A stunning, compelling read with characters who will stay with you long after you have reluctantly finished the last page.   Madeleine Bunting's impeccable research which she carried out for her non-fiction work on the Channel Islands under German rule gives a sound base for Island Song, which gives the dual narrative of Helene, a Guernsey islander during the occupation and her daughter Roz.   A letter given to Roz after the death of her parents shakes her to her roots and she embarks on a journey, not only to find out who she is, but who her enigmatic mother was.   Twists and turns all the way.   Mystery, romance, deprivation, violence, kindness, small islander mentality all combine to give the reader an unforgettable story which is crying out to be made into a film.

Woah, what a brilliant story! Based on the true German occupation of the Channel Islands during WW2, this story really details the conditions that the local population were living under, and also delves into artworks lost during the period. Absolutely fascinating and historically accurate, this book covers it all. I loved it and really couldn’t put it down, I really wanted to know how it was all going to end. And then the ending................I don’t want to give anything away, but wow! Highly recommend that you pick this up. It will keep you totally gripped.

I read this book in almost one sitting. I am a fan of "The Guernsey Literacy and Potato Peel Pie Society" and thought this would bring added fictional insight into life in Guernsey during the occupation during World War II.  I was not disappointed.  It is a mixture of romantic fiction and mystery.  There are a number of false clues and the twist at the end had been hinted at but my mind had delivered other solutions.   In modern times of the Internet and the tools for tracing genealogy some of the 'finds' took a long time, I had to keep working out the date of the explorations and reminding myself how such research was much more plodding than today.  

The descriptions of characters were interesting and I felt as though I could picture Guernsey.  Helene whilst seeming naive at times could easily have taken the actions she did.  At other times in Guernsey she appeared to be more sophisticated and worldly wise but was she?  The woman she became was not a surprise once the story is understood.  I finished the book feeling disturbed and a little unsure whether the story did hold together.  In writing this review I have realised that something similar happened to my Great Grandfather and now I have greater insight into what he felt, although Roz's feelings do take a back seat.  She often feels confused about who she is but I am not sure we really learn much about her inner feelings.  A deeper exploration of these would have made the book longer and the descriptions might not have added much to the book so in essence I feel the author has the balance right between detailed feelings with confusion and continuing the investigation at a pace meant to keep the reader interested.

I shall certainly look out for other books by the same author in the future.

Intriguing and well written story of someone trying to discover the truth about their family history.  Evocative descriptions and well rounded characters made this believable and compelling.  Intriguing twist at the end too!
I really enjoyed this title,  thank you.