A Jewish girl from Austria is living on  a Channel Island off the coast of France during WWII. The Germans have invaded the island and it is just a matter of time before her heritage is discovered, but the Germans are in desperate need of translators and she gets a job working for them. She also catches the eye of a handsome German officer. .
The only problem I had with the story was the description of the turkey dinner for Christmas, I thought turkey was a USA thing and goose or roast beef was more traditional for Great Britain.#Netgalley #TheGirlfromtheChannelIslands

The story of the Nazi occupation of the British Channel Islands is brought to life by the struggles of Hedy.  Hedy escaped Vienna only to find herself again at the mercy of the Nazis.  The description of the hardships and shortages impacting the residents is an important story to tell.  Hedy meets Kurt, a German soldier who is a pen engineer, and not a believer in the Nazi racial policies, but is doing his duty.  As their relationship flourishes, the dangers for both Hedy, as a Jew, and Kurt, if he is found fraternizing with a Jewish person, escalate.  Hedy’s friendship with Dorothea is the example of a righteous gentile risking herself to protect her friend. I recommend this book for the lessons of history as well as the fact that it is based on a true story that needs to be told.  Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

2.5 stars

I read a lot of books in this genre, as they're some of my favorite reads. That said, this book wasn't one of my favorites. I found it to be a bit predictable. There wasn't as much depth to the characters or story line as I've come to expect with WWII-era books. The pace was appropriate and the writing was okay, but it did fall a bit flat overall.

This book is set during World War II. It follows the life of a young Jewish woman who speaks German on an English island. When the Germans occupy the island she applies for a job as a translator out of sheer necessity. 

This story is really a romance set against the backdrop of war. It wasn't too mushy or sexy, just real. I appreciated the fact that the characters were flawed and the story doesn't end with an unrealistic "they lived happily ever after".

Thank you to NetGalley for eARC.

A historical novel based on true events, this is the story of Hedy who fled to the Channel Islands to escape what was happening to Jews in Vienna. She goes to work for the Germans as a translator and falls in love with a German officer, and steals ration coupons for her few friends. Fraught with danger she persists u til she is forced to hide for her life. Good WW2 fiction.

This debut novel will make a great movie. Cinematically, yes. The scenery is breathtaking. But I doubt the acting will be able to match the authenticity of the people, place, and plot that author Lecoat puts into it.
In 1938, Hedy Bercu fled Vienna to avoid the Nazis; she had no doubts as to what will happen to her if she is ever outed as a Jew. This story begins place two years later on the island of Jersey, one of the archipelago of Channel Islands in the English Channel off the French coast of Normandy. 

I fell in love with the opening paragraph…so beautifully written that I read it three times to savor the imagery. It sets the beauty of the island front and center.  I love many mentions of the sea, the beaches and the waves throughout the novel.

But back to Hedy’s dilemma. Since her arrival she has been a nanny for the Mitchell family, but they have left the island with no plans to return. They leave behind everything they cannot carry and their cat, Hemingway.
Needing employment, Hedy registers with the Aliens Office.  Since Hedy speaks both German and English, she applies for a job as a German translator.  The Germans, desperate for her skills, ignore the large J on her registration card and put her to work. She keeps her head down and makes little contact with the other workers on the German base.

I found it a little hard to swallow that Hedy was not recognized.  It’s an island; I would think most of the residents know each, by sight if nothing else. 

Hedy has a few friends on the island, most notably the island doctor and her BFF, Anton. She meets the German Lieutenant who seems sympathetic to the Islanders’ plight.  But all through the story, Hedy doesn’t seem to know any of the other Islanders, which I found odd.

As the Germans and the Islanders settle into a wary co-existence that hovers over each page. Hedy decides to fight back. Her choice of resistance is extremely dangerous, but good for the island. When a large portion of the German Army lands on the island, Hedy is forced into hiding. Author Lecoat does a wonderful job with describing how Hedy manages this….as well as the rationing, the Islanders’ fear and the other sanctions of life on an occupied land.

Lecoat spent years researching and writing this little gem of a novel.  The fact that it is based on a true story makes it extra meaningful.

And somehow, through all this, Hedy finds love. I was most impressed with the beauty of the Island. I hope that it is still as beautiful.  The Girl from the Channel Islands receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

(Amazon will not let me post a review at the moment. As soon as it is allowed, I will post a review.)

I read this book because I was captivated by The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. They take place at the same time and under very similar circumstances. 

What if a German officer fell in love with a Jewish woman during the occupation of the Channel Islands? How could they manage to see each other with spies tracking their movements? 

The strategies, the privations, the intrigue makes for a gripping tale that will have you wishing you could step in and do something to help them. 

Reading the author's notes at the end gives you information about at least one person's name being placed on the Boulevard of the Righteous at the Yad Vashem museum in Jerusalem. That means that some or most of this story is based on actual events. Pondering that while reading about having no fat left on your body, wearing a threadbare coat and sleeping in an unheated attic during winter makes me shiver in sympathy.

If you enjoy reading about people's lives during World War II or even about love during difficult times, check out this book.

