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    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)
    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)
    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)
    Ebook443 pages5 hours

    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)

    By Margaret Leroy

    4/5

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    About this ebook


    1940, Guernsey.

    Vivienne de la Mare waits nervously for the bombs to drop. Instead comes quiet surrender and insidious occupation. Nothing is safe anymore.

    Her husband is fighting on the frontline and the façade of being the perfect wife is cracking. Her new life is one where the enemy lives next door. Small acts of kindness from one Nazi soldier feels like a betrayal. But how can you hate your enemy when you know his name, when he makes you feel alive when everything else is dying around you?

    Vivienne is fighting her own private war. On one side, the safe, secret, loving world she could build with her captain; on the other, loneliness and danger. It's time for Vivienne to choose –– collaboration or resistance
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers Australia
    Release dateJun 1, 2011
    ISBN9781742906102
    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)
    Author

    Margaret Leroy

    Margaret Leroy read music at Oxford and subsequently became a social worker and social work researcher involved in counselling couples and sex therapy programmes, and in work with abused children and teenagers. Since taking her MA at Leicester University she has published numerous articles and two books. She is married and has two daughters.

    Read more from Margaret Leroy

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    Reviews for The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator)

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      This is a great book no doubt about it, but somehow I felt a bit uncomfortable while reading it. I don’t know if I should rate it highly or not because of that. Personally, I think it’s a matter of principle. I don’t know if I can do what she did in those circumstances especially how everything turned out. It left me feeling a little raw at the end.
    • 4/5
      Vivienne de la Mare is the mother of two daughters; daughter-in-law to an elderly woman in the throes of Alzheimer’s; and wife to a soldier from whom she is emotionally separated. With her husband off fighting the war, Vivienne is responsible for feeding and caring for her small family as well as protecting them.Guernsey is a small island in the English Channel where the islanders had once felt removed from the war. All of that changed on the day the Germans moved in. Vivienne witnesses the horrors of war when the harbor town of the island is bombed and her best friend’s husband dies in front of her eyes. Her thoughts fly to her small family – her daughters and mother-in-law – and prays that they are alright on the family farm. She is relieved when she returns home and finds them alive and well.But the Occupation has begun and the German soldiers move in, requisitioning homes, vehicles, and other items for their own use. A handful of German soldiers moves in next door to Vivienne’s farm. As the Germans go about their business Vivienne is drawn to watching them. One especially piques her interest. In time she accepts the man, Gunther, as her lover. They are circumspect in their meetings so that neither Vivienne’s daughters or mother-in-law are aware of their affair.As things on the island go from bad to worse, Vivienne comes face-to-face with her emotions. She realizes that she has fallen in love with Gunther and he in turn saves her from being sent away from the island since she was not a native-born islander.Secretly, Vivienne helps an escaped prisoner who her youngest daughter has befriended. Her guilt at keeping this from Gunther takes on a life of its own when she hides the man, Kirill, in her attic and Gunther hears his coughing late at night. Vivienne passes it off as her mother-in-law being sick but worries that Gunther will report her nonetheless. When he goes off for a two week leave, the authorities raid her home. To take suspicion off of her, Kirill, openly walks through the orchard knowing full well that he will die. He is shot in full sight of Vivienne, Evelyn (the mother-in-law), and Millie (the six year old daughter). Thankfully none of the women are arrested.When Gunther returns Vivienne breaks off their romance, hating herself but feeling that Gunther had betrayed her before he went on leave. When he is reassigned to the Russian front, she belatedly realizes that she wants him back but misses him before his departure.This story was well-told and described. I felt that I was there during the different seasons on Guernsey and could feel the chill of the salt air in winter as well as the warm sun of summer. I would have liked a bit more of dialogue between Vivienne and Gunther but they didn’t seem like folks who talked a lot, even in private. There are so many conflicting emotions running through Vivienne at any given time as I’m sure there were with most people during the war.But the thread that weaves this story together is the question of what a person would do to keep their family safe, keep food on the table, and keep clothes on their backs. It is a question that we would do well to keep in mind in precarious economic times.A Soldier’s Wife gives us this different perspective of life during World War II. The islanders are at a distance from the fighting for one thing. Through the handful of Vivienne’s German neighbors, we see the occupying army not so much as a military body but as real men who had other lives and occupations; indeed, some of them dislike the war as much as the islanders. This book caused me to delve into my own emotions. What would each of us do to protect someone we love?
    • 3/5
      I don't think its necessary to leave ANOTHER review after 46 of them already, but I have to say if you like reading the details of every flower, bush, weed, vine, herb, tree, (not to mention the changing of the seasons in minute detail), found on Guernsey ( a tiny island in the English Channel off the coast of France) you found the right book. After awhile the flora and fauna descriptions got on my nerves, but besides that, an interesting, romantic story.
    • 4/5
      This is a slightly interesting historical novel set on the island of Guernsey during the German occupation of WWII. It is a bit slow-paced at times, but in some ways the slow pace captures the monotony and fatigue of a people who are held hostage by war, but who are not on the battlefield.
    • 4/5
      For 90% of this book, I really loved it. I was engrossed in the story, the love affair, the angst and I was full of questions regarding the future but the last few chapters were just...deflating. The story is simple - a woman is raising her family in occupied Guernsey and begins a relationship with a German soldier who moves in next door. Her daily life is often at odds with her life after dark when she and her lover lay in her room and leave the war and everything else at the door.

