Why a Booktrail?
1940s, 2000s: The sixth in the Guernsey novels series
The Betrayal (The Guernsey Novels 6)
What you need to know before your trail
1940. Teresa Bichard and her baby are sent by her beloved husband, Leo, to England as the Germans draw closer to Guernsey. Days later they invade
1942. Leo, of Jewish descent, is betrayed to the Germans and is sent to a concentration camp, never to return.
1945. Teresa returns to find Leo did not survive and the familys valuable art collection, including aRenoir, is missing. Heartbroken, she returns to England.
2011. Nigel and his twin Fiona, buy a long-established antique shop in Guernsey and during a refit, find a hidden stash of paintings, including what appears to be a Renoir. Days later, Fiona finds Nigel dead, an apparent suicide. Refusing to accept the verdict, a distraught Fiona employs a detective to help herdiscover the truth
Searching for the rightful owner of the painting brings Fiona close to someone who opens a chink in her broken heart. Can she answer some crucial questions before laying her brother’s ghost to rest?
Who betrayed Leo? Who knew about the stolen Renoir? And are they prepared to kill again?
Locations
Reset- St Peter Port - Guernsey Tourist Board
- A: St Peter Port - Guernsey Tourist Board
- B: Les Banques Lookout
- C: St Peter Port - Smith Street
- D: Herm
- E: German Occupation Museum
- F: Hotel Ziggurat
Travel Guide
Guernsey
Guernsey is an island in the English Channel just off the coast of Normandy.
It’s well known for beach resorts like Cobo Bay and the rugged coastal cliffs. There’s also a very strong literary link and not just with these novels – the famous Hauteville House is the lavish former home of French writer, Victor Hugo.
There’s also Castle Cornet – a 13th-century harbor fortification in the capital of St. Peter Port, now contains history and military museums.
A painting by Renoir of a Guernsey scene plays a major role in the story – the artist really did visit the island and paint some of his works there.
German Occupation Museum
A very important museum to visit given the subject matter of the books. The first German aircraft arrived at Guernsey Airport on the 30th June 1940 and this marked the beginning of the Occupation.The island really has a lot to offer. You can take any one of the Guernsey novel books and sit on one of the many beaches. In between chapters, you can even go kayaking or surfboarding. There’s golf for the quieter moments (also good reading spots)
Trail Gallery
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
I admit to having come to this series of books late – but the good side is that I have a few more to read now! This is the sixth and if this is anything to go by, I’m going to spending a LOT of time on Guernsey with pleasure!
Nigel and Fiona, their antique shop and the mysterious Renoir painting opens up a great premise for exploring the island’s past ( and the little unknown fact that Renoir did spend some time painting here) and it’s a richly dark tale which unfolds.
The two time lines were very nicely done – from 1940 to 2011 – the story of the past with Leo was particularly impressive. The story and history of Guernsey comes to the fore and what a fascinating account it is! I can’t say I’d thought much about the war, the isolation and the sense that an island, already separate from the mainland could feel so separate and distant in more ways than one.
The story unfolds at a nice pace, interweaving links unfolding gradually and with ease. The setting is exquisitely evoked and you can tell the author loves the island, its people and the stories it has to tell Bringing them out via fiction in this way is a literary homage!
If you’ve not discovered Anne Allen, I recommend that you do. Her books are a literary visit to a beautiful and fascinating island you’ll never forget.
Booktrail Boarding Pass: The Betrayal (The Guernsey Novels 6)
Destination : Guernsey Author/Guide: Anne Allen Departure Time: 2000s
Back to ResultsWhere Next?
