The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
About 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.”
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, Dawsey Adams, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name in a book?
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of Dawsey and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—a book club born as a spur-of-the- moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts an outstanding cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable conversation in letters with the Society’s members, learning about their lives, their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on all of them. Over time, and despite a demanding and dramatic life in London, she finds herself drawn to the self-contained Dawsey Adams, and to the story of Elizabeth, a young woman whose bright spirit and strength live on in the daughter she left behind when she was sent to a concentration camp. Juliet knows she has found the subject of her book, and possibly much more, and sets sail for Guernsey, changing the course of her life forever.
A celebration of the written word in all its guises, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is the debut novel by the aunt-and-niece team of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
My Review
It took me a bit to get into the flow of the book as the story is told through a series of letters between Juliet and the members of The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society.
I enjoyed the charming, funny characters and after reading I watched the movie on Netflix and it was nice to see the characters come to life in a movie. This book has a bit of everything for the reader.
I only wish there had been a bit of different narrative style between the letters to break it up a bit between the chapters of written correspondence between the characters, but overall an enjoyable read. This book has been on my shelf to read for a while and I am happy I finally decided to pick it up.
My Rating: 4/5
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book Details
Author: Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows.
Publisher: Dial Press.
Publication Date: May 5, 2009.
Genre: Historical. Fiction. Historical Romance. Books About Books. Bookclub. Writing. World War II.
Edition: Paperback.
Pages: 290.
Comments