      As someone not overly aware of what life was like during the island occupations, the book was interesting in that regard and as life became tougher and the information gleaned from gossip became more and more dark, it was easy to see how hard it could have been. Throw in seeing first hand the plight of some of the POW's and the brutality by some of the soldiers and it could have been just another 'bad German' book. This didn't happen though and the book is saved from the pure stereotyping by showing the humanity of some of the occupiers - be it a couple of the soldiers next door (Max, a former doctor who calls Vivienne's daughter over to see a butterfly) or Gunther, Vivienne's lover who worries over his son who was recruited into the army - at one stage we even see a party held by young German soldiers. I think this balance is often lacking in books - the lack of acknowledgement that not all Germans were bad, and to be honest I find books that can admit that to be a much more gratifying read. In a book like this in particular, where we are being asked to buy into a love story, it was absolutely necessary.

      The first person narrative means we never really get to know anyone other than Vivienne in the book. I found her a decent narrator, a little naive at times, a little abrupt at others but because we lived all these experiences with her it was easy to see why she reacted in certain ways, for better or for worse and the narrative was well written. I often find first person narratives lazy, but this suited the story and the experiences well. We felt what she felt and wondered about the same things and you couldn't help but wonder, 'how would I have reacted in her place?'

      It was easy to invest in her, and her life, and her lover - she had come from an unhappy marriage and had found an all-consuming love, but as the later chapters showed, in a lot of ways, it wasn't real enough. Realistically, even when the war ended she and Gunther were never going to have a happily ever after, yet reading it you tried to ignore the sense of impending doom and hope for the best. Naturally, the best doesn't happen and she ends the relationship after a POW who she was helping is shot and she blames him for turning her in. Even with the same information she has, it was clear to me that she was jumping to the wrong conclusions and that was one of the things that bothered me about the ending of the book - their relationship ending would have been tragic enough, but for it to coincide with Gunther's son dying and him being shipped off to Russia and THEN dying while Vivienne becomes pregnant just felt like melodrama that cheapened things. It irritated me that even after Vivienne learned that Gunther hadn't betrayed her and that the reason he was upset that last nigh wasn't because he'd betrayed her, but was instead because his son had died that she still didn't go and comfort him even knowing he was going to the Eastern Front - this was a woman who hadn't conformed to what she 'should' have done throughout the book, so it was hard to accept that there was that indifference in her. The man she had professed to love, who had helped her family, who had allowed her to stay in her home had just been horribly bereaved and she didn't ever speak to him after the break-up and wrongly accusing him (at least internally) of such an ooc betrayal? As I said...deflating.

      There were a lot of good things in the book - it was a quick read, the secondary characters were interesting, it was layered with interesting subplots with the children, the POW's and her mother in law, but I wish the ending had been different. The epilogue tied up loose ends (a little too neatly) but I will admit to almost shedding a tear as she got the bookmark back. In a way though, it still only served to make me more irritated with her behaviour at the end of the book - it was all a little too late and I wanted to nip back in time and hug Gunther that night, since she didn't do it!

