Book Title: MISTS OVER THE CHANNEL ISLANDS
Character Name: Dr. Ivy Picot
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I can’t imagine a happier childhood, growing up on the beautiful island of Jersey with my wonderful family. My father always encouraged me to follow in his footsteps—and the footsteps of my grandfather and great-grandfather—and become a physician. Although many told me a woman doctor wouldn’t be accepted, my father always believed in me. However, I never had a great crowd of friends like my older sister Fern.
What was your greatest talent?
People say I see “behind the seen.” I don’t think of it as much. I simply notice the way people move and hold themselves and react to what others say. I’ve been that way since I was a child.
Significant other?
My sister Fern says I’m a spinster and lost my only opportunity when I was at Oxford. But how could I have married a man who loved London more than he loved me? Or when I loved Jersey more than I loved him?
Biggest challenge in relationships?
I’m not beautiful or vivacious like Fern, and men rarely notice me. If they do, they’re often thrown off by the “Dr.” in front of my name.
Where do you live?
I live on Jersey in the Channel Islands, now occupied by the Germans.
Do you have any enemies?
The Germans are the enemy, especially the men of Organisation Todt who ruin the land with their hideous fortifications and who abuse their slave workers.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
I believe Jersey is the most beautiful place in the world, with stunning seascapes, charming villages, and an ever-changing array of birds and animals and flowers. My heart is broken seeing the Germans tear down everything good and lovely to build defenses, pouring concrete where it doesn’t belong and stringing barbed wire around our beaches.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Neither. I do hope to have children someday, but right now I’m glad I don’t have pets. As hunger grows on the island, cats and dogs are disappearing at an alarming rate.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a physician in a long line of Doctors Picot. Before the Germans came, my father left Jersey to serve as a medical officer in the British Army. Since I’m young and a woman, I’ve struggled to keep our patients from leaving the practice.
Greatest disappointment?
Seeing the medical practice slowly dying. The new rumors circulating about Fern—they couldn’t possibly be true!—are making things even worse.
Greatest source of joy?
When my family is together and as it should be. I miss this.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
I love to draw the beauties of Jersey—the wildlife and flowers and ocean views.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
When I’m drawing or seeing patients, I lose all sense of time and I’m constantly late. This has driven even more patients from the practice. I know punctuality is another way to care for people, but now I’ve broken my wristwatch. With all the shortages because of the German occupation, I have no way of having it replaced or repaired.
What keeps you awake at night?
My family is falling apart before my eyes. Fern is bitter since her husband left to fight for Britain and sent their sons to safety in England. And our little brother Harry dropped out of school and is working as a deckhand on a cargo boat to support the family. Now Harry has struck up a friendship with Gerrit van der Zee, a Dutchman working for Organisation Todt! Harry says Gerrit is not like the others—and I admit I sometimes see something good in him—but how can it be when his unit is destroying my island and abusing prisoners?
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
The health of the islanders grows worse each day. We don’t have enough to eat, and we’re running out of medications. I’m providing medical care to slave workers who have escaped from the German camps. I could go to prison for this, but how could I let them suffer?
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
Insulin and other medications for my patients. People are dying needlessly, and I’m powerless to help.
Why don’t you have it? What is in the way?
The Germans. Always, the Germans.
World War II Enemies-to-Lovers Historical Romance Set in the British Channel Islands
Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish.
The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot's peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father's medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy's quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers--even as danger closes in.
Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide--or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?
Renowned WWII fiction author Sarah Sundin crafts a compelling historical romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, wartime resistance, and medical intrigue--a tale of loyalty, resilience, and courage when love and duty collide.
Romance Historical | Christian [ Revell, On Sale: February 3, 2026, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800741877 / eISBN: 9781493452804 ]
Sarah Sundin is a bestselling and Christy Award-winning author of World War II novels, including Embers in the London Sky (February 2024). Her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publisher's Weekly. Until Leaves Fall in Paris received the 2022 Christy Award, The Sky Above Us received the 2020 Carol Award, and The Sound of Light, When Twilight Breaks, and The Land Beneath Us were Christy Award finalists. A mother of three adult children, Sarah lives in Southern California and serves as co-director of the West Coast Christian Writers Conference.
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