lottieryan's review

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

nickimags's review

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4.0

This was a lovely surprise of a book, one that gripped me and played with my emotions.

I had an ulterior motive for reading this book whilst I had my Kindle Unlimited subscription. My mother was a child during the Nazi Occupation of Jersey during World War Two, and every now and then I like to read books set during this very dark period of my island's history. This year just like mainland Europe we will be celebrating 75 years of freedom from the Nazi Occupation, so it seemed even more appropriate to read it now.


As I mentioned above this was a really good historical fiction novel. It really did grip me from the beginning, as war is declared and Fred is called up to join the Germany army in France, leaving his wife Celine at home in their bakery back in Jersey. Little do either of them realise how difficult life is going to become for both of them in France and in Jersey in the coming years.


I loved both Celine and Fred and felt for them as followed their journeys throughout the book. I was scared for Fred as his life took a very dramatic turn in France when he unwittingly becomes a double agent. In Jersey poor Celine not only has to endure not knowing what is happening to her husband, but also the fact that the German army takes over the island changing life completely for everyone living there.


I'm really glad I read this and discovered that one of the storylines is based on true events that happened during the Occupation.


I definitely recommend this for lovers of historical fiction, particularly novels set during WW2.
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