The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annie Barrows, Mary Ann ShafferEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-29
ISBN: 0385340990
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: The Dial Press
Book Reviews of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Book Review: The Most Heart-Warming New Fiction Book I've Read in 2008
Summary: 5 Stars
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will appeal to anyone who loves to read about courage, integrity, kindness, love, literature, and happiness. Written as a series of letters among the characters, the book will also charm those who enjoy getting to know people through what they reveal in writing.
It would be easy to spoil this gem so I'll reveal as little as possible. In the first letter dated 8th January 1946, author Juliet Ashton writes to her publisher, Sidney Stark, about the results of her book tour for Izzy Bickerstaff goes to War and her new book, English Foibles. It turns out she's tired of being a light-hearted journalist. From there, we trail Juliet as she eventually finds her subject through an unexpected letter from a Guernsey farmer, Dawsey Adams, who owns an old book of hers, Selected Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb, which had her name and former address written inside the front cover. Like Alice when she went down the rabbit hole, that letter opens up a whole new world . . . and set of experiences . . . relating to the English Channel island of Guernsey which was occupied by German forces during World War II.
Unlike literary letters (say of Virginia Woolf), these letters are more often chatty and informative than witty. But each letter opens the door into the hearts and minds of the characters in deeper ways than can occur in the normal narrative of a novel. You will feel like you are solving a mystery at times. You'll even get to know characters quite well that don't write any letters.
I found myself torn between wanting to race to the end . . . and wanting to savor the pleasure of each letter. The latter instinct prevailed.
The letters are short, and you could read most of them in two minutes or less. Even if you are frequently interrupted, you will get right back into the story.
There's a clear possibility of a sequel here. I look forward to it!
Summary of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
" 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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