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.

This is a dual timeline story with Roz in the present losing her mother, Helene, and then discovering that the man that she had always thought was her father wasn't,  she is determined to find out more about her mother's life which had always been a closed book.   Through flashbacks and Roz's investigations we learn Helene's story of her life in Guernsey during WW2 and what changed her from the lively, happy young woman seeing off her husband to the closed in old woman that Roz knew. 

A great book that I couldn't put down,  the historical part of life in the Channel islands under German occupation was very interesting as was Helene's story and the stigma that could be attached to people for their actions, you definitely found yourself rooting for Helene and definitely a book that I would recommend.

I loved this book it was the sort of story I really love. Set during the Second World War in the Channel Islands it’s descriptions of the islanders struggles with food after the Germans invaded the islands.
The fact that the story was also in present day was just as fascinating to me and I didn’t want it to end.
I do hope this author writes more as I will certainly want to read more.

Just a beautiful book- I truly loved this story, I felt the fear, the pain, the love, all coming from within its pages. Well written, the writing immerses you into the 1940s Nazi occupied Guernsey. A beautiful book.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley for review purposes and I have to say that it enthralled me from beginning to end. Madeleine Bunting has a real gift for drawing you into the lives of her characters, they step from the pages and grow as the story progresses. The Channel Islands during the war is a fascinating subject and we watch Helene change from a carefree girl, recently married, to the secretive woman she became.
I loved this book because it deals with both sides of the story, it does not prettify or romanticise the truth. I am trying to convey the story without spoiling the plot for future readers and am finding it difficult. As I said the characters evolve as the story progresses and we find out all of Helene's secrets by the end of the novel. I really loved the book and feel that it conveys the difficult choices we make in life. Moral choices are made and seen by the fictitious inhabitants of Guernsey which must echo the stark reality of living under enemy occupation. People judge, they always do, but they view situations in black and white and don't allow for grey areas, which must always be there.
I can only say that I recommend this book unreservedly, the story is told in flashback and deals with the lives of both Helene and her daughter. The writing is wonderful, the research has obviously been meticulous, I will be looking for other titles by this author. A brilliant book.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the historical aspects very fascinating. I would definitely recommend this book.

A beautiful poignant historical love-story that captured my heart and pulled me into its pages from very early on.  I found it very hard to put down.  

A story which moves between Helene during the 1940s and her daughter Roz over 40 years later as she tries to unravel the messy truth surrounding her mother's life.  Through its pages, I found it immensely interesting discovering about an area of history that was previously unknown to me; that of the German occupation of the Channel Islands - Guernsey (and Aldernay) during the second world war.

Many thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Oh my, what a story.  Such wonderful characters with their various problems which ensued in Guernsey during the war.

Occupation must have been a terrible thing and the inhabitants had to deal with it as best they could.

Such an emotional book, tears were forming in my eyes and my heart was breaking for Helene,  but I don't want to spoil it for readers.

There are still lots of questions  I would like to ask. If only there could be a sequel as I feel there is a gap in Helene's story which I'd like to  read about. When did she finally leave Guernsey?

Such  a brilliant writer who can stir your emotions to tears.

A riveting story, superbly told and had me romping through the pages right up until the end of Helene’s story.  I felt her anguish, her torment, her every emotion as I did with Roz in her quest to find her unknown father.   Then Helene’s story just stops and we are left with a huge gaping hole - suddenly another sister appears !  Within months I am led to believe yet another baby girl is born!  How?  Why? Where?  Why the need for this unnecessary twist?  The story was doing brilliantly without it!  I believed in every character,  in their individual hardships all embroiled in the tragic history that is Guernsey but at the conclusion I felt I must have missed an entire chapter which left me feeling a little bewildered and oonfused!  Despite this it was well worth the read.

This was a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I learned a lot about the island  of Guernsey  and also of the life during the war. The characters were interesting and real, they had everything compassion towards their fellow men. There were parts that were sad but overall a good book to read..

I really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting to read about life during WW2 in the Channel Islands; as well as different pieces of art that left Europe after the Nazi's stole it.
A love story with a difference; secrets, lies, families and determination to find out the past.
The book was written well; it flowed at a natural pace. The characters blended in to the storyline well and the historical context i really enjoyed.
A great book for people who enjoy modern history love stories.

It has taken me a while to process this book after I finished reading because there was just so much to take in and ponder. It has one of the most intriguing, gripping and interesting plots to a story that I have read for quite some time. 

 Island Song is split between the story of Helene who lives on the Island of Guernsey during it’s German occupation in the Second World War and then nearer the present day, her daughter Roz who after her mother dies discovers what she has been told about her family and who she is might not be altogether correct. The book switches between the two generations while piecing together what really happened on Guernsey during the war and to her mother since with lots of fabricated stories, tales of second hand gossip and twists and turns along the way. 

