The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Genre: General Fiction
Copyright: July 2008
Pages: 278

Synopsis: January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name - Guernsey Literary Website

Review:

In one word, this book is enchanting. I am going to be very honest and give myself a wrap on the knuckles for being terribly shallow & horribly impatient because when I first started listening to Guernsey on audio I thought 'good grief - how boring' (at that stage I could not have listened to more than 2 minutes.) Minutes later I was berating myself; just goes to show, first impressions can in fact be very wrong.

I hope my review does this wonderful story justice.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a unique story of love, friendship, courage, heartbreak & literature, set on the island of Guernsey (in the Channel Islands) and written as a series of letters.

When Juliet unexpectedly receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, resident of Guernsey and member of the literature society new friendships are formed along with an idea for a new book. As correspondence between Juliet & Dawsey expands to include other members of the literature society, Juliet is captivated by the stories of life on Guernsey during the Occupation and of friends connected through a mutual love of literature and the trauma of war.

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true." - from Dawsey Adams to Juliet

“That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It’s geometrically progressive – all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.” - from Juliet to Dawsey

The character's have an authenticity that makes them feel like old friends, I shared their sorrows and joys, laughing out loud, sniggered in places, & at times I sat with tears rolling down my cheeks.

Juliet, Dawsey, Sidney (Juliet's editor), Amelia Maugery, Elizabeth & Kit McKenna, Isola Pribby, Eben Ramsey are portrayed with such humour and colour, they capture your heart, staying with you, like part of your family, long after the story is finished.

It was obvious that this beautiful story was written from the heart with a warmth and vividness that has me reserving a special place in my heart for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

Mary Ann Shaffer passed away in February 2008. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was her debut novel completed with the help of her niece Annie Barrows.

The movie rights for Guernsey have been snapped up by an unusual partnership: Hollywood producer Paula Mazur (Nim's Island) and Florida bookstore owner Mitchell Kaplan.

PS. this is an absolutely brilliant story on audio, if you have the opportunity to listen to it, then take my word for it ~ do so.