      My criticism probably sounds a bit harsh for a book that I have given 4 stars to, but I genuinely did love most of the book. The silly flaws such as Vivienne's preferential treatment (not being deported) not being met with bad treatment from the other islanders, the lack of resolution regarding how everyone reacted to her pregnancy didn't really bother me that much. As I said, for 90% of this I would have given the story 5 stars but I needed more from the resolution than I got. I didn't need a HEA, I just didn't need the soapy melodrama.
    • 4/5
      Grab some tissues. Again, I am not usually a crier when reading, but this novel really yanks several emotional threads. The bond of a mother and her children and the personal dilemma of choosing what is right in your heart and what is best for your family are powerful elements for me. Throw in an illicit love story and complex friendships: stunning results. Margaret Leroy is a story weaver; reading her writing is effortless. Plus, she has a beautiful name ;)
    • 5/5
      The Collaborator, also issued as 'The Soldier's Wife'.I had never read anything by Margaret Leroy before, but I enjoyed this mix of histoical fiction and love story. Usually I read a book for a book group and end up giving it more stars after the discussion. Unfortunately this book was the opposite, after my fellow readers had picked out a number of flaws in the narrative, I was no longer able to give it 5 stars. Still, 4.5 stars is a good rating and I did learn a fair bit about life on Guernsey during WWII.Vivienne de la Mare is the mother of two girls, wife to a soldier who is off fighting and daughter-in-law to his ageing mother. Before WWII they live a quiet life in a beautiful corner of Guernsey.The German occupation of Guerney was much less violent than other parts of Europe, but it still had a huge impact on the residents of the island. Curfew, shortages and an influx of slave workers had a dramatic effect on the lives of the islanders, and The Collaborator illustrates this well.What has stayed with me after reading this book was, firstly, the interactions between the two girls, the older one fourteen at the start of the book and her sister, just four. There was a big age difference, yet they obviously loved and supported each other.Secondly, the ageing, forgetful mother-in-law, who is so sympathetically described.And finally, the love story side of the book, which shows the enemy as real people with family left behind and a human side.In spite of its flaws (which I can't mention without spoilers), this was an interesting book for discussion and was generally enjoyed.Also readThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (3.5 stars)
    • 4/5
      I'm not quite sure how to describe this book. It's...feminine, without being chick-lit; WWII fiction, but imbued with light and even some romance. And yet, this book is filled with conflict. I'm not sure, even, how I feel about some of the characters and their choices.