 Bunting has obviously done her research on the occupation and has managed to really develop both the plot line and characters fully. I really appreciated that the characters were fully dimensional with strengths and weaknesses and there was a real humanity in this making it believable and all the more poignant as to what people did experience during occupation. I also loved that she didn’t answer all the questions but deliberately left some lines not fully spelt out for the reader to negotiate with their own imaginations. 
This had me on the edge of my seat until the last page as just when you think you’ve got the story sussed something else happened.
 I absolutely loved reading this and if there was an option for more than 5 stars it would be getting so many more! 

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow, what a beautiful book.  Madeleine Bunting has created a very moving and poignant story in Island Song.  It is so beautifully written and is full of drama and intrigue that keep you guessing right until the very end.  
The story gives us a heart breaking insight into life on Guernsey during the war and perfectly captures how love can occur in the most unexpected of situations. I didn’t know much about the history of Guernsey during the war, but this book is a beautiful history lesson interweaving wartime Guernsey with a present day mystery of trying to unravel the past.  A delightful read – thank you Madeleine.

What a wonderful story full of drama and intrigue set among the world war 2 occupation of Guernsey. What is right and wrong when survival of your loved ones is at stake? Throw in an international art theft and you have it all. Nice conclusion, recommended.

A thoroughly enjoyable book at during the 2nd world war on the island of Guernsey.
The book taught me a lot about low on the islands over this period when it was under German occupation.
The book tells of the search for a father after the death of a mother. 
It leads us through two stories, one in the present day as well as the equine period ,  The story charts the at times reluctant development of a young war bride and a German officer.  At the same time as there relationship is being developed we are following the discovery of this relationship in the present day. 
The book is well written and enjoyable with a number of twists.  Very enjoyable

Few people realize that a small corner of Britain was captured by the Nazis during World War II. The Channel Islands have been hit hard, and on Guernsey, Helene is trying to survive and protect both her father and grandmother from the Nazis brutal rule. With her husband gone to join the fight overseas, Helene must do whatever it takes to protect those she loves. It’s not until four decades later, when her daughter Roz, looking for information about her father, comes across the truth about her mother’s secret life during those desperate years and the ugly truth about her father. This is an incredible read and the ending will blow you away

Wow, what a tour de force!  I have read a number of books set (in part at least) in the war torn Channel Islands and this is the best so far.  The characters are intriguing and the settings in Guernsey lovingly described.  Part of the tension relies on people mis-remembering facts from the distant past and confusing dates/ sequences of events.  It's amazing to think that people not only survived through such dreadful times, but also discovered love and friendship.  Highly recommended.

Synopsis:1940. Guernsey is first bombed and then occupied by the Germans. A year earlier young, naive and recently married Helene waves goodbye to her husband who has enlisted in the British Army.  Protected only by her father and Nanna, Helene must carve out a life on the island for the length of the war.  40 years later her daughter Roz begins a search for the truth about her father and stumbles into the secret history of her mothers life. 

The story is told in two narratives, World War II in Guernsey and the present day. It is an extremely well researched novel and the attention to detail is apparent as you read through the book. For me, it was a history lesson as we learned about the German occupation on the island of Guernsey during the Second World War. So many emotions are brought to the fore...sadness, amazement, joy, horror, empathy, sympathy...the author does such a great job of carrying you along and tugging on your heartstrings. 

I loved Roz, the main character and her incessant need to find out who her real father was. The other people in the story are extremely well thought out and each one helps to build the many layers of this beautiful story. 

If you have read and loved Kristin Hannah’s, The Nightingale, I urge you to read this book. A brilliant ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me. 

Thank you to Netgalley, Granta Books and Madeleine Bunting for the chance to read this memorable, beautiful book.

Such a lovely story.  I do like books that twist through time lines and I thought this was done so well as not to be confusing which can happen sometimes.  We cannot imagine what life was like during the wars thankgoodness but I felt this gave me a new insight to the hard times the islanders had.  We hear about the mainland but I have never read anything about the Channel Islands.  Helene and Roz to me were very similar possibly Roz through the coolness of her mother as she was growing up and understandable for Helene who lived through the toughest of times.  The men in her life were well thought out and I had a great deal of sympathy for Heinrich and I am sure there were many people who were exactly like him on both sides fighting for what they saw as a waste of life and felt this was told with a compassion for others.  The art that went missing through this time is well documented and I am sure this story is true to that time.  I loved the way Alexei was reintroduced into the story – it seemed to finish off that chapter and, of course, the meeting of family in Germany - lovely

This has to be the best book I have read this year and I fact the best book I have ever read. It will remain with me for ever and I will in the future read it again and again. 
Following her mother’s death Roz is handed a letter by her mothers solicitor and everything that she believed of her life is thrown in the air. The man who she believed was her father is not the case. So she sets out to find out who he is. Little does she know what she will find.
A story of unending love lies deception and art theft all intertwined with the war time occupation of Guernsey .
I cannot recommend it enough