Title: Beyond Summerland
Author: Jenny Lecoat
Publication: July 2, 2024
Publisher: Graydon House
Genre: World War II
Pages: 304
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SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
What happens when ordinary people are faced with extraordinary choices? Jean Parris was a child when her adored father was taken away by the Nazis. As she and her mother wait anxiously for news, the life Jean thought she knew begins to fall apart.
Hazel Le Tourneur has never conformed to the island’s idea of perfect womanhood. But is she the worst kind of collaborator – an informer?
In the summer of 1945, the Liberation of Jersey has unleashed a different kind of one of suspicion, accusation and revenge. For among the heroism and sacrifice, there has also been betrayal and corruption. And while the beautiful island is permanently scarred by gun towers and bunkers, its people must learn to live with a different kind of wound – the desire for truth.
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
Jenny Lecoat has a way of writing that is peaceful even when she is talking about horrific acts of war and heartbreak that just draws you in from the beginning. I knew I had to read Beyond Summerland when I first saw it and I am not disappointed at all.
My first experience with Lecoat was her novel The Girl from the Channel Islands and it was so heartbreakingly beautiful that I instantly wanted to reread it. Lecoat brings a different level of knowledge to her stories, as she was born in the Channel Islands and her parents grew up there under German Occupation during World War II. This story follows Jean and Hazel as their two lives collide with devastating consequences. I loved watching how while they were from different lives, their circumstances came jarringly close because of the war.
Lecoat developed these characters in such a way that you learned their story and then started to cheer for them, even when you may not have agreed with all their decisions and actions. I liked the character growth we got to see in each character, even the ones we disliked and how they adapted to their environment. There were so many underlying lessons in this story we got to watch these characters learn; family doesn’t always mean they will love you forever, sometimes people you think are your enemy are not, and sometimes leaving home is the best thing for you.
Overall this was a good book. My only issue is I felt the beginning was a little too slow on the build for me so it took me a while to get into. Other than that, though, once I got into it more I had to know how it ended. Lecoat is one of my favorite historical fiction writers because she gives a different view of the war from the Channel Islands and it’s always intertwined with the best stories and lessons.
If you haven’t picked this book up yet, you absolutely should. And then go back and read her others too!