Based on a true story, this novel tells the story of Hedy, an immigrant Jew who is stranded on the Channel Islands during the German Occupation in WWII.  Originally she is able to find work and relative security working as a translator for the Germans.  She also find love with a German officer posted to the island.  But as the war continues, islanders are conscripted into the German army.  Hedy's best friend Anton, an Austrian immigrant is drafted and sent to fight, leaving his new wife Dorothea and Hedy behind to comfort each other.  When Hedy becomes suspected of stealing petrol coupons and dealing on the black market she is forced to fake her suicide and hide in Dorothea's house.  A tale of survival, hope, and friendship during war, set in a less-familiar location.

Historical fiction set during World War II on the Channel Island.  A Jewish woman meets a German officer during the Occupation.  Maybe because I have read so many stories similar to this, I didn't really care for it.  Too predictable.  Would probably not recommend unless someone wants to read about that time period.

i really felt for Hedy and enjoyed getting to know her, the other characters were great and I really enjoyed the story. I'm glad the author was able to bring this story to light.

I chose to read this book simply based on the setting. I knew the Germans had occupied the Channel Islands during WWII and have enjoyed other books set in that place during that era. All through the book, however, I felt that some depth was missing. It seemed to be pretty predictable and almost simple. Until, that is, the final third of the book. At that point, I could not put it down. This is not the best book about this era (I think that award would go to Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Society), but it is an interesting story with the appropriate amount of romance, villainy, and suspense. 

One note & comment that changed my opinion about this book. I was ready to give this a "shrug" and mark it as a so-so novel worthy of a Hallmark movie treatment. THEN I read the afterword from the author. This is a story based on (not just inspired by) true events -- the main characters really lived and the pivotal events really happened and there are newspaper articles reproduced at the end of the book. Yes, it is fictionalized, but not exaggerated or embellished in any way. Only the moments that could not be documented are made-up, conversations, intimate moments, personal reactions, etc. For me, this made all the difference. Not only was this set during real events, but the actual story was a real story. I would have preferred to know that from the beginning, perhaps the story would have had more impact on me.

3.5 stars.  Hedy fled Vienna as Nazi troops invaded in the early years of World War II.  As a Jewish expatriate living on one of the Channel Islands, Jersey,  she is private and protective of herself.  When the German army invades and Jersey becomes occupied, Hedy must learn to trust the help of others, including a German soldier and the flighty wife of her best friend.  This is an engaging story and I appreciated the history of the British Channel Islands which due to their closeness to the French coast could not avoid German occupation.  I was frustrated with the unnecessary risks that Hedy seemed to take and the character of Kurt didn't seem completely realistic but overall I thought this a good addition to the World War II category of historical fiction.  I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped half way through this book. I found the storyline very shallow compared to other fiction and non-fiction books I've read about WWII.

This historical fiction novel with a touch of romance and suspense follows Hedy, an Austrian-born Jew, through her experiences living in the Nazi occupied Channel Islands during World War II.  The premise of the story is solid,.  Not many books are written about the topic of the German Occupation of the Channel Island so the subject was interesting.  The details were well researched.

I wanted to get lost within the pages, but I found the characters to be a bit flat and I longed for more character development.  The pace of the story could have flowed more smoothly, but I enjoyed reading about the historic details.  I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society..

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are mine.

Date reviewed: October 31, 2020

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us,  superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

Inspired by true events, the riveting story of a young Jewish woman trapped on the occupied island of Jersey during World War II.

Summer 1940: Hedy Bercu fled Vienna two years ago. Now she watches the skies over Jersey for German planes, convinced that an invasion is imminent. When it finally comes, there is no counterattack from Allied forces—the Channel Islands are simply not worth defending. Most islanders and occupying forces settle into an uneasy coexistence, but for Hedy, the situation is perilously different. For Hedy is Jewish—a fact that could mean deportation, or worse.

With no means of escape, Hedy hides in plain sight, working as a translator for the Germans while silently working against them. She forges a tentative friendship with a sympathetic German officer who is likewise trapped by circumstance. But as the war intensifies, Hedy knows she is in greater danger each day. Soon, her survival will depend not just on her own courage but on the community she has come to cherish and a man who should be her enemy.

Vividly recreating little-known events, this is an unforgettable tale of resilience and bravery, and of the extraordinary power found in quiet acts of heroism and love.

Based on true facts, this is a doubly fascinating book - written as historical fiction, it weaves truth and imagination. Much like "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" it is set in the Channel Islands that the Germans had invaded and the people's attempt to survive the war and the Nazis.  The characters are well fleshed out and the story was well written: this book will be inhaled by people and book clubs into historical fiction - and for a first novel, what an accomplishment!

Hedy, an Austrian Jew living in the Channel Islands, is terrified when the German's invade and take over her island.  Forced to register as a Jew, Hedy is constantly facing imprisonment, deportation, and starvation.  Desperate for a way to make money, Hedy takes a position in the German base as a translator.  There, she meets Kurt, a handsome, and sympathetic German officer.

This book was well written and nicely paced.  The characters were multi-dimensional and well developed.  The romance between Kurt and Hedy was fairly predictable, and a bit boring, however I'm not really a romance book reader.  Despite this criticism, I did enjoy the book.  Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.