Inspired by real events and the courage and sacrifice of real people, The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson follows the lives of two sisters living in occupied Jersey during WWII.
“1996: An elderly lady looks back at her life, remembering her experiences during the war on Jersey, her sister’s journey, and the one tragic loss she can never forget…
1940: Sisters Alice and Jenny are in their early twenties when the Germans occupy their home of Jersey. Alice, a nurse, is called to work in the German hospital, unaware that she will find a great love but that she will make an even greater sacrifice and be sent to a place across the seas where she will witness unbearable suffering. Meanwhile, her sister Jenny is drawn into a circle of islanders who decide to rise up and resist the occupiers. For both sisters, the war will cause them to make extraordinary choices, experience unimaginable heartbreak, and emerge forever changed…”
My heart was in my throat the entire way through. I moved from page to page praying that Alice and Jenny would be reunited despite the separate paths they were forced to take. Both women suffer tremendous loss but show incredible courage, spirit and tenacity. I fell in love with every member of the Robinson family and was completely invested in their story from the very beginning.
It was an incredibly tense, and at times slightly haunting, read that captured the resilience of the human spirit even when faced with the horrors of war. The Lighthouse Sisters was clearly well researched and beautifully written. I loved the imagery of the island’s lighthouse guiding the two sisters back home and to each other’s arms. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I was in tears at several points; some were sad and some happy. Reading The Lighthouse Sisters was an incredibly moving journey and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a strong emotional storyline.
The Lighthouse Sisters by Gill Thompson is available HERE (affiliate link)
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