The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows | A Delight

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The Guernsey Liter...

	The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows The Dial Press, 2008 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 373 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Wonderful Light Read

I loved this book. I became quite enamored with the characters...even the rotten ones. I would recommend this to anyone. It is written in diary format which I know is difficult for some to get into, but it is such an easy read.
A great book for a weekend get-away.

A Delight

Juliet Ashton, a writer from London, wrote a much needed light-hearted newspaper column under the name Izzy Bickerstaff during WW ll. Her writings were later published as a much read book. While looking for her next subject, she receives a letter from a native of Guernsey, the Channel Island that was occupied by the Germans during the War. The inhabitants were cut off from society: no radios, they lived on turnip soup and without spoiling anything, they formed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society to cope with life.

This novel depicts life for Juliet and the islanders via letters. It can be read in short spurts as letters are no longer than 3 pages. You will want to read more than one letter at a time. The story is both entertaining, witty and a history lesson. Mary Ann Shaffer, an editor and librarian wrote this book with her niece, Annie Burrows, a childrens book author. Mary Ann's health failed while she was writing the book which caused her to have Annie assist in finishing the book. Unfortunately she did not live to see the book published. She was inspired to write this book after a visit to Guernsey. There is a memorial fund set up in her name to assist female authors.

Guernsey is a very clever book and self effacing - which makes it a delight. Since it's set in England I'm giving myself license to call it a delight. (Regression: Wasn't there a line in Wuthering Heights, where marriage is accepted because "he's handsome and a delight to be with"?) The words flow. The characters are well developed. The setting is well-established. You'll want to believe these are real people and you'll want to spend time with them. This work is heartfelt and enjoyable.

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Beautifully done

I enjoyed this book so much and thought that the use of letters to write it was a wonderful choice.
The main female character becomes pen pals in a round about way with residents of the Channel Island, Guernsey. They tell of their literary society and life for them during World War II. Julia, the main character becomes very entrenched in lives of these people, and she soon goes for a visits. She then becomes even more a part of their lives.
The stories of the residents survival during the war are sometimes sad and all the time heartwarming. But what they had was their literary society, and this kept their spirits up when things did not look good.
My favorite character would probably be Ilsa. She definitely brings an comical and eclectic mix to the group. Reading her letters to Julia and others I found my self thinking what a colorful character to know.
The story will definitely tickle your heart strings, but there are definite moments of laughter.
A really beautiful story that would make a great movie. A definite read!
And now I fell I must find a way to the Channel Islands!

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I chose to read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" book because I was intrigued by the title. The book is an historical novel of how a group of individuals on the English Channel Island of Guernsey survived five years of Nazi occupation during World War II.

A group of islanders roast a hidden pig and in their festivity lose track of time. The "Society" is a book club that forms quickly to protect its members from arrest by the German soldiers for violating curfew. The Germans allow artistic and cultural activities on the Guernsey Islands to prove to the British that it is a "model occupation." The "Society" grew to become the anchor that connected the islanders as a community in a time when they were cut off from the rest of the world.

The authors Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece Annie Barrows both share a love of reading through their varied experiences as writers, editor, librarian, and working in bookstores. This is Shaffer's first novel. Annie Barrows is the author of the children's series Ivy and Bean, as well as, The Magic Half.

The book reveals the ingenuity, perseverance and determination of the human spirit in a time of crisis. The book was in the form of letters from "Society" members to a writer in London in 1946 that helped to reveal the differing personalities and their interconnectedness. The lure of the Guernsey Island and its residents changed forever the life of the London writer.

I was slightly hesitant at first to read a book in the format of letters. However, the letters from the Guernsey Islanders were able to weave a story in a way that a narrative could not. According to the Islanders the Germans kept a strict count of all cows and pigs. A dead animal was reported over and over so that the islanders would have something substantial to eat. The Germans begin to tattoo all animals so that there could be no more dead animal switching.

I would recommend the book to all individuals seeking to be uplifted by the creativeness and determination displayed by the Guernsey Islanders and to those who are curious about a potato peel pie recipe. Other inspirational books written about events during this time period are The Zoo Keeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman, Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally and The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank.

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