The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A number of people told me it was a good book; but it wasn't until one of my best friends insisted that I read it that I finally checked it out. Up until now, I have to admit that I was put off a little by the title, and by the format of the book. (It's a series of letters.) Now I can happily report that if you haven't read it yet, you really must consider doing so. It tells...more

A number of people told me it was a good book; but it wasn't until one of my best friends insisted that I read it that I finally checked it out. Up until now, I have to admit that I was put off a little by the title, and by the format of the book. (It's a series of letters.) Now I can happily report that if you haven't read it yet, you really must consider doing so. It tells the story of a writer who finds her inspiration for a new book in telling the story of Guernsey, and how this little island was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. It is a a wonderful testament to the power of books to transform each person's life into something a little more special. It has humor, sadness, and some really delightful parts. I highly recommend it.   hide

I Felt Like a Bit of a Voyeur going through this book, peering into peoples private letters. What an enchanting book. This is definitely a book that is better listened to than read. The cast of voices was superb, with the dialects and different voices helping to identify each character. It did take me a while to get into this type of audiobook, as the entire story is told through letter writing...more

I Felt Like a Bit of a Voyeur going through this book, peering into peoples private letters. What an enchanting book. This is definitely a book that is better listened to than read. The cast of voices was superb, with the dialects and different voices helping to identify each character. It did take me a while to get into this type of audiobook, as the entire story is told through letter writing which were usually written back and forth from the members of TGL&PPS to the protagonist Juliet, a young, single, newspaper columnist in London who is looking for a topic for a new novel she wants to write, when she receives a letter from a man in Guernsey talking about his enjoyment of Charles Lamb books. He was part of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet becomes very interested and thus starts the letter writing back and forth from the members of this society and to Juliet's publisher. This all takes place in 1946. Geurnsey was occupied by the Germans during the war and the horrors are still very fresh. The letters reveal how the war touched each of them and people close to them. There is a good love story spun in there as well. Lots of emotion, tears, laughter, everything that makes a book complete. What a wonderful way to develop characters! A real gem of a book.   hide

Thanks for suggesting this book, Kate and Lindy. It is a wonderful book, with an unusual combination of the remembered horror of the Nazi occupation of Guernsey (one of the islands between Britain and France), delight in human individualiy, and hope for the future. It contins myriad literary references--mostly to British authors--and an ongoing discussion of what books...more

Thanks for suggesting this book, Kate and Lindy. It is a wonderful book, with an unusual combination of the remembered horror of the Nazi occupation of Guernsey (one of the islands between Britain and France), delight in human individualiy, and hope for the future. It contins myriad literary references--mostly to British authors--and an ongoing discussion of what books mean to those of us who read. I tell students that as they read, they enter a discussion with all who have gone before who have thought about the big questions we all face. In addition to the most often-discussed question, this book looks at how reading affects your life. Why do you look at other people's book shelves when you go into their houses? What do you conclude? If you love to read, this is a good book for you.   hide

More charm and wit than I have ever found in a book not written by Jane Austen. As I was reading I kept comparing Juliet Ashton (the central figure in this book) to Elizabeth Bennet, and I determined that they were both equally wonderful characters. I honestly feel as if Juliet is a real person that I've come to love. The author tackles a very dark subject but focuses instead on hope and...more

More charm and wit than I have ever found in a book not written by Jane Austen. As I was reading I kept comparing Juliet Ashton (the central figure in this book) to Elizabeth Bennet, and I determined that they were both equally wonderful characters. I honestly feel as if Juliet is a real person that I've come to love. The author tackles a very dark subject but focuses instead on hope and moments of grace and goodness. She doesn't shy away from the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust. She just doesn't stop there. I can't reccomend it strongly enough.   hide

Loved this book! The story unfolds slowly through a series of letters, telegrams back and forth. The characters were richly described and I felt like I knew them all. I couldn't wait to find out more about the characters and if Juliet was going to end up falling in love with someone. In the story there is discussion of things that happened in the war to the people on Guernsey Island. This was...more

Loved this book! The story unfolds slowly through a series of letters, telegrams back and forth. The characters were richly described and I felt like I knew them all. I couldn't wait to find out more about the characters and if Juliet was going to end up falling in love with someone. In the story there is discussion of things that happened in the war to the people on Guernsey Island. This was sometimes very emotional. Guernsey island is a quaint place that is described so beautifully. A quote that I liked in the book in regards to the Character Elizabeth, Her friend Remmie says, “It would have been better for her to not have such a heart but worse for the rest of us…”   hide

