The Power of a Family Dinner

During the German occupation of Jersey, food ran scarce—but the islanders' spirits stayed strong

La Corbière Lighthouse in St. Brélade, Jersey. David Genders

I have a farmhouse table in my kitchen, built with wooden slats and grooves wide enough to collect every crumb. Its legs are adorned with red crayon marks courtesy of my toddler. It is not the most ornate table in the world, nor is it the neatest, but it is my favorite place in my house.

That my family eats dinner together is my strictest rule. I do this so we can talk, I do this because I enjoy it, but mostly, I do this because of my grandfather’s stories from the war.

Visits to Jersey

I learned about World War II on my grandfather’s knee, in the half-light of dusk, during visits to his house by the sea on the English Channel Island of Jersey. This island, only 14 miles off the coast of France, was the only place that had truly been home for my grandparents.