This book centres on two sisters, Dido and Persephone during the German invasion of their beautiful island Guernsey throughout WW2 and two sisters Clara and Lucy, some 70 years later.
Distant relatives, their lives entwine as their stories unfold.
Friendship, love, family and a heartbreaking ending, a wonderful read for historical fiction lovers.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Another wonderful book from Lorna Cook! Every book I’ve read of hers I’ve thoroughly enjoyed and having visited this island years ago and seen what happened during the war years made it all the more enjoyable. Again a dual time-line which I love so this was a win win for me. I would love to read more from this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review

Powerful, yet tender!
I finished this novel last night and I cannot get it out of my head. A rich novel filled with romance, suspense, danger and choc full of wonderful characters. I've been a fan of Lorna's since her debut, The Forgotten Village (read it!) and was looking forward to this story since I heard about it. A time-slip set in contemporary and WW2 Guernsey, this novel took my emotions and wrung them out to dry, surely a sign of an author at the height of her powers? I will not tell you about the story, you can get that elsewhere, but suffice to say and IMHO, this is an accurate and vivid depiction of life under the Nazi jackboot in occupied Guernsey which, as a history buff, I was delighted to find.
In short, purchase this novel, put he phone on the hook, pour yourself a nice hot chocolate and settle down for a wonderful read.
My thanks to Avon and Netgalley for the preview copy!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

A beautifully written story set in Guernsey, and across two timelines, 1940 and 2016.

2016 and Lucy is returning to Guernsey after three years, Dido her cousin, has passed and therefore she is going to help her sister Clara sell the house.

But Lucy is also thinking about about Persey, whose Dido’s sister. It seems that the only thing is a old photo of the two sisters with an old letter, and nothing else of Persey’s. So being intrigued, Lucy starts to look into what happened to Persey.

Then, back to 1940 during, its world war 2 where we meet sisters Dido and Persey. Germans have arrived on the island and, it seems that life will never be the same again.

A heart wrenching story of love, loss and survival. You can help but fall in love with the characters.

I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you for my copy of this book to review.

Lorna Cook is a new author to me. I love a story split between the war and modern day so this really appealed to me. I loved absolutely everything about this book...the setting, the dual timeline, the descriptions, the characters. Although heartbreaking at times, it was just a beautiful story and now I feel lost that I’ve finished it.

I have already recommended this book to friends and will now go back and read Lorna Cooks previous ones. One of the best books I’ve read in a long time, a definite well-deserved 5 stars!

This is a beautiful, wonderful, and poignant story. Told in dual timelines, one during the Occupation of Guernsey islands during WWII and the other in present day. I couldn’t put in words on how much I loved the past story. The spectacular cast of characters in it were truly outstanding. Both the stories were woven together seamlessly but I adored the past story. This story and the Cook’s writing have a magical quality that made it a compelling read and a memorable story.

It hasn’t taken me much time to fall in love with the sisters Persephone, Dido, their friend Jack, who had grown up with them, and Stefan who was from Germany had spent summer holidays on the island in his teenage years, came back to the island and been part of enemy troops.

Persephone is a brilliant character. Respect her for her selflessness by putting other people’s lives before hers, and would be ready to put life on line to save dear ones. The portrayal of love between her and Stefan was the best I have read in a long time. Their love story and these characters would stay with me for a while as I can’t stop pondering about them after closing the book. Dido was a lively and daring girl. Fell in love with Stefan; despite being a captain in the enemy's army, he was gentle, caring, protective of his friends in every step of the way. Guess without him there, they would have met a different fate. He was the savior of these people.

A very few writers’ writing fills you with happiness, caresses your soul, makes you lose yourself in the story. Cook falls under this category. Her prose holds your finger, gently leads you to the world she adeptly created where the characters leap out of the pages, lands in front of you and mesmerizes you. Her vivid descriptions transported to a different world in Guernsey island rife with Occupation and islander’s resistance against the enemy troops. This book has added this island to my bucket list.

Besides a spellbinding story, another great aspect of this was the way true historical events were incorporated in it, which were fascinating and melancholic.

I would highly recommend this enchanting tale of survival, courage, forbidden love, heartache, torment, and sacrifices, grit, friendship, sisterhood to all historical fiction aficionados.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lorna Cook is a new author for me and I thoroughly enjoyed The Girl from the Island. In 1940, two sisters living on the island of Guernsey find they are being invaded by German soldiers. They are determined to rebel wherever possible but when they are forced to take on a German officer, they find a familiar face on their doorstep from their past. Two generations later and Lucy is returning to the island following the death of a family member. As she begins clearing the house she finds some old paperwork and immediately recognised the word resistance. Intrigued she begins to uncover the truth about the author and the missing sister who vanished from the island and was never seen again.

I found this book hard to put down. It is set between last and present and these two halves intertwine perfectly. It’s an emotive story that will have you rooting for our heroes but also wanting to uncover their secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the chance to review.

