Sophia's Reviews > Beyond Summerland

After the war, what was it like for those living in the liberated Channel Islands? Two young women connect over the most difficult of circumstances and discover that life in the shadow of war is as difficult as the war years. Jenny Lecoat paints a vivid picture of Jersey, complex characters, and a dramatic tale that sticks with one after the last page is turned.

Jean Parris learns that the father she idolized and was taken up by the Germans for having a wireless radio is not coming back. Worse still, he suffered and died in a German prison and someone among her island neighbors informed on him. The anger and grief she and her family feels call for someone to pay and their suspicion falls on a young woman who spoke her mind and argued with her dad.
Hazel denies reporting Parris and there is no proof, but the islanders take it as fact and her life is upended. Oddly, the only friend she has is quiet, mousy Jean. Jean has been learning that she didn’t know her dad or others as well as she thought and she’s keeping one huge guilty secret of her own. Will both women find a way to move on after the dreadful truths of their actions come out?

Beyond Summerland took place post-WWII, but for the Channel Islanders who were occupied by the Germans for five long years, recovery is slow and the pain and suffering are still echoing. Jenny Lecoat showed that people who faced deprivation and fear from the occupiers were faced with choices that seem unconscionable to others and retaliation is fierce for those who turned Nazi collaborator or informant. This tale was not rose-tinted and showed the harsh realities. My heart was touched and tears burned my eyes more than once. Bittersweetness tanged my mouth by the finish which had an epilogue that presented a resolve that felt right for what came before.

In summary, this tumultuous story born of similar real life circumstances that took place in the Channel Islands after the war was a heavy hitter for me. I am definitely going to look for more of Jenny Lecoat’s works and highly recommend Beyond Summerland to make the beach bags of historical and women’s fiction readers.


My full review will post at Books of My Heart on July 3rd for the Harlequin Summer Books tour.