An Island at War

Set mostly on German-occupied Jersey in the 1940s, this superbly-written novel tugged my heart like crazy. The author has such a lovely way with words, reminding me of a beautiful orchestra. As an islander herself she listened to others describe their lives during this time. The historical details fit in so seamlessly, not a word out of place. It is the epitome of the perfect book.

Sisters Estelle and Rosie are heartbreakingly separated out of necessity, Rosie to the mainland and Estelle remained at home with her beloved grandmother in Jersey. From the Blitz and fishing bans to queues and rationing, we read about their lives during this horrendous time. Secrets are kept...how well do you know people? There is also a focus on Nazi soldiers' perspectives which is fascinating and unique. We are reminded of the preciousness of life and the capacity of humankind, cruelty and compassion.

Don't miss the author's notes and information in the back. One can learn so much from them. Historical Fiction, General Fiction and Women's Fiction readers, do not hesitate to pick this up! Though the subject is difficult, it is important to learn about history and how people survived unbearable conditions.

My sincere thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this incredible book.

An Island at War by Deborah Carr is a great WWII-era historical fiction that was gripping, fascinating, and unique. I really enjoyed it.

This book gives the reader a glimpse of what the occupation of Jersey (within theChannel Islands) was like during the years of Nazi occupation. For some reason, I am totally fascinated by the Islands and their respective experiences during WWII. This is the first book that I have read in a while that not only included them, but also was based on true stories of the author’s family.

The book has the traditional narrative of mystery, suspense, romance, and historical facts placed within, yet with the knowledge of the author’s family and inspirations, it makes it even more harrowing and intriguing. I appreciate the Author’s willingness to present her family’s difficulties during wartime.

A great read for anyone that enjoys WWII fiction.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and One More Chapter for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

With grateful thanks to Deborah Carr and One chapter for an early copy in return for an honest opinion,
Firstly I would like to say what an amazing journey, what the people of Jersey and Gurnsey went through during the occupation its a harrowing read at times, Esteile has taken on the role looking after herself and her grandmother her sister Rosie is in London staying with her aunt for saftey. life takes on a very different pace food in short supply a German solider living in there house its a book written with feeling and atmosphere you want to hold breath at times and hope the hurt will go away I read this book in one sitting it was totally mesmerising, I can't praise this book enough and highly recommend.

Fantastic insight to ww2 in jersey. Loved the characters and the whole twist of the whole story.
In ww2 the Germans occupied Jersey this story tells of a family reduced by the violence and hardships faced during this time. This was very well written and a great curl up with a cuppa and get lost in the story.
Highly recommended

Nazi Occupation of the Channel Isles in WWII
This is a fictional account of living through the Nazi Occupation of the Channel Island of Jersey. The story addresses all of the hardships that were endured through the eyes of a young woman and her grandmother. The account remains historically accurate while taking literary license in making some Nazi officers, stone-throwers, and camp followers seem more palatable. This is a very good story that I couldn't put down. The reader becomes invested in so many of the characters that you just want it to all turn out alright. I will be checking out other works by this author. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

An Island at War by Deborah Carr is World War II Historical Fiction. A heartbreaking family story with strong characters set in the channel island of Jersey. It was interesting to read that the first things the Nazi‘s implemented was to disarm the people using various techniques. Typical socialist trademarks of control restricting movement with curfews, taking guns and ammunition and taking custody of anyone who can resist. Various other methods to demoralize and subjugate were also used. I loved this book and hope the author will write more stories about Estelle, Rosie and Hans.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

This is first time read by Deborah Carr new author to this reader. I typically shy away from these types of novels as my emotions get too involved in the content. So once in a while I take the plunge with reading this type of genre. With that being said, I am grateful to experience this wonderfully written story that was very emotional and told a tale of the lives of those who lived in the Channel Islands during WWII.

It is a riveting story of young Estelle and her grandmother who are on the Isle of Jersey and captions of their lives told by her little sister Rosie within her diary from London. This was a well-written story that had many facets of the characters played out on the pages under German rule. It was hard to put down this book as the historical aspect was very enlightening and worth knowing. I can’t say much more on this novel except that is a must read and I highly recommend. Would love to audiobook if this will be an option in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Estelle's father is killed when the Nazis attack the port on their small island. Her little sister Rosie has been sent to London to live with their aunt in the thinking that it will be safer for her there. Estelle and her grandmother must manage their farm alone and then Hans, a Nazi shows up their door, having been assigned to board with them. Life on the island is balanced with letters from Rosie. If I have a quibble, it's that Rose's prose is far too advanced for someone her age but the letters provide a nice balance to the story. Estelle discovers there's more to Hans than meets the eye and that there's more to Gran than she previously knew. This sweeps from the invasion through the end of the war. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the WWII novel will appreciate this for it look into a seldom explored part of the WWII homefront. And, don't miss the afterword.

This is an emotional and poignant tale of life on the Channel Islands during WWII. The story centres around a young woman, Estelle and her Grandmother who are on the Isle of Jersey with alternate chapters being entries in the diary of her little sister Rosie who is in London.

The author did a magnificent job of creating many of these characters and I’m telling they story of these British citizens that were deserted by their military, living the war under German rule. This is a part of history I didn’t know. Using this setting enabled the author to create a different book than most WWII books that seem to take place in Germany or London.

I thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. A must read for historical fiction fans.

I am an avid reader of historical fiction novels (particularly those set in WWII) and the Channel Islands hold a special place in my heart so when I saw An Island at War I was extremely excited. The Channel Islands played a rather interesting part in WWII, and the Nazi Occupation of the islands is a topic often overlooked. I particularly enjoyed the way this book payed homage to how the life of different 'normal' people was influenced by the historical events at hand.

Many children were sent away, tearing families apart, and I appreciated how Deborah Carr painted that picture by having young Rosie move to London from Jersey at the beginning of the book. I also enjoyed hearing small snippets of what Rosie would have know from London about the events happening on the island and with/to her family. At the same time, we learn how Estelle and her grandma and friends/neighbors make do on the island. How they deal with a Nazi officer being billeted at their farm. Determining which acts of defiance/resistance they can take up, and which ones are simply out of the question.

The book is a bit of a slow-burn, but that is because it takes time to set the scene and paint the picture and described the gradual change happening on Jersey throughout the war. I loved getting to know the characters and truly experiencing their rather unique predicament.

At the moment, I am not sure how I feel about the end of the book. I thought it to be incredibly abrupt. I don't mind an open end, but this somehow felt like at some point the author just decided to stop writing. At the same time, I do feel that is a true representation of how it felt to be an islander (which is of course what the book tries to do and does so well). One day you are under occupation, one day you are not. What that means for your future those related to you is still much up in the air...... all in all, a fascinating read to those who enjoy WWII fiction and are looking for a different setting.