      Regardless, it's beautifully written, and strongly evocative. I'd love to move into Vivienne's home. I feel I can see it and her village and island quite clearly. Sounds lovely!
    • 1/5
      I think this one suffered from the fact that I had re-read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society right before I read it. It does not come anywhere near in comparison, in my opinion. I didn't really like the main character, so I eventually just gave up. If you want to read about the Guernsey occupation, read TGLAPPPS.
    • 3/5
      A very romantic view of life during wartime. In general it is a very naively written book. It rarely gets into the true fears and feeling of an enemy occupied territory. The heroine seems to have no convictions about the Germans and their role as "the enemy”. The German officers seem to be very confused as to their role on the island and why they are there. "Those Who Save Us" is a much better book that deals with the same issues more realistically.
    • 4/5
      Grab some tissues. Again, I am not usually a crier when reading, but this novel really yanks several emotional threads. The bond of a mother and her children and the personal dilemma of choosing what is right in your heart and what is best for your family are powerful elements for me. Throw in an illicit love story and complex friendships: stunning results. Margaret Leroy is a story weaver; reading her writing is effortless. Plus, she has a beautiful name ;)
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this book. The chapters were short which made it fun to read. Sometimes when the chapters are super long it is hard to get into a book. I loved the story.This book is set during WW2 in Guernsey. During the occupation and how the people on the island dealt with it. I found myself wondering how we as a society would handle something like this. Would we act the same way? Would we try to defend ourselves more? Could you actually fall in love with someone from the enemy side?The ending was one that I had expected and was pleased with it.
    • 4/5
      A journey into a portion of World War II that is rarely covered in books, this novel portrays a woman's life during the Nazi occupation of her island in the English Channel. Margaret Levoy does an excellent job at showing how difficult life was and how strong women had to be to survive. It is a heartwretching story of pain, suffering, survival, love and hope.
    • 2/5
      The writing quality was good - and that is really the best that I can say for this novel. Set in WWII in the island of Guernsey, a woman begins a relationship with a German soldier and then is put in a situation where she helps a prisoner in a work camp. The "angle" of this is that she must make this big decision or choice - but it never really materializes. In fact, her emotions throughtout the book are muted and minimal for the weight of what would have really been occuring. I guess superficial is the what I would call it. She says she feels guilty about sleeping with the German soldier repeatedly, but never really shows in her actions that she feels guilty about it. She feels protective for her children but doesn't really change her own actions in order to secure her children. I just never believed this character so I didn't really care what happened to her or the people around her. Her emotions and actions were non-realistic. But the writing is quite deft. The uninteresting story was told well and was well crafted. I just didn't care.
    • 4/5
      The main thing that I really enjoyed about this book was although it went at an enormously slow pace it was the detailed writing that made it really good. The story itself was also really good, despite the theme being bleak and only gets much more bleaker towards the ending. The writing throughout the book was very well done I especially liked the descriptions of the island, despite the war theme, the island was separated from all that and really seemed like a beautiful place to be.The beginning of the book goes pretty slow. Well, the pace is actually pretty slow throughout, however it’s fitting because it’s like living on this island, time seems to go slow since it’s not really directly involved in the war (not so much as other countries that is). It picks up a little through the second half although not considerably. The characters in the book seem to be very well done. Vivienne and Gunther together just seemed to fit well. I’d rather hoped the outcome would have been different for the both of them but their endings were very well done and realistic in accordance to the time period of the story. Despite the slow pace of the book, it’s still worth a read. The bleak theme and the idyllic setting is an interesting contrast but provides a good balance between the two. It’s a well written dramatic plot that will stick with you even after you finish the book.
    • 4/5
      After reading a previous novel that took place during the German Occupation on the Island of Guernsey, I couldn't wait to return there through the pages of The Soldier's Wife. We follow Vivienne's life during this hard time after making a life-changing decision to stay on the Island when so many others are fleeing.Vivienne lives in a more rural area of Guernsey, but not far from a village that contains all of their basic needs. Since her husband has joined the army and has left to fight against the Germans, she finds herself having to spend all of her energy and strength over the next couple of years to care for her aging mother-in-law and her two young daughters. I found admiration in my heart for Vivienne as she raises these girls, one on the verge of becoming a young lady, during such turbulent times. Raising children is a hard job and I can only imagine what it would be like without the support of a husband and father by your side. Not only for emotional needs, but for basic survival needs as well.The Germans take over the Island in such a brutal and swift manner that leaves many fatalities including some of her close friends. Once the Germans have control Vivienne seems to be unsure of the intentions of this enemy, as she sees many of them shopping in the same stores that she shops, and