The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback; 1st Thus. edition (May 5, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0385341004
Back-of-the-book blurb: 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.
She is Too Fond of Books’ review: I suspected I might be the last person on earth to read this epistolary novel, which is making the rounds of book groups everywhere. In fact, I had purchased the hardcover edition earlier this year for a book group discussion; it turned out I had a conflict the night of that meeting, so my reading of Guernsey was delayed a few months. When I asked the question on Twitter, as I finally sat down to read it (“am I the last one?!?”), I received many immediate “No! I haven’t yet read it, but I want to!” replies. Well, those of you who haven’t yet read it can now get it in paperback … good things come to those who wait.
The novel is comprised entirely of correspondence; most between the writer Juliet Ashton and her editor (Sidney Stark), her best friend Sophie (who is Sidney’s sister), and about a dozen people who form The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society on this island in the English Channel. A handful of telegrams between Juliet and Sidney, as well as letters between the islanders and Sidney, in all twenty different voices, add various perspectives and complete the story.
Together these give a fictionalized account of the island under German Occupation during WWII. Because of the unique setting of Guernsey in the English Channel, the islanders are completely cut off from news from London and the Continent. That a book club helps save their lives, hearts, and souls, is a sweet story.
What I loved: This book is full of wonderful lines about books and reading. Shaffer and Barrows show their own love of the written word by instilling it in so many characters.
Here are some of my favorites; this first in a letter from Juliet to Dawsey, a central figure on the island of Guernsey. He first wrote to Juliet when he came across a book of Charles Lamb’s essays that had once belonged to her. Her letter in reply to his states:
… I’m so glad that your letter found me and that my book found you. It was a sad wrench to part with the Selected Essays of Elia. I had two copies and a dire need of shelf-room, but I felt like a traitor selling it. You have soothed my conscience.
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.
Later, in the same letter, she remarks:
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 that sheer enjoyment.
In a letter to Sidney, Juliet praises the booksellers:
I love seeing the bookshops and meeting the booksellers – booksellers really are a special breed. No one in their right mind would take up clerking in a bookstore for the salary, and no one in his right mind would want to own one – the margin of profit is too small. So, it has to be a love of readers and reading that makes them do it – along with first dibs on the new books.
Not about books directly (but, if your reading shapes your beliefs and causes you to ask questions and grow intellectually; then, yes, it’s about books!); I loved this line in a letter from Juliet to her best friend Sophie. I feel I’m a bit of a kindred spirit with this fictional character – my Nana once told me that I was “too picky” and would never get married!:
Am I too particular? I don’t want to be married just to be married. I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to , or worse, someone I can’t be silent with.
What I really liked: I really liked that the book was set only a few years after the Allied forces freed the island. Evidence of the war (rubble, deforestation, lack of new clothing, people were not robust) was all around, but we weren’t in the midst of it. Through the letters we saw Guernsey during the war, but the letter had a focus on one event, so it wasn’t overwhelming.
Shaffer and Barrows showed the hope and strength of the islanders, despite all they had been through. This was conveyed through the ad hoc formation of the Literary Society, the innocence of children, and one central character whose presence was even larger due to her absence.
Not my favorite, but remember what Nana said … I’m picky: Some of the letters were lengthy and more of narratives or ver batim conversations; these seemed to stretch the epistolary format to its limit. I found the letters written by the Literary Society members to be similar in style (but not content, each person had his or her own piece of the puzzle to contribute), and didn’t always show their unique personalities. The notable exceptions to this are the sets of letters written by two woman, the kind and eccentric Isola Pribby, and the mean-spirited Adelaide Addison; their personalities stood out in their own letters and in mentions of them by the other islanders.
I love a little romance, but it seems to be included in most every book I read lately; I’m not sure it’s necessary.
Having said that, do know that The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a quick read that I enjoyed. I appreciated the distance the format provided, and the many voices that combined to form a complete picture of life on Guernsey during, and in the years immediately following, the German occupation.
In this short (3:30 minute) video, author Annie Barrows discusses how the fictional Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society came to be formed, and offers a short tribute to her late aunt, Mary Ann Shaffer, who began the book before collaborating with Barrows:
I reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society as part of a virtual tour with TLC Book Tours. To read more about the book and its authors … and to perhaps enjoy an interview or guest post, or enter your name in a giveaway … visit these other blogs on the tour:
- Tuesday, August 4th: Book Club Classics
- Wednesday, August 5th: Savvy Verse and Wit
- Thursday, August 6th: Maw Books
- Monday, August 10th: A Novel Menagerie
- Tuesday, August 11th: Brimful Curiousities
- Wednesday, August 12th: A Reader’s Journal
- Thursday, August 13th: As Usual, I Need More Bookshelves
- Monday, August 17th: Books and Movies
- Tuesday, August 18th: Bending Bookshelf
- Thursday, August 20th: Books on the Brain
- Monday, August 24th: Bookworm’s Dinner
- Tuesday, August 25th: A High and Hidden Place
- Wednesday, August 26th: Bookish Ruth
- Thursday, August 27th: A Lifetime of Books ** phone interview with the author!
- Friday, August 28th: A Sea of Books
- Monday, August 31st: She is Too Fond of Books
Glad you enjoyed!
