One woman's daily record of life in Guernsey during the German occupation.

The beloved, life-affirming international bestseller which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide - now a major film starring Lily James, Matthew Goode, Jessica Brown Findlay, Tom Courtenay and Penelope Wilton To give them hope she must tell their story It's 1946. The war is over, and Juliet Ashton has writer's block. But when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey – a total stranger living halfway across the Channel, who has come across her name written in a second hand book – she enters into a correspondence with him, and in time with all the members of the extraordinary Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Through their letters, the society tell Juliet about life on the island, their love of books – and the long shadow cast by their time living under German occupation. Drawn into their irresistible world, Juliet sets sail for the island, changing her life forever.

The British Isles have only been successfully invaded and occupied once since 1066: the German occupation of the Channel Islands from 1940-1945. This book commemorates a defining period in the history of the islands and an important aspect of contemporary British history.

In June 1940, 17,000 people fled Guernsey to England, including 5,000 school children with their teachers and 500 mothers as 'helpers'. The Channel Islands were occupied on 30 June - the only part of British territory that was occupied by Nazi forces during the Second World War. Most evacuees were transported to smoky industrial towns in Northern England - an environment so very different to their rural island. For five years they made new lives in towns where the local accent was often confusing, but for most, the generosity shown to them was astounding. They received assistance from Canada and the USA - one Guernsey school was 'sponsored' by wealthy Americans such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Hollywood stars. From May 1945, the evacuees began to return home, although many decided to remain in England. Wartime bonds were forged between Guernsey and Northern England that were so strong, they still exist today.

"When the Germans arrived on the Channel Islands after the defeat of France in the summer of 1940, they and the islanders agreed that it would be a 'Model Occupation'. But as the war dragged on and Britain appeared to abandon the islands to their fate, so features of Nazi occupation already widespread throughout Europe emerged. There were love affairs between island women and German soldiers, betrayals and black marketeering, individual acts of resistance, feats of courage and endurance. Every islander was faced with uncomfortable choices- where did patriotism end and self-preservation begin? What moral obligation did they have to the thousands of emaciated and ill-treated slave labourers the Nazi's brought among them to build an impregnable ring of defences around the islands?"

"Following the Germans' rapid conquest of France, the occupation of the Channel Islands became inevitable and the British Government provided ample shipping for anybody wanting to leave. Mr. Sauvary did not and he began his diary the day his daughter, Kit, evacuated. Mr. Sauvary was a member of an old Guernsey family. Because of his fourfold role of Builder, Grower, Churchwarden and Douzenier, the diary contains a wealth of his experiences with the occupying forces. The five year narrative gives a day to day description of their gradual encroachment on the life and liberty of the Islanders. He first had them billeted on him and was then turned out of his house. Mr. Sauvary's appreciation of nature and his observations of the wildlife and weather run like a thread through the diary and his observations of human nature give an insight into the Islanders' reactions to the occupation. His wisdom and generosity helped many to come to terms with this daunting experience. The book includes information about the Island's unusual administration and vocabulary"--Publisher's description

The diaries kept by Violet Carey during the occupation of Guernsey show precisely how the German invasion affected the lifestyle of an upper middle class woman. Whilst never indulging in self-pity, she captures the misery caused by imprisonment and the lethargy and depression that many, including herself, suffered, a feeling intensified by fear of the unknown and the sense of isolation from England and from relatives and the rest of the war. In her remarkably down to earth style, the diarist provides an honest account of events and does not attempt to disguise incidents of scandal or misconduct on the part of her countrymen, or of humanity on the part of the Germans. More lighthearted entries illustrate the delight that she and many of her friends took in defying the invader simply by sticking to firmly held principles. The diaries depict both the hardships imposed upon the native population by the occupying forces and the ways in which Guernsey people reacted towards the enemy. What comes through most vividly is a valiant acceptance on the part of the islanders of their circumstances, together with optimism that all would turn out well. Hope is never entirely lost, even after life becomes simply a matter of survival. The diaries also indicate the pressures experienced by the island's leaders as the writer is related to Bailiff Victor Carey and husband is Jurat of the Royal Court. Following the island's liberation it was claimed that tales of their heroic endurance and indefatigable humour were covering up a deeper scandal. An introductory section examines the language and content of the diaries and shows how, as the occupation lengthened and shortages became more acute, the veneer of civilisation could be stripped away and the privileges afforded by wealth, education and class rendered irrelevant.

A Child's War tells the story of Germany's occupation of Guernsey through the eyes of a young girl.

"This book shows that Islanders learned how to contend with Nazi regulations, how to survive and how to trust those Germans whose human side was often in contrast to the brutality of Hitler's regime." -- back cover.