some even dating friends of her teenage daughter. This seems to send a mixed message to Vivienne and as she has problems understanding where her loyalty actually lies.Since many of the Island residents have deserted their homes in a search for safety, it is easy for the Germans to find random houses to occupy during this period of time. It just so happens that the home right next to Vivienne's becomes occupied by a squad of German soldiers. As she catches glimpses of these soldiers from time to time she seems to let down her guard against them as she is able to see that they are actually human just like her. Before you know it she develops a special friendship with Gunther, a German captain, and they begin to count on each other for companionship.I must admit to you that when I first started this book I was not appreciating the story that was unfolding before me. But then I realized that although I didn't enjoy the premise of the novel, I couldn't put it down! I let my mind explore what this situation would be like for a young woman caring for an elderly woman and two young children. A person does what one needs to do in order to survive, even if it is seeking solitude and comfort from the most unlikely of strangers.This novel turned out to be so much more than I expected it to be. Vivienne must find the strength and courage to do things that put both her reputation and her life at risk. Some readers may find that many of her actions were wrong, but when it counted, she did what needed to be done. I found myself enjoying this novel, although it did leave me a bit unsettled, but I feel that good books will do that to you from time to time. With themes of love, courage, war, and perseverance I believe that this book would be great for a book club discussion or for personal leisure.
    • 5/5
      As WW11 draws closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows their will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the German officers who move in next door.
    • 5/5
      This is definitely a great pick for a book club. It is a story that will spur excellent discussions within that setting. The book is set in Guernsey during World War II. It focuses on a woman who falls in love with a German soldier and begins an affair. The book is somewhat balanced - so many books written about the German's during this timeframe portray them all as monsters. While it does show the terrible side, it does also show that there were some good German's as well. The book explores many issues. Who should you trust? What would you do for a stranger? What are you willing to do for your beliefs? Who should you love? Overall a beautiful and hard to put down book. Reader received a complimentary copy through the Good Reads First Reads program. Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book early!
    • 3/5
      While her husband is in France fighting, Vivienne de la Mare is taking care of her mother-in-law and two daughters at her home on the island of Guernsey. She knows that sacrifices will have to be made, that life will be different, but she has no idea of the ways she personally will change and be tested. When German soldiers move into the house next door, Vivienne sees the enemy in a new light – finds that maybe not all German soldiers are Nazi monsters, that maybe they are simply men fighting for their country, just like her husband. As Vivienne is drawn into a relationship with one of the German soldiers, she also begins to see the grim realities of war, the Polish prisoners being forced to work as slave labor, and comes face to face with the question of her own responsibility to those in need.Margaret Leroy is a beautiful writer. Her descriptions of the island of Guernsey have me wanting to book the next flight there, move into a cottage, and plant a garden. She was able to engage the senses with her details of food and sights and sounds. I definitely will look for more of her historical fiction, but in spite of these positives, this wasn’t a book that wowed me.First of all, I had trouble with two of the characters. Vivienne’s oldest daughter Blanche starts the book as a typical teenage girl. She’s upset that they didn’t leave the island and go to London, where she envisions glamorous city life. She reads Vogue magazine. She attends a party where girls flirt with the occupying German soldiers. And then, seemingly all of a sudden, she is piously religious, talking about “God’s will” and how God sustains one in a time of war. I don’t have any problem with a character of faith, as you know, but this rapid change just didn’t seem realistic to me. It took me out of the story and made me think about the author and the writing process, and that doesn’t make for an engrossing reading experience.Vivienne, the main character, was a passive character. Until the last quarter of the book, she seemed to spend a lot of time simply reacting and letting life happen. I understand that part of this was the author’s intention, to show how she changed during the course of the war, but it is incredibly difficult to make your reader care about a passive character. I was especially horrified by some of the parenting decisions she made – instances where she was pretty sure her daughters were making poor decisions or doing something wrong or even dangerous, and yet she did nothing.The other issue I had was some of the phrases the author chose to use. The main character spoke a few times of “telling her daughter off.” I’m not sure if that phrase was around during World War II – I’ve certainly never seen it used in any other WW II novels I’ve read – but even if it was, it sounds like such a modern expression that it ripped me right out of the world of the novel. It was especially jarring because of how beautifully the book was written otherwise.While the author’s exquisite word craft and the last quarter of the story made me like this book, they weren’t enough to make me love it.
    • 4/5
