Jenny Lecoat’s latest novel, Beyond Summerland, is set on the Island of Jersey off the coast of England, known as Summerland to the Nazi forces who invaded it. The story begins in 1945 following the liberation from the Nazis and Jean Parris and her family join the locals at the liberation gathering. The only thing is they don’t feel any of the hope the others around them seem to feel. Jean’s father was deported early on in the war, and when they received the news of his death, all implications pointed to one woman. Hazel Le Tourneur who lives above Jean’s father’s ironmongers shop.
In the end, they must join forces to reveal the truth, and buried secrets won’t stay secret for long.
While many books have been written set during WWII, Lecoat’s novel explores the aftermath of the Nazi invasion of the island of Jersey. Get an inside look into the book in this Q&A with Author Jenny Lecoat.
How did your own family’s story inspire your latest novel, Beyond Summerland?
My Jersey family experienced the Nazi Occupation first-hand. My grandfather’s siblings sheltered escaped Russian slave workers and then found themselves betrayed by neighbors. My great Aunt Louisa died at Ravensbrüch as a result. But the two people accused of betraying the family were never charged, nor was any evidence ever brought, so it remains something of an open case. I became fascinated with how people, especially on a small island, move on from that – or don’t.
Did all of the locations on Jersey exist, or are some purely fictional?
It’s a combination. For example, the harbor area below South Hill and the street where Jean’s family lives are real places; West Park Pavilion was a real dance hall, though it was torn down years ago. My paternal grandfather ran a shop on New Street which I used as the basis for the shop in the story, but it wasn’t an ironmonger, and the school where Hazel teaches is fictional, though there were similar schools on the island.
Tell me about your research process for the book.
I have a shelf full of Jersey history books, and of course, the internet is a tremendous resource for writers – particularly invaluable during the Covid lockdown. I’m also lucky enough to have direct access to expert historians such as Dr Gilly Carr of Cambridge University who knows the islands’ wartime history inside out. And of course, I have my memories of many locations – I visit regularly to see friends and family. It’s important to start with the facts, and then build the fiction from that raw material.
What was the hardest scene to write?
If I’m struggling to write any individual scene, it’s usually because the story has a flaw. Sometimes you find yourself working against something you’ve set up earlier, or find a character contradicts a position from an earlier chapter. Then you have to go back, decide what the best version is, and do the repairs.
Whose storyline did you enjoy writing most, Jean’s or Hazel’s?
I don’t write storylines separately, the process is more organic than that. I found myself more sympathetic to one or other characters at certain points in the story, but that’s a good thing, as that’s what I want the reader to feel too. Both women have their strengths and their flaws, like everyone.
Did you know who the real culprit was when you first started writing/plotting out the book?
I work out the plot in quite a lot of detail before I start writing any text, as for me that’s half the work. If you don’t know where you’re going with a narrative you can’t build in set-ups or use sleight of hand to lead the reader a different way. But the point of Beyond Summerland is not really to reveal a “baddie”, as it’s not a whodunnit. I did initially consider leaving their identity unknown at the end of the book, which was the reality for many islanders who never found out the truth.
If Beyond Summerland were turned into a feature who do you imagine in the roles of Jean and Hazel?
Ha ha! I worked in screen for a long time, and I know that it’s never worth fantasizing about things like that. Quite often the least likely person is wonderful in a part you never imagined they could play.
Who are some of your fellow authors that you enjoy reading?
There are so many wonderful writers out there. The best ones make me want to give up writing, but at the same time inspire me to try harder. Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See is one of my favorite books of recent years. Recently I’ve been reading Kit de Waal who is brilliant at writing from a child’s point of view, and I loved Douglas Stuart’s Shuggie Bain.
Are you currently writing your next book, and if so, can we get a sneak peek?
I’ve started a new story, set in Jersey in the 1970s, but it’s way too early for a peek I’m afraid. It’ll be months before anyone reads any of it!
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