I read this book about a year ago, loved it, and have recommended it to friends and family. I wrote a couple of quotes from it into my reading journal, one of which is the quote you chose about marriage. I love the idea that one must be able to “be silent” with a partner as well as being able to talk with a partner. Thanks for this wonderful blog post. And, I really enjoyed the video.
I lived in Guernsey in 1984 and so naturally I read this book right away. It was wonderful and I could relate on a more personal level with the book. I was looking through my slides the other day . . . I’m a much better photographer now. Most (if not all) of the photos are not very post worthy, so I’m not going to share!
Another good honest review. I really liked the video too. I have the book and I’m saving it to read for just the right time.
I can’t read your review yet because *I* am the last person on earth to be reading it. In fact, I won it, but my copy hasn’t even arrived. So I win! Yay! (It’s good to win at something; anything ….)
charley – I did; a clever format to get the various insights.
Lindy – yes, that quote struck me as so true (and I’m happy to say that my “picky-ness” paid off; my husband and I can talk and be comfortable in silence.
Beth F – oh, you must have loved seeing Guernsey in this fictional setting. I’d love to hear more about your time there!
Margot – the reason for the formation of the Society, and explanation of its name, are given early in the book, so I thought it was “safe” to share the video.
rhapsody – congratulations on your win!
The audio of this book was fabulous, and may have made all the difference with the issues that you had. Each character has a different narrator, and it really brings the story to life!
Yes, I have kept some correspondance. Some letters from my god mother with words of wisdom, letters from a man I still love but have not seen for years, and a note from the brother of an old friend I worked with in Germany says that Georg had finally died of the cancer that had been eating at him for years.
I really enjoyed this book even though some of the letters were long. It made me wish I’d get a letter in the mail!
I like your pickiness! I loved this book myself, but it’s really interesting to see what bugged you about it, even if only a little. =)
Great review! I agree. . .I liked all the bookishness in the novel.
I have heard so many great things about this book. It seems that everyone loves it! I had been a bit reluctant to try it, but since there has been such great feedback on it, I definitely want to give it a try.
Sandy – oh, maybe I’ll get to the audio one day. It wasn’t that I was confused (I don’t think! How’s that for confused?!?), it was more that the style was lengthy, with similar vocabulary (I guess I assumed the islanders would write less eloquently)
Nancy – I have some cards and letters from my grandparents. I wish I had kept all the letters from pen pals when I was younger (it would be fun to see what they responded to in my letters, what I thought was important back then)
Kathy – it’s an occasion, isn’t it, when we get real letters these days. Those I got on The Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk meant so much to me!
Meghan – I should be glad your graduate research isn’t psychology .. you could have a field day with my comments about some books!
Amy – and book groups! The way this group came together and stayed together was fantastic. I liked the salon aspect of it, that they shared what they read (didn’t all read the same book, as we tend to do in book groups now)
zibilee – I know how you feel; sometimes the hype about a book scares me away.
I finally have it on my shelf, but haven’t read it yet. Maybe I’ll be the last one
I’m excited that you’ve read this book and enjoyed it. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy so I can read it myself – I fear I might be the last person to read it too!
I really enjoyed this book, too. It kind of reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables books. I got really attached to the characters and the letters were a really neat way to tell the story. I’d never thought about that side of WWII life.
While I normally get tired of the obligatory love story in books, I really liked this one. It’s *cute*, with lots of squees at the end.
I’m glad you liked it overall, but I must admit I loved it, despite the flaws you pointed out which I can see now, but still don’t mind.
Great review, though, and I always prefer to read that someone didn’t like a book as much as me because it really gives me something to think about.
Stacy and Jennifer – we’ll see which of you gets bragging rights to “last to read.” I was surprised to hear from so many who haven’t yet read GUERNSEY, it was making fast and furious rounds of the book groups last year.
Allie – now that you’ve mentioned it, I can see why it would call ANNE OF GREEN GABLES TO MIND.
Trish – oh, I did really like it; I was just expecting to LOVE it due to all the hype. Maybe I should have waited a little longer (my expectations were set SO high)
I enjoyed this book as well, but I do agree with your comment that some of the letters were conversations delivered verbatim. Great review!
I just keep hearing so many great things about this. I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Thanks for sharing it~
I just finished this book the other day and really enjoyed it. I think the authors were spot on when it came to balencing the not so pleasant realities of the German occupation to the funny moments of Juliet’s life.
Nope, not the last person! I do want to read this but I haven’t gotten around to doing so. Love that “silent with” line…
I liked your review! I like that you had something new to say about the book and the characters.
I read this book back in June. I was first drawn to it by the title–a mouthful to say the least. My cousin and I have since christened it, “The Guernsey Book”. I agree with some of the other commeters in the opinion that the authors did a fabulous job balancing the rather gruesome war storylines and the “present-day” lives of the members of the Society. I am looking forward to reading more of your reviews, and (I can’t resist mentioning this) I love the title of your blog! I would love it if you would check my blog (Wordbird) out. It’s linked to my name. Thanks!
I see what you mean about the letters being long, but that didn’t stop me from loving it. I also liked how the war was a big part of the book but that you’re removed from it, too. I’ll get your review on War Through the Generations soon.
We posted your review on War Through the Generations.
[...] Monday, August 31st: She is Too Fond of Books [...]
[...] She is too Fond of Books [...]
[...] She Is Too Fond of Books [...]