      This is an absorbing story written in beautiful, evocative prose with characters that are occasionally frustrating but all the more realistic for it. Set during World War II, the story takes us from the last day that Guernsey Islanders can evacuate for London before the arrival of the Germans in June, 1940, through all of the war, to an epilogue in 1946. Vivienne de la Mare lives with her two children, Blanche, 14, and Millie, 4, in a lovely isolated home on the island. Her widowed mother-in-law Evelyn lives with them also. Vivienne’s husband Eugene has gone to war, but he had been gone in most senses before that; they had never truly been in love, and in any event had not had any sexual relations since Millie was conceived. Vivienne knows that Eugene has had a mistress.When the Germans come, four German soldiers move into the deserted house next door. After a long struggle against her needs and her obvious attraction, Vivienne begins a relationship with one of them, Gunther Lehmann. Gunther too has a marriage back home in Germany that is inadequate in many ways, and Vivienne can sense his loneliness before they even speak. Gunther finds in Vivienne the love he never expected to have, and releases in her a passion that she only dreamed about. But it is an awkward situation. Vivienne feels like a traitor, and comes to loathe the behavior of the Germans wearing Nazi uniforms who supervise the slave laborers on the island. She never knows how much Gunther participates or knows about it; he prefers to leave all talk of the war outside of her door. She doesn’t understand how so much good and evil can coexist in the same universe.Somewhat by accident and reluctantly, Vivienne becomes involved in the underground resistance on the island. She does this during the day, and makes love to a German at night. It is tearing Vivienne apart, and something has to give. It finally does, in the senseless way that so often happens in wartime.Discussion: Complex issues raised by this story dilute the black and white of war with shades of gray that muddy any obvious judgments. The most salient issue is the tendency to lump all persons from an enemy nation into one category, refusing to consider that individuals vary, even in wartime. Part of the tragedy in this story is not only what war does to both the victims and the perpetrators, but that it leads to classifying all sorts of human beings with different interests and pasts and presents into only either victims or perpetrators. The inability to communicate is another big problem for Vivienne and Gunther, and it is compounded by the fact that they are on two different sides of the war. Does love supplant loyalty to one’s country when under occupation? Is love even real in such circumstances, or is it a response to the fear and adrenaline and heightened senses of wartime?But the biggest issue has nothing really to do with war at all, although the war affects it, and it is about trusting someone you love. Vivienne found she could not trust the love of her mother, who died when she was three, nor that of her husband, and she never learned how to give that trust to anyone else. Trust, trust is harder for Vivienne than questions of war and peace, or of good and evil. Ultimately, she must decide if she can take a chance on love. Her decision will haunt you long after you close the last page of this memorable book.Evaluation: This book is really an excellent exposé of both the overt, obvious horrors of war, and the little everyday ones, that can rip up peoples’ hearts and lives, or make them stronger from the unexpected dawns that always come even after the darkest nights.
    • 4/5
      "The Soldier's Wife" by Margaret Leroy is a thoughtful, well-told tale based on the true German occupation of the small Channel Island of Guernsey during World War II. After I read the novel, I researched the facts of the occupation, and the real story is just as compelling as the fictional account. Reading them both enhances the collective story content. Vivienne de la Mare is the wife of an English soldier, and she and her two daughters live with her mother-in-law at the family home in Guernsey. Vivienne's husband was absent from her life long before he went off to war. His affair with an actress alienated him from Vivienne's heart. Left to care for her mother-in-law, who is rapidly succumbing to dementia, Vivienne makes life as pleasant as possible for her two young daughters. When the German occupation arrives in an intense and violent manner, many rapid changes occur in the life of the islanders. German soldiers take over the empty house next to Vivienne's, and she becomes involved with one the officers. Theirs is a poignant, passionate, and ultimately improbable affair. During the time of the occupation, Vivienne is faced with many difficult decisions, some of which may have dangerous consequences for those she loves. "The Soldier's Wife" is written in a beautifully descriptive style, and it offers glimpses into both sides of the horror of the second world war. The shades of survivorship are well represented. Review copy provided by Hyperion VOICE
    • 4/5
      **Review of Advanced Reading Edition**Husband off to war, caring for two girls and an addled mother-in-law, our heroine, Vivienne must quickly decide if she must evacuate to the mainland from Guernsey and the Channel Islands. Each choice is fraught with potential problems. It’s early in World War II and England herself is being bombed. London, where Vivienne has connections, is perilous. An impending invasion by the Nazis carries unknown risks, but rumors are rife. Surely the War won’t last long? At the last, she packs up her daughters and trundles granny to a neighbor. Waiting to board the last boat out, she belatedly opts for perceived safety once she sees the tiny boat and the numbers of refugees queuing to board her. And this only takes us through the first 25 pages! Vivenne must live with this decision, despite bombings, deprivation and the stationing of Nazi officers at the house next door. Where does compromise to survive bleed into complicity with the enemy? How does one raise teenagers in wartime? How far does one go to protect a stranger? I truly enjoyed this book. The description of the bombing of the harbor was particularly harrowing. Leroy’s portrayal of the daughters, one in grade school, the other a teenager were spot on. So believable. Also ringing true was the relationship with the mother-in-law whose mind is starting to wander. These are true, fleshed out characterizations. The story is fast paced – the pages just kept on turning. I wish the love story with Gunther was equally compelling. Yes, it is forbidden, yes, it was fraught with danger, but no, it didn’t work for me. Because the other story lines were so involving, I kept with it to the end, although I would have been quite happy without the epilogue.
