Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Length: 304 pages

Format: Paperback
Price: Free (borrowed)

How I heard about it: My friend Mandi brought it to me when she came over for dinner one night. I had never even heard of it!

Basic Premise: British author Juliet Ashton is experiencing a bit of writer's slump after her Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War collection was so well-received and such a successful distraction from the war. When she receives a strange letter from a man on the island of Guernsey claiming he was a part of the "Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," Juliet's curiosity is more than a little piqued.

My Take: 9 out of 10 (scale here)

My friend Mandi gave this book, saying only "I think you will really like this book." I had no idea what it was about but I judged from the title that it would be lighthearted, funny, and a quick read. I was right about the last two, but utterly wrong about the first. Regardless, I LOVED this book. It was a fabulously fresh look at WWII, a time period which I appear to be studying given the last two titles I've read (The Book Thief and Those Who Save Us). I truly loved the main character, Juliet. She is a 30-something writer who really seems to be questioning her lot in life. Orphaned at 12, raised in boarding schools, and a victim of a failed engagement, life had been a little rough with Juliet. But her snark, wit, and discerning eye made her a trustworthy and highly entertaining protagonist. It's an epistolary novel, which was a delightful change of pace for me. Letter-writing used to be taught like essay-writing, and it was enchanting to read people describe their every day lives in such detail. Over 20 characters have voices in the book, and all are extremely entertaining. It does, however, focus on the German occupation of Guernsey, and is therefore oftentimes heavy and very serious. There were moments where I gasped, teared up, got goose-bumps, or simply laughed out loud. It is truly a fabulous book.

It was not on my list, but I feel like I should repost this, if nothing else to remind myself that I only have 3 titles left!

List progress:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Parenting with Love & Logic by Jim Fey
Silver Star Jeannette Walls
Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins