So it's been a while now since I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, but it is such a cute book that I think it really deserves a spot on this blog.
It might help you gain a better picture about the nature of this book if I tell you that it is one that I was referred to and borrowed from my cute 82-year old grandma.
The book is written as a series of letters between friends. I remember feeling a little bit overwhelmed at first and thinking that I would never be able to keep all of the corresponders straight, but by the end, all of the writers and recipients of the letters become some of the dearest people that you think you won't ever be able to forget.
Back cover:
"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."
One of my favorite quotes from the book:
“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.”
Five out of five stars.
5 comments:
Anybody want to write about Peace Like a River, The Help, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, Into the Darkness, The Glass Castle or any others that I'm not thinking of now, that I know that most of us have read and loved?
I will write about one of those.
Also, I HIGHLY recommend Guernsey. I agree with Kate, for the first few pages I was worried I wouldn't be able to keep people straight, but in the end I loved them all.
It's a great book.
Oh, and I added a historical fiction label to it, Katie. Hope you don't mind.
oh yes, that's perfect! I can't believe I forgot that label because I was really excited about that new category. Thanks Erin.
I LOVED this book. Its in my top five for sure. I was also worried about not keeping the characters straight. I thought that the date of the letters would be crucial to keep straight, but it doesn't really matter.
The story is charming and the characters seem SO real, and I just love it. LOVE it.
This book was kind of slow at first and I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight. But once I got into it I really liked the story. It was a very interesting story with a new perspective on World War II. Thanks for the recommendation, I really enjoyed this one.
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