By
– January 10, 2012
Author Libby Cone has adapted her Master’s thesis into a novel about a little known aspect of Jewish history during World War II. While the battle raged in Europe, the small islands off the English coastline were declared a demilitarized zone by Churchill in order to make a strategic pullback to defend the mainland of England. The Nazis seized upon this opportunity to take possession of the islands and use them in their war efforts against England from the shores of France.
The book is filled with detailed information about how the Nazi occupation slowly took control of the administration of the daily lives of the island’s citizens, and eventually, the rights of all Jewish citizens. Woven between the historical facts is the fictional story of one woman who went into hiding due to the small island resistance movement. The book is weakest in the character development and story line of the fictional characters. Nevertheless, the actors in the story are portrayed as deeply human, at once flawed and heroic when faced with tyranny and injustice. The book effectively conveys the insight that any human can make a significant difference when faced with the choice to do good or evil.
Barbara Andrews holds a Masters in Jewish Studies from the University of Chicago, has been an adult Jewish education instructor, and works in the corporate world as a professional adult educator.