A beautiful moving story another wonderful book by Lorna Cook.A story of two sisters during the war living in Guernsey when the Germans invaded and two sisters today.I laughed, cried all the emotions possible I read late into the night and hated for the story to end.#netgalley #avonbooksuk

The Girl from the Island is a beautiful historical romance set in the isle of Guernsey in Channel Islands. Set in 2 distinct eras, the dual timeline story is about the residents of Deux Tourelles, a beautiful vintage house.

The present story (2016) involves two sisters, Lucy and Clara, and the fragile relationship between them. Lucy visits Guernsey to help her sister with the funeral of a distant relative Dido. They are surprised to know they are the benefactors of her will; she has bequeathed the Deux Tourelles to the sisters. Lucy and Clara decide to put up the house for sale. While in Guernsey, Lucy stays in Dido’s home. As Lucy goes through the old photographs, Dido’s wardrobes and boxes; the author reveals the story set in the past. Lucy’s neighbour Will helps her in finding out more about Dido’s untold story.

The story set in the past is of another pair of sisters – Dido and Persephone. Set during the German Occupation, the past is a painful reminder of the ordeals of the residents, a saga of love, sacrifice and bravery. Dido, Persephone, Jack and Stefan (a German soldier) form the major characters of the past story. The way the author has connected Jack to the present story of Lucy is surprising and heartwarming.

Relatable characters, wonderful story line, amazing narrative, unexpected twists – overall an engrossing read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

Friend or Enemy

A heartbreaking romantic story of sisters. It is a dual time line story set on the isle of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The story involves the residents of a house called Deux Tourelles.

In 2016 Lucy returns to Guernsey to help her sister sell a home left by a distant cousin Dido. She meets a good looking neighbor Will and together they decide to check out the history of the house and Dido and her sister Persephone. This story is about Lucy and Clara as sisters and about Lucy and Will as good friends. Lucy and Clara work on their relationship as sisters. Lucy and Will research Dido and the history of the residents of Deux Tourelles during the war.

The second storyline is that of Persephone, Dido, their maid's son Jack and a past friend Stefan. All four of the characters were friends in high school. Now it is during the German occupation and one friend Stefan is now a captain in the German Army billeted at Deux Tourelles with the other three. This storyline takes place in the 1940's during WWII. It has excitement, resistance, a spy character and a Jewish girl in hiding. There are many twists and turns in this story and the ending is unexpected.

The story switches between the two storylines. I much preferred the WWII storyline as I often find with the dual time storylines one is preferred over the other. They are both engaging, just one more so than the other. That aside, it was a good read and I enjoyed reading the book. I felt like I was reading two stories with a connection. There was one modern day romance story and one WWII story. When I read it this way I was able to engage equally in both stories.

I did love the historical content and the description of the beaches, the conditions on the Island and how the Islanders handled the occupation. This was most interesting to me.

I did enjoy reading the book and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Lorna Cook, Avon Books, U.K., and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy for an honest review.

This was such a poignant and beautifully written book . I read it in one sitting , I found the dual storylines riveting . The present day storyline revolves around two sister's who inherit a distant relatives property on Guernsey. The past timeline is set during the German occupation of the Island and how the occupants of the property coped with it.
You will definitely need a pack of tissues , you become so invested in the storyline and the characters are so relatable .
The characters stay with you even after the last page has been turned. I thoroughly recommend this to anyone who enjoys Lucinda Riley.

Another fantastic book from Lorna Cook. Based on historical facts this fictional book is clear and easy to follow as it goes between the occupation of Guernsey and 2016. During the occupation 2 sisters share their lives with German Officers and so the storyline is about their war time experience and loves. Once these sisters have died the great house they lived in is passed on to a new generation of 2 sisters and so the story follows their relationship and the selling of the house. Easy to read and easy to follow. Thanks to Lorna Cook, the publisher and to NetGalley.

Lorna Cook really should be a name you have in your head the next time you're looking for a great historical fiction author with stories behind her stories.

This was such a good read. A story about the Nazi invasion of ....Guernsey...yes not a place often written about in war time. Add to that stories of human endeavour and kindness. Confusion over a childhood friend now ' on the other side' - There's so much to enjoy here - great writing, a great story and a really heartfelt study of human kindness and what human strength really is.

This really is a novel and an author I'd like to see even more popular and feted than she is. She's on my definite go to author list now.

What I'd really like to do here is shout about how good a book this is! Because it is. I selected The Girl from the Island to read because Guernsey is one of my favourite places and as closed off to me now as it was to others during the Occupation. That piece of Guernsey's history is tragic but fascinating. As the author, Lorna Cook, says it is hard now to imagine that the Nazis sat there for five years, so close but thankfully so far from the United Kingdom. As an outsider, it feels like it made have been made up (don't get me wrong - I know it wasn't and I know it was horrific) so unlikely does it seem.

But aside from the setting in time and space, I was captivated by the characters. The book has a dual time setting and whenever I was with one generation, I wanted to be back with the other finding out what was happening in their lives. The plots, particularly the earlier one, were handled well and didn't unravel too quickly or easily and the end left me wanting more.

