Rachel’s Shoe
Why a Booktrail?
What you need to know before your trail
This is the story of a young Jewish girl held captive by the Germans on the island of Alderney. She is rescued by a local teenage boy, Tom, who is himself evading the German soldiers. The story tells of her time in hiding on the tiny island of Herm, a dramatic escape to England and her subsequent return as a young woman when the islands are liberated after five years of occupation. Romance blossoms between Rachel and Tom as they put the war behind them and start a life together. But an unknown legacy emerges to threaten Rachel’s life.
Locations
Reset- Channel Islands - Guernsey - Alderley
- A: Alderney Breakwater
- B: Alderney Museum
- C: Guernsey - Rocquaine
- D: Herm - The port
Travel Guide
Channel Islands during WW II
The Channel Islands were occupied by Nazi German forces for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until their liberation on 9 May 1945.
Both the occupiers and the island authorities didn’t think the war would last and so they both ruled the island with a gentle hand compared to other occupied towns and countries.
On 15 June 1940 , after the Allied defeat in France, the British government decided that the Channel Islands were of no strategic importance and would no longer be defended.
Evacuation from the islands happened very slowly and late. The last troops however left the islands on 20 June so quickly that half-consumed meals and bedding were left in Castle Cornet.
The Germans did not realise that the islands had been demilitarised and lorries delivering fruit were thought to be something else, and bombed in St Peter’s Port. The Germans gradually controlled the island and occupation began.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: Rachel’s Shoe
Destination: Channel Islands Author/Guide: Peter Lihou Departure Time: WW2
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