An Island at War

World War II truly was a war that covered the whole world, from the vast expanses of the Pacific Ocean to the tiny islands of the English Channel. Over recent years, there have been many more novels put out about their time under German occupation. A few years ago, Lily James starred in a movie based on one of those novels. I’ve always loved home front tales and stories of ordinary men and women surviving wartime, and I was eager to see what Deborah Carr, a native of Jersey, would do with the story.

At the start, I was eager. The narration seemed a little weak, and Estelle seemed a little naive, but surely she would grow over the coming years. She would have to, after all; she was living on the edge of a war zone. However, one thing turned me off very quickly: the unnecessary sexual tension with a handsome Nazi officer who is billeted with Estelle and her grandmother.

I know that sort of story is enjoyable to some readers; stories like this sell, after all. I found it tedious in its best moments and irritating in its worst, and I felt it detracted from a story that should have been fully Estelle’s.