Tuesday, February 9, 2021

BLOG TOUR: The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat

 I'm very excited to be a part of the Blog Tour for The Girl From the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat! I received a free electronic copy for honest review from the publisher and I won a physical copy in a Goodreads Giveaway! Thanks so much to Graydon House and Jenny Lecoat for letting me be a part of this tour.


Title: The Girl From the Channel Islands
Author: Jenny Lecoat
Published by: Graydon House
Released: February 2, 2021
Source: Review Copy from Publisher / Won a Copy from Goodreads FirstReads Giveaway
 
Synopsis: An extraordinary story of triumph against impossible odds 
The year is 1940, and the world is torn apart by war. In June of that year, Hitler’s army captures the Channel Islands—the only part of Great Britain occupied by German forces. Abandoned by Mr. Churchill, forgotten by the Allies and cut off from all help, the Islands’ situation is increasingly desperate.
Hedy Bercu is a young Jewish girl who fled Vienna for the island of Jersey two years earlier during the Anschluss, only to find herself trapped by the Nazis once more—this time with no escape. Her only hope is to make herself invaluable to the Germans by working as a translator, hiding in plain sight with the help of her friends and community—and a sympathetic German officer. But as the war intensifies, rations dwindle and neighbors are increasingly suspicious of one another. Hedy’s life is in greater danger every day. It will take a definitive, daring act to save her from certain deportation to the concentration camps.
A sweeping tale of bravery and love under impossible circumstances, Hedy’s remarkable story reminds us that it’s often up to ordinary people to be quiet heroes in the face of injustice. (Synopsis from Goodreads)
 
My Thoughts: Wow, wow, wow. This time period in history is always so heavy to read about. It's a tough time to think back on, but reading about it is very important. A lot of things can get compared to Nazi's, but when we do that, we're making light of the horror it actually was. I felt like I learned a lot with this book and it provided me with a really compelling and emotional story.
I didn't really know anything about the Channel Islands before picking up The Girl from the Channel Islands, but man, what a history. I could not even imagine being put in the same life and death predicament. It's just so sad. This place was left vulnerable for the Germans to come in and take over and there was no help. These residents had to live with the enemy controlling and deciding what they could and couldn't do. They took their freedom and their security for five years. It was a fascinating history to read about, but a really hard one too.
Hedy was such a strong and determined character. She was in danger just for being who she was, but she was smart. I was worried about her throughout the whole book.
I enjoyed this read. If you're looking for a good historical fiction about WWII, I'd definitely give this one a shot. You might even be like me and learn something new.





Born in Jersey, Channel Islands, Jenny Lecoat's parents were raised under German Occupation, and both families were involved in resistance activity. Lecoat moved to England aged 18, where, following a drama degree, she spent a decade on the alternative comedy circuit as a feminist stand-up. She was nominated for a prestigious Perrier Award in 1986. She also wrote for newspapers and women's magazines (Cosmopolitan, Observer) and presented TV and radio shows, before focusing on screenwriting from sitcom (Birds of a Feather, Sometime Never) to sketch shows (The Catherine Tate Show).



Thank you for checking out my Blog Tour Stop for The Girl from the Channel Islands by Jenny Lecoat. Thanks so much to Graydon House and Jenny Lecoat for letting me be a part of the tour.

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