Fantastic story about two sister in the present and two sisters in the past. It is a story that tells the history of the occupation of Guernsey Channel Islands during World War 2. Lucy and Clara come together to arrange a funeral for an elderly first cousin once removed, Dido.
As they moved from funeral to cleaning out the house and putting it on the market, Lucy begins to discover more about Dido’s life and her sister.

Really enjoyed the adventure of what happened in the past and how it influences the present.

Thank you Netgalley for complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

A world at war.
One woman will risk everything.
Another will uncover her story.

I was so excited when I seen this on my list! Set in WW2 this amazing story had me so hooked.
Told in different timelines which I thought was great. This book has just enough mystery and twist to keep you turning the pages quickly.
One of the best stories I've read in some time.

2016 ,and Chloe returns to her native Guernsey at the request of her sister Clara. She's not too happy to be back but she has promised to help her sister organise a funeral for their father's cousin Dido as they are her only relations.
Chloe decides to live in Dido's house and organise it's sale. As she looks through drawers and boxes she finds old photographs and realises Dido had a sister called Persephone that neither her nor her sister had heard of. There is one photo in particular of Dido, Persephone and two boys that makes Chloe wonder who they were to each other. She comes across newspaper cuttings about occupied Guernsey during the war and wants to know what the sisters did and what the newspaper cuttings mean.
Helped by Dido's nearest neighbour she searches the archives about the occupation and visits the church and museum determined to find out the sister's story.

The second half of this duel timeline story takes place when Guernsey is invaded by German soldiers and we hear how the family cope with it.
I loved this book so much and I don' t want to give any more of the story away. My heart kept missing beats as I read about life during the war in Guernsey. No one knew who to trust as some people would write letters to the Germans informing of their neighbours not obeying the rules. Normal life carried on for a while and then it became impossible. Food was scarce, people who weren't born on the island were rounded up and sent to camps in Europe along with anyone who was Jewish.
The story of Dido and Persephone was very moving and I had a cry at the ending. It was hard to move on to my next book .
I absolutely love the books that Lorna Cooke writes and this has been her best one.

Another interesting and enjoyable read about Guernsey during WW2.
2016: Two sisters Chloe and Lucy are tasked with sorting out the funeral of a distant cousin Dido. Whilst going through her property they discover documents and it leads to search to find out more about what happened to her during the war. The discovery of a sister Persey intrigues Lucy, who uses the local museum to find out what it was like when the Germans arrived.
A story of love, friendships, families and secrets.
The book flits brilliantly between 2016 and WW2. A good easy read that mixes fact and fiction.

'The Girl From the Island' is another fabulous book from the incredible Lorna Cook. I laughed, I cried, I grieved, I mourned, I hoped, I rejoiced and I stayed on tenterhooks throughout the entire book. A truly powerful, captivating and immersive story.

‘The Girl from the Island’ is actually about four different women on the island of Guernsey, whose lives are separated by generations but connected by a small scrap of land in the English Channel and a lonely house with stories of its own to reveal.

Alternating point-of-view novels can be hit or miss for me, as it can be difficult to follow fluctuations between characters and time periods, and often I prefer one character over the others. At first I felt less connected to the modern aspect of the plot, but by the end of this poignant story I was emotionally invested in each timeline.

The German occupation of the channel islands is a fascinating and sad part of World War II — one of many such tragedies — and this book explores the impact the occupation had on the islanders. Cut off from both England and France, they were left to fend for themselves when German troops invaded and set up barriers and billeted in locals’ homes. There were resistance fighters, English spies, Jews desperate to escape notice, German soldiers who despaired of the Nazi regime, and even the mass deportation of British citizens not native to Guernsey to German camps.

These are their stories.

In some ways the story begins in 1930 with four teenagers on a beach, with the naïveté of youth preventing them from imagining what the next ten years will bring. Central to the plot are sisters Dido and Persephone Le Roy, living in their rambling estate, Deux Tourelles. In more ways than one, their lives are forever changed the day German forces land on Guernsey. Persephone, the older and more serious of the two, tries desperately to hold everyone in her life together, from their housekeeper Mrs. Grant and her son, Jack — much more like family than staff — to her younger sister Dido. Dido, vivacious and caring, who feels most alive when she’s singing in the local club. Everything shifts when a familiar-faced German officer moves into their home, helping set in motion a chain of events that leads to the bittersweet ending of the book.

In 2016, two other sisters from the island find themselves caught up in the stories Deux Tourelles conceals, when their distant relative Dido leaves the house to them. Lucy, who left Guernsey to pursue a career on the mainland, finds herself captivated by the mysteries surrounding Dido and Persey, while her pragmatic sister Clara just wants to sell the estate and move on with life. (I have to say Clara was my least favorite ‘girl from the island’, and I still didn’t care for her much after finishing, despite some redemption) With the help of her closest neighbor on the island, Will — handsome photographer and startler of young female neighbors playing Billie Holiday records too loudly — Lucy slowly unravels the mysteries surrounding the lives of Dido, Persey, Jack, and Stefan, and what happened to each of them during and after the war and occupation. Immersing herself in the history of the island and letting Deux Tourelles work its gentle magic helps Lucy decide what she wants the next chapter of her own life to be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and all things England. And love, in all its forms.