    • 4/5
      This book was set in my favorite time period and favorite location: Europe during WWII. More specifically, it begins on Guernsey Island right as German soldiers are beginning their occupation. It is the story of Vivienne, a mother of two daughters, who is taking care of her children, aging mother in law, and her home as her emotionally distant husband is away at war.I loved reading about the life on the island - Vivienne works hard around the home to make sure her daughters are provided for by planting vegetables in place of her beautiful flowers, getting creative in the kitchen with the rations she has, drinkings lots of tea, and eventually chopping down her fruit-filled orchard in order to have fire for heat. Vivienne's youngest daughter befriends a man who is captive in the concentration camp on the island and, although it is very dangerous, Vivienne works hard to keep him fed and as safe as possible. This book reminds us that we are all connected in the world and we mustn't be complacent about what happens to others around us. Excusing ourselves with, "I was just doing my job," or "I had no idea what was really going on" is not good enough. It is particularly relevant with the wars that the US is fighting now and with the political/economical climate the US is facing.What I didn't enjoy about this book was the love story. Vivienne has an affair with a German soldier that took over the house next door. Moving beyond the fact that she slept with a Nazi is the feeling that this storyline didn't need to be added - I think there was enough opportunity to add drama and unpredictability to the story of life on the island. We didn't really need the predictability of a doomed relationship. Another piece that bothered me throughout the book was the choppy sentence structure, but I believe the author was intending the book to read as though we were witnessing Vivienne's day to day thoughts and not reading artful, thoughtful prose. All in all, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for an easy, quick summer read or who enjoys reading about Europe in WWII.
    • 4/5
      The Soldier's Wife takes place during WWII on the tiny island of Guernsey. Vivienne lives on the island with her two daughters and mother-in-law during the German occupation while her husband is off fighting in the war. I found myself empathizing with Vivienne as she struggles to take care of her family. This book was a satisfying read.
    • 4/5
      The Soldier's Wife begins on the day that Guernsey islanders have their last chance to evacuate to England before the Germans invade. As Vivienne De la Mare waits in line with her elderly mother-in-law and her two young daughters, she begins to rethink her decision to leave. The boat is small and seems to be so overcrowded that they might capsize . . . or what if the Germans torpedo them in the middle of the Channel? On impulse, Vivienne decides it will be safer to stay and take her chances with the German occupiers. When the bombing starts, she wonders if she has made the right choice. And then a group of German officers move into the house next door.Overall, Leroy does a fine job of depicting life on the occupied island. Her description of the initial bombing is truly horrendous. Afterwards, everyone struggles as supplies from the mainland are cut off. Vivienne tries to make do with turnip jam and bread made from beans, and she worries that her teenage daughter, Blanche, disgruntled because her dreams of London life were shattered, has no young men to associate with--except the Germans. But it is Vivienne herself, not Blanche, who falls into the arms of the enemy.The romance is probably my least favorite part of the novel, even though it is central to it. As Vivienne becomes increasingly attracted to the colonel, we learn that her husband has long been unfaithful and that perhaps they were never really in love, giving her an easy excuse for an affair. And it is just too convenient that Gunther's wife had such a difficult time birthing their only son that they can no longer have sexual relations. What I found truly unbelievable is that they carried on their affair for years, meeting almost nightly in Vivienne's bedroom, and no one else living in the house suspected a thing. Only once is she threatened with exposure for fraternizing with the enemy: when the son of a friend tells her that she was seen riding in a truck with a German on a rainy day. Vivienne easily explains that away because she had a small child at home, it was raining heavily, her bicycle had a flat, . . . and she agrees that it was a mistake that she will never make again.When she isn't in bed with Gunther or making coffee from some unlikely plant, Vivienne worries about the safety of her family. Evelyn, her mother-in-law, seems to be losing touch with reality, Blanche is missing out on what should be the best years of her life, and Millie is too young to realize the dangers all around her.Eventually, Vivienne does wake up to the fact that there are worse things happening on the island than are happening in her kitchen, something the younger residents of the island have long known and have even tried to surmount. There comes a point for everyone, apparently, when ignoring reality no longer works.Leroy tacks on a post-war epilogue that was all too predictable and might better have been left out. But aside from that and the overly-hasty and convenient romance, I enjoyed the book and the realistic depiction of daily life on an occupied island.
    • 5/5
