Title: The Viennese Girl 
Author: Jenny Lecoat
Published: April 28th 2020
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Pages: 368
Genres: Fiction, Historical
RRP: $29.99
Rating: 4 stars
Inspired by the true story of a young Jewish girl – Hedy Bercu – who fled to Jersey from Vienna only to find herself trapped on the island during the German occupation.
Hedy Bercu, a young Jewish girl from Vienna who fled to the isolation and safety of Jersey two years earlier to escape the Nazis, finds herself once more trapped, but this time with no way of escape.
Hiding her racial status, Hedy is employed by the German authorities and secretly embarks on small acts of resistance. But most dangerously of all, she falls in love with German lieutenant Kurt Neumann — a relationship on which her life will soon depend.
A remarkable novel of finding hope and love when all seems at its darkest.
Review:
I’m continually amazed at the sheer amount of World War II stories that continue to be released in the publishing world. The Viennese Girl is author Jenny Lecoat’s first novel. A story inspired by real life figures and true events, this tale will astound you. With the focus on the German occupation in the Chanel Islands region of Jersey, The Viennese Girl shocks, pulls at the heartstrings, educates and inspires the reader.
Hedy Berkus is the central character of Jenny Lecoat’s debut novel. This young Jewish woman has escaped her dangerous former life in Vienna, for a relatively safe existence in Jersey. As the war makes it presence known, Hedy realises that she is permanently stuck in Jersey. As Hedy weighs up her options, she knows she must do everything to stay under the radar and avoid any unwanted attention from the Nazis stationed on Jersey. This is easier said than done. Hedy finds herself at the very centre of Jersey’s German operations. Hedy is employed by the German authorities and in an act of defiance, she risks it all to obtain much needed rations. These dangerous acts bring her into the arms of a handsome German officer named Kurt, who shows Hedy a love that she never thought would be possible in these incredibly trying times. But will Hedy’s identity be exposed and what implications will this bring for the young Jewish runaway?
One of my favourite wartime novels is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Not only do I love the story itself and the equally delightful cast, I adored the setting. The Viennese Girl first caught my eye due to the similar wartime setting to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I am definitely interested in more World War II stories from this part of the world, so Jenny Lecoat’s novel drew immediate appeal. I’m glad this one came my way, as I really appreciated the author’s novelisation of a compelling true story.
Jenny Lecoat does a superb job of bringing wartime Jersey to life for the reader. We are immediately thrust into this uncertain, dangerous, occupied, restricted and German dominated locale. The fear is written all over the characters faces and their anxiety levels are high, especially for lead of this story. Lecoat is clearly very well versed in this time period and specific location. I loved learning more about the general way of life of the ordinary citizens of Jersey and how their lives were impacted by the presence of the Germans. The rations and threats the Germans imposed during this time was visibly moving. I was also taken aback by prisoners brought to the island. Even a small island locale like Jersey wasn’t immune to the Nazi regime.
Hedy Berkus is the lead of The Viennese Girl, who is inspired by a real life figure. I thought this heroine was brought to life very well by the penmanship of Jenny Lecoat. Hedy is a young woman who has suffered a great deal in her life, she is lost soul who finds herself stuck in Jersey. However, Hedy doesn’t despair, she seems to take it in her stride and she makes of it what she can. This personal drive leads Hedy to a dangerous but lucrative position working with the German authorities. I thought Hedy was brave, determined, enterprising and resilient. Hedy did have her flaws, especially in her treatment of some of the other characters in the story, namely Dorothea, a supporting protagonist. But I was sympathetic to Hedy’s trust issues and high anxiety levels. Living on the edge and avoiding capture for such a length of time would be a true test to the human spirit.
Lecoat introduces a forbidden style romance between this Jewish woman in hiding and a German officer. Full of danger, intrigue, stolen moments and high emotion, this love story will pull at the heartstrings. While I enjoyed the romance between Hedy and Kurt, I don’t think it quite went the distance, it seemed like further investment was needed on my behalf as a reader to really lose myself in this love affair. Nevertheless, it provides an essential layer to this historical narrative.
The Viennese Girl is full of dangerous plots, troublesome situations, tests to the human spirit and character building moments. Through the lives of Hedy, Kurt, Dorothea and the support cast, the reader is swept up in this dramatisation of real life events from our not too distant past.
A considered and carefully written tale, seeped in rich historical detail, I enjoyed Jenny Lecoat’s debut. The Viennese Girl will be of significant interest to readers of World War II based fiction.
The Viennese Girl by Jenny Lecoat was published on 28th April 2020 by Allen & Unwin. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of The Viennese Girl, Jenny Lecoat, visit here.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
