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 | Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

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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 233 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

? I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.? January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she?s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb?.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends?and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island?boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society?s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

It was a little confusing at first, but once you get started reading it you will enjoy it. I felt a side benefit was that it also taught me a history lesson. I REALLY enjoy the book.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A great read! Different from what you would expect a novel about the aftermath of WWII to be.

A wonderful read!

This book was selected for my book club, and I knew nothing about it when I started. It was a fascinating, and fun, read. The letter format is very unusual, but didn't get in the way of the story progression. The descriptions of the island during the Occupation were very moving. The characters were believable. But it was also a FUN read.

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A wonderful book!

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time -- witty, endearing characters, funny, heartbreaking. The subject, more serious than the title suggests, is the Nazi occupation of Guernsey during World War II and the aftermath. I learned a lot, laughed, cried, and was very sorry when I finished the book. I wanted more!

Reluctance Turns to Appreciation

This book came to me as an Early Review Book from Library Thing and my first reaction was, "I didn't request this!" It had a somewhat cutesy cover (including a red bow) and I think I actually groaned. But, I take my responsibilities as an Early Reviewer seriously (I am three reviews behind and keenly aware of my lapse) so thought I'd better dig in and make the best of it.

I think I tried not to like the book and initially I had some help. The story is told in correspondence centered on Juliet Ashton, a post WWII novelist who is tired of writing her successful series of novels and scouting for a new subject. Several successful novels have been written with this somewhat stilted format including 84, Charing Cross Road (also having a literary connection) and Letters From Yellowstone. As I made initial progress, 30-40 pages in, cutesy was still on my mind, but I was starting to sort out the characters and had a good sense of an emerging plot. By the time I turned the last page (275) I realized I had enjoyed the book immensely, despite cutesy and despite the format.

The plot begins to center on how the Guernsey Islanders survived the German occupation during WWII. (Despite being a part of Great Britain and in the middle of the English Channel, the Nazis occupied the Channel Islands and cut off all communication with Britain.) Aware of their pending occupation the Islanders bundled their children off to Britain and hunkered down expecting the worst. As Juliet begins to uncover this story in her correspondence and the characters emerge, you find yourself in the grips of a compelling plot and caring about these rare characters on the island.

As for the odd title? Well, the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society" was a cover-up for the group who were attempting to subvert the Nazis. But, it ended up drawing people together for many reasons, including literary.

An excellent, innovative debut for this aunt-niece author duo.

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