      What would you do for the love of a child, the love of a man or the love of your country? What if you had to take action to save a life. What if that life was one of a stranger?Set in WWII occupied Guernsey, The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy tells those stories.With her husband off fighting, Vivienne de la Mare must decide whether to leave the Isle of Guernsey to the inevitable German occupation or to stay and face the unknown and possibly the unthinkable. Her country choosing not to defend the island from Hitler's encroaching armies, Vivienne decides to protect her two young daughters, abandon their home and escape to London. But when it comes time to leave, she fears that there are too many people boarding a boat far too small to safely carry them all and she takes her daughters and returns home. The next day the Germans arrive and a group requisition the house next door to hers for their lodging.A touching story unfolds. Much of Vivienne's days are spent finding and preparing or putting up food for her family. Being able to do so gives her a small feeling of accomplishment. Supplies are limited and the islanders are forced to do without or find substitutes for the ordinary things they love. Coffee is replaced by a brew of roasted parsnips, apples carefully stored to last through the winter, new clothes made from old curtains, and flower gardens tilled over and replaced with Victory Gardens. A small piece of chocolate is a rarity to savor and necessity forces tenuous relationships to be built with the Germans.Leroy builds stories within stories. She carefully draws characters that you come to care about and she creates an environment that gives you a feel for the day-to-day concerns of that time and place. If you've ever wondered what it must be like to live in an occupied country, the fears one experience and the sacrifices one is forced to make, you'll appreciate Leroy's skill.This is a story that hauntingly stays with you like so many WWII stories do. I thought I might find it merely romantic, but it's actually much more than that. It's not a light beach read; it's a complex story that's hard to put down. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
    • 5/5
      I am no stranger to The Channel Islands and the fact that the Nazis occupied them for 5 years during WW 2. I been interested in this time and place since first watching BBC series,Enemy At The Gate,then Islands At War and reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society two times!Now comes Margaret Leroy's lush,evocative novel of the same time period. I absolutely adored this book and purposely read it slowly to savor it.In the Guernesy book we read of all the things that went on during the occupation in the past tense. In The Soldier's Wife we live it as Vivienne,the very human,flawed main character lives it every day as she cares for and tries feed her two daughters and mother in law with dementia.. In some books I feel the characters exhibit 21st century thoughts and deeds many times. Not in this book. It shows Ms. Leroy's much thought out research on this time period.When German officers are housed next door to Vivienne it is inevitable that they would try to interact with her. At first she is resolute in saying no to all offers of treats and help. Eventually she can not resist the physical attraction she has for Gunther,an officer who abhors war and longs for his wife and son. It is revealed the Vivienne did not have much of a marriage as her husband had strayed in the few years before the war.Vivienne's involvement with the starved,sick laborers on the island eventually brings tragic results for Vivienne and her relationship with Gunther.There was an inevitable last chapter that brought with it a bit of a surprise.This will be up there on my top 10 list for 2011.Ms. Leroy,please write more fiction set during WW2!
    • 4/5
      When I first heard about the release of Margaret Leroy's The Soldier's Wife, I had a suspician that it might be a mediocre WWll story, trying to capitalize on the recent popularity of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Happily, I couldn't have been more wrong. The Soldier's Wife is thoughtful and well written, clearly portaying life in Nazi occupied Guernsey. The characters, including both the islanders and the Germans, are believable and well defined, and Ms. Leroy makes the setting come alive. The story is much more than just a love story between Vivienne de la Mare and the German officer in the house nextdoor. Vivienne's relationships with her neighbors, daughters, ailing mother-in-law, and prisoners of war are lyrically described and add to the complexity of the story. Juxtaposed to Vivienne's wartime existance are the fairytales she reads aloud to her young daughter. I enjoyed this book very much.
    • 4/5
      I received this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. The book tells the story of Vivienne, a mother of two girls living on Guernsey island off the cost of France during World War II. The island was occupied by Germans early in the war, and several soldiers moved into the house next door. Vivienne begins a secret relationship with one of the soldiers, and struggles with coming to terms that she could fall in love with a man who's on the wrong side. I found this to be an excellent read, and I love how none of the characters in the book are perfect. They're all flawed in some way, and I find that's what makes the story interesting. A great book!
    • 4/5
      It took me a day or two to get into this book--probably because it was so different than the book I had just finished. But once I was into it, I couldn't put it down. The tension created by the choices that Vivienne makes throughout the book just kept growing, and by the last few chapters I was so worried about all of the characters.Having said that, though, I admit that I never fully understood the attraction between the Gunther and Vivienne. It seemed to happen so quickly that I didn't fully buy into it. What was most appealing in the book were the descriptions of daily life--of the cooking, gathering food, daily routines--that made up life during the occupation. I could see it all vividly.Overall, I do recommend this book. As another reviewer here said, it's a good, old-fashioned read, with a complicated protagonist and vivid prose.

    Book preview

    The Soldier's Wife (The Collaborator) - Margaret Leroy

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