I’m delighted to be sharing my thoughts about The Island Girls by Rachel Sweasey. Loved this story!
- Category : Historical Fiction
- ASIN : B0CZP1K5R3
- Publisher : Boldwood Books (21 Oct. 2024)
- Language : English
- File size : 3676 KB
1941: For the townspeople of Poole on the Dorset coast, the war feels like it’s right on their doorstep. And with more and more men leaving to fight, one fisherman’s daughter is determined to do whatever she can to help. Peggy volunteers to use her skills on the water to work with the flying boats alongside the RAF based in the harbour. But when she is asked to undertake a special mission, she will have to make a terrible choice – between her duty to her country and her only chance of happiness.
1998: Rebekah has travelled halfway around the world to take up a role on Brownsea Island. This tiny island off the coast of England is a treasure trove of natural wonder, but it still carries the scars of fighting. And when Rebekah discovers a lost letter from the war, hidden all this time, she becomes determined to deliver it, fifty years later.
But the idyllic Dorset harbour hides many more secrets, and Rebekah’s search for the truth will change her life in ways she never imagined possible…
The Island Girls Review
I’ve loved stepping into the lives of the characters in both timelines in The Island Girls. In 1941, Peggy’s life and work for BOAC in Poole and 1998 with Rebekah as a ranger on Brownsea Island (and a visit to Australia).
The very first chapter is heartbreaking. This is set in Holland in May 1940. Despite not having had the chance to get to know any of the characters yet to form a bond, I did with this character. I don’t think I’ve ever connected with a character quite so fast!
There is romance in both timelines – for Peggy more of a sacrifice and for Rebekah, an opportunity to open herself to vulnerability and to trust if she takes it. There is more suspense in Peggy’s life linked to her job, whilst although we get to experience life on Brownsea Island as a ranger with Rebekah, the theme is more of a digging deeper to uncover facts and secrets.
The setting of the book in Poole is close to where I live. Poole Quay is one of our favourite places … but until reading The Island Girls I had NO IDEA about the flying boats and BOAC. It was easy for me to visualise the places mentioned in both timelines and since reading the story, I’ve done some searching and found this gem of a website, Poole Flying Boats Celebration. Reading through the archives and watching the footage has brought the story even more alive. If you get the chance, I recommend having a browse. The setting in Australia is easy to visualise too (and no, I’ve never been!). I liked this author’s writing style.
I’m so glad there is an epilogue because the story wouldn’t have ended satisfactorily for me (and I don’t mind being left without everything being tied up – but this story needed it). It felt complete.
I identified so easily with all the characters and felt all the emotions. I walked through that time in history, experiencing day-to-day life during World War II and what it was like to put your country ahead of your own needs. There are some tense and brutal scenes when you don’t know which way is up, balanced with true kinship and love.
The Island Girls is an easy 5-star read for me.
About the Author
Rachel Sweasey is a historical fiction novelist. She lives in Australia, where she was born to English parents, but bases her fiction in Poole where she grew up, which provides inspiration for her WW11 stories. Her first book for Boldwood was The Last Boat Home.
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