I love this book! Told through letters between the characters, it took me a number of pages to sort out the who's who, but that was nearly as mentally stimulating as watching the story unfold throughout the intricately woven story. Interestingly enough, I hadn't really thought much about the Channel Islands during WWII and found myself looking up historical info about the time period once...more

I love this book! Told through letters between the characters, it took me a number of pages to sort out the who's who, but that was nearly as mentally stimulating as watching the story unfold throughout the intricately woven story. Interestingly enough, I hadn't really thought much about the Channel Islands during WWII and found myself looking up historical info about the time period once again. Thinking I was in the midst of a sweet, nostalgic story, I was surprised to find myself deeply entrenched in the horrors of Nazi occupation, wishing these gentle souls did not have to face such inhumanity. So very much like the real tragedy of the time. You know you have read a wonderful book when you get to the end and find yourself wishing you could read more about the quirky, endearing and sometimes tragic characters. And what reader wouldn't love a book about letters and reading bringing people together, especially during hard times. I'm definitely adding this book to my favorites list.   hide

I LOVED this book! The entire story is told through letters written amongst the characters, and at first I didn't like that, had a hard time following who was who, but it wasn't long until I grew to know and love the characters, and the style of the book. And the main character? How I would love to sit and chat with her - what a great sense of humor and outlook on life! I...more

I LOVED this book! The entire story is told through letters written amongst the characters, and at first I didn't like that, had a hard time following who was who, but it wasn't long until I grew to know and love the characters, and the style of the book. And the main character? How I would love to sit and chat with her - what a great sense of humor and outlook on life! I developed such an affection for each of these Islanders, I would love a follow-up story - it's an amazing job, how well the reader gets to know these characters just from reading a series of letters. Let's bring back Snail Mail! And it's also a fascinating glimpse of history that I knew nothing about, the German occupation of Guernsey Island, off the coast of Normandy, during WWII. Thanks, Colleen, for recommending this book!   hide

The novel is set in 1946 post-occupation Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Juliet Ashton, an English writer, has received a letter from a resident of Guernsey, Dawsey Adams, who is a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet is intrigued by the society and how it came to be, and by the stories of the Nazi occupation related to her by Dawsey and other...more

The novel is set in 1946 post-occupation Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Juliet Ashton, an English writer, has received a letter from a resident of Guernsey, Dawsey Adams, who is a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet is intrigued by the society and how it came to be, and by the stories of the Nazi occupation related to her by Dawsey and other society members. She believes she has the beginnings of her next article and travels to Guernsey to meet and interview the society members and others who lived through the occupation and to write their story. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a unique book in a number of respects. It is written entirely in the format of letters--personal correspondence between Juliet and her friends, acquaintances and business associates. This gives the novel a very personal feel, and we are able to see things from the points of view of many different characters. Another unique aspect of the book is that it was written by one author, with revisions made after her death by a second author. Unfortunately, I felt this gave the book a somewhat disjointed feel. There were passages in which the writing style changed noticeably, which detracted from the overall cohesiveness of the book. Lastly, this book is somewhat unusual in that the authors use a wide range of literature to reveal things about the characters reading the books. We learn about characters in part by learning what books they chose to read and why they chose to read them. One critic summed the book up as "a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends." I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it a masterpiece, but it was a great pleasure to read and a moving story about love, heroism, and how literature can bring out the best in us and bind us together, even in the most difficult of circumstances, regardless of cultural or social differences. And, as an added bonus, I discovered some real gems among the books the islanders read, such as the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, which I'm now reading.   hide

How I loved this book! I have read other books in a letter of even a text messages/diary format and grew really liking it. I have not know much about the occupation of the Channel Islands and this book made me so interested in finding out more about this part of a history as well as interested in visiting the island itself. The story itself is so human, full of emotions and grief, very well...more

How I loved this book! I have read other books in a letter of even a text messages/diary format and grew really liking it. I have not know much about the occupation of the Channel Islands and this book made me so interested in finding out more about this part of a history as well as interested in visiting the island itself. The story itself is so human, full of emotions and grief, very well written. And the story could have gone forever! It also made me more aware of the fact that we do not write such thorough, deep and well stated letters in this rushed world anymore. We barely write any letters, in fact. Time to change that, for me!   hide