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A review by fionayule
Island Song by Madeleine Bunting
4.0
I am a real sucker for historical dramas. Especially ones set in World War 2 so I was delighted when I was approved for the Island Song.
The Channel Islands were the only UK land occupied by Germany in WW2. Maybe it’s because of this that its not often a wartime drama is set in the Channel Islands. I attended a lecture at University by the son of a Channel Islands woman, about their occupation, and even as recently as the 1990s there was a reluctance to discuss the occupation.
After the death of her mother, Roz discovers that her father was not her real father, as her mother had been married before. She sets out investigating her mother’s life, discovering she was from Guernsey.
What results is a well thought out story set in occupied Guernsey, and Nazi theft of artworks.
The dual timeline works well, and the story evolves in twists and turns that I certainly didn’t anticipate.
I read this in one sitting when I was off sick, and definitely recommend.
The Channel Islands were the only UK land occupied by Germany in WW2. Maybe it’s because of this that its not often a wartime drama is set in the Channel Islands. I attended a lecture at University by the son of a Channel Islands woman, about their occupation, and even as recently as the 1990s there was a reluctance to discuss the occupation.
After the death of her mother, Roz discovers that her father was not her real father, as her mother had been married before. She sets out investigating her mother’s life, discovering she was from Guernsey.
What results is a well thought out story set in occupied Guernsey, and Nazi theft of artworks.
The dual timeline works well, and the story evolves in twists and turns that I certainly didn’t anticipate.
I read this in one sitting when I was off sick, and definitely recommend.