A wartime diary written by the grandmother of a Liss author has been translated it into book.
It covers 1940 to 1945 when the island of Jersey was occupied by German forces during the Second World War.
This fascinating record was written by Marie Sandeman, nee Blandin, born in Evian in France in 1880. In 1932 she moved to Jersey in the Channel Islands with her husband and two sons.
Her account of the German occupation of the islands was written for her sons who were at school in England.
Their forced five-year separation takes the reader through loss, heartbreak and hardship as a brave and honest woman tries to survive one of the most extraordinary times in Jersey’s history.
Marie wrote her diary in French on loose pieces of paper, which she had to hide from the occupying forces.
Anne Penn of Liss, one of Marie’s grandchildren, decided to translate the diary so Marie’s living descendants could have an English version titled If These Lines Survive.
She then presented the original work to the Jersey Heritage Trust for safekeeping.
Marie’s opening line in June 1940 was: “Today I am going to start an account of the past three weeks which will go down in the history of the island.”
She was so right and her record is a unique take on life during this time.
All sale proceeds will go to two charities which were close to Marie’s heart.
If These Lines Survive is available from Amazon in paperback, and costs £14.95.