This is a book that has been recommended to me, I can’t count how many times. And I admit I was a societylittle surprised at the excitement that seemed to exist around it. And, if the truth be told, I have actually started this book at least six times, and every time I have never been able to get past the first half of the book. The format is what I was finding difficult to follow, and frustrating to try and make sense out of.

The story is about an author that is seeking a new book subject, when she is contacted by a man that had obtained one of her books, and wrote her to get more information about the author. She ends up finding her new book to write through the history of the occupation of the island of Guernsey, during World War II. The story is developed completely through letters, and journal entries, and this is what I was struggling with. I had a hard time tracking the story because it was hard to follow all of the different characters. The character development through letters of strangers is sometimes difficult to grasp. I have a hard time learning about people through letters, even when I knew them. I think that is because the letters were not written with the intent of giving insight into themselves, so much as communicating with someone else.

However, That is not to say that this isn’t a wonderful story — I just had to find the appropriate format to get through it. I finally decided to listen to the book in an unabridged version on CD’s — and it worked. It made it much easier to follow who the characters were by listening to the letters being read through the character’s voice. I no longer struggled to following who the people were that were writing, and I was more able to following the story itself.

That said — the story itself is a fun, and entertaining read. And though it deals with the painful topics of loss, particularly the loss of Elizabeth — the characters are fun, and very real in their presentation. The topic of loss is usually something that is almost always associated with wars — and World War II is probably more of an example of that, than any other. Mainly because their were so many civilian casualties that simply disappeared into concentration camps, never to return. There was no way for survivors to know what had ultimately happened to the victims — they were simply gone.

This story shows the pain, and the extent of the suffering as Elizabeth’s friends can only wait for news of what happened to Elizabeth following her arrest. She had been missing for several years by the time the story ensues, and her friends could only wait, and hope that she would be able to return home, now that the war was over. This story is a beautiful expression of how hard it is for people to move forward with their lives, when there is a portion of themselves that is stuck in the past, simply waiting for news of a loved one that is gone.

This story is also a beautiful demonstration of how hard it is for humans to move forward, without some form of closure, following the loss of a loved one. And while they go through the semblance of continuing on with their own lives, there is always the ghost of what could have been, and might be again, without a permanent closure. The unanswered question of what if they are out there — and how can I help bring them home is always there. Just as Elizabeth is out there somewhere — lost in war torn Europe, and her friends on Guernsey, no matter how badly they would like to help bring her home, can only wait for a solution to present itself.

This really is a great book — but the format is a little bit of a struggle for some people — like me. Reading this one I found very difficult. But the CD, audio format made this a fun read, for a very powerful story.