The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
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Book Summary Information
Author: Annie Barrows, Mary Ann ShafferEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-29
ISBN: 1741751683
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: The Dial Press
Book Reviews of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
Book Review: For me, a remarkable 5 star book.
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Ever since I finished reading this book I have been trying to decide how to express the pleasure I had in reading it. I only hope I can come close. The book is written completely in letter form. There is no dialogue at all except for the small amount which is contained within some of the letters. I have never read an entire book written in this way and was concerned that it would be difficult to get close enough to the characters to make me see and understand them, but I am glad to say that these two authors, Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece Annie Barrows, made each character come alive within the pages of this book. They very obviously spent time doing extensive research and then plotting the book in order to use this unusual method for telling their story.
The story opens with a letter dated 8th January, 1946, from Juliet Ashton to her publisher Sidney Stark. As you can tell from the date, World War II is over but only just barely. England is beginning the slow process of returning to normal. Juliet has been writing a column for a London newspaper during the war but not under her own name. These have been gathered by her publisher into a single volumn and she is about to embark on a promotional tour to sell the book. She knows she wants to write more serious material but has not come up with an idea for another book. Out of the blue, (and I say thanks to the wonderful British Postal Service), she receives a letter addressed to her at what used to be her flat but which is now a pile of rubble. The writer of the letter, Mr. Dawsey Adams,lives on the island of Guernsey and has, somehow, gotten a book written by Charles Lamb. Inside the book was written Miss Ashton's name and address. Would she consider helping him by sending the name and address of any book stores in London so he could search for more books by Lamb? He states that reading Charles Lamb's account of a roast pig made him laugh during the German Occupation of Guernsey, especially since a roast pig figured prominently in the formation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so it begins, with a simple request for help in finding books. How had the book gotten to Guernsey? Having a naturally inquisitive nature Juliet is drawn into finding out more about this very unusually named organization.
From this point on, the lives of everyone who knows and comes to know Juliet will be changed by the letters she receives from the members of the Society. The authors use letters from Juliet, her publisher, her friends and the people of Guernsey to tell the story of the German Occupation of that tiny island. The horrific deprivation, the utter isolation, the agonies these people suffered by being completely cut off from everyone and everything they knew for five long, brutal years. The decision which had to be made by parents of whether to send their children to England or keep them with them on Guernsey after it became apparent that the island would be invaded. They had only one day to make this decision. Keep your child with you and not know what you would be forcing that child to suffer or send your child away and not even know where the child was, who they were with, how they were.
Through the letters we also see the experiences in Concentration Camps and find out why three of the characters were sent away. And what happened to them while they were in the camps. It is difficult to read about these things but we need to remember, to make sure we never forget what human beings did to other human beings.
I highly recommend reading this book. It is a presentation of a truly remarkable event in history presented in a remarkable manner. It started off making me laugh out loud, then it began to become more somber when the experiences of the islanders began to be revealed. I knew of the invasion of Guernsey but that is about as far as my knowlege went. It never crossed my mind to wonder about the deprivation of every single item which makes life enjoyable, fuel, food, clothing, shoes, candles. Burning your books in order to have heat for a small amount of warmth. And yet, this book shows the strength these people found within themselves and the friendships which were formed or strengthened by enduring hardships together. I don't know how the book will be marketed. It is more than just a book about history, it is more than a story of a young woman finding her purpose in life, it is more than recounting the experiences which made people be resourseful and strong. But it is all of these things. I'm going to make sure each family member and friend I know has an opportunity to read this, I think it is that important.
*****Added 8/3/08 After reading this book I kept having that niggling feeling that I knew this story from somewhere. After a moment of searching the internet I discovered the answer. In 2005 I watched a Masterpiece Theatre presentation on PBS called Island at War. It told this same story, relying of course on interaction between the islanders and the German occupiers. It was a very good series if you are interested in continuing your exploration of this chapter of English history. jel*****
Summary of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
? 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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