW2 metu, detaliau apie jų kančias, išnaudojimus, išgyvenimus, pasipriešinimus. Bet visgi buvo ne tas. Trūko gylio. Nors ir romane buvo vietų, kurios palietė širdį, esu patyrus ir daugiau emocijų, skaitant kitas knygas, susijusias su moterimis karo apsupty.
Taip pat mane erzino pasitaikančios gramatikos klaidos (nevartojami žodžiai).
Nesakau, kad knyga prasta, ne. Bet paskaičiusi tiek teigiamų atsiliepimų, tikėjausi daugiau. Buvo rašančių, kaip knyga sukrėtė, kaip naciai gyvuliškai elgėsi. Na, mano nuomone, šioj knygoj tai neatskleidžiama taip, kaip galėjo būt atskleista. Manęs nesukrėtė. Bet, žinoma, kiekvienas skaitovas knygą “išjaučia” skirtingai.
Taip pat mane erzino pasitaikančios gramatikos klaidos (nevartojami žodžiai).
Nesakau, kad knyga prasta, ne. Bet paskaičiusi tiek teigiamų atsiliepimų, tikėjausi daugiau. Buvo rašančių, kaip knyga sukrėtė, kaip naciai gyvuliškai elgėsi. Na, mano nuomone, šioj knygoj tai neatskleidžiama taip, kaip galėjo būt atskleista. Manęs nesukrėtė. Bet, žinoma, kiekvienas skaitovas knygą “išjaučia” skirtingai.
October 30, 2019
A wonderful slow burner of a book. The author moves between Jersey, 1943-45, during the Occupation and London and Jersey in 1985. This device is difficult to pull off successfully and can just as easily detract from the storyline as add to it. Mary Chamberlain does it really well. The reader is pulled along in one period, engrossed, only to be left on tenterhooks when the time switch takes place. She reveals her tale with great skill, dropping deft clues and hints about her main characters as she moves along.
The tale is not for the fainthearted. Her account is particularly strong when dealing with the ordeal experienced by female victims of the German regime and is delivered pulling no punches. A poignant powerful book.
The tale is not for the fainthearted. Her account is particularly strong when dealing with the ordeal experienced by female victims of the German regime and is delivered pulling no punches. A poignant powerful book.
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