The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
“That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to 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.”
With Europe just coming out of WWII, Juliet Ashton is looking for something to write about. She receives a letter from someone on Guernsey who belonged to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society during the occupation. From there Juliet corresponds with several members of the society. Eventually, she goes to Guernsey to meet the people she has been corresponding with and not only falls in love with them but also with Guernsey itself. Written in letter form, Juliet corresponds with several members of the society and with her editor about what happened on Guernsey during the occupation. When Juliet arrives on Guernsey, she is at a loss of how she wants to write her book, but eventually, she finds her purpose and her goal and a new life for herself.
I loved the story. It pulled me in, and I’m now a part of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Because it was written as letters, the style differed from the currently expected norm. No dialog; no real-time action. But it takes only a few pages to get past that and enjoy the story. I liked that it was all presented in the form of handwritten letters between characters. It was more challenging at first to keep track of who was who, but once it was clear, the story flowed nicely. It made me want to visit the Channel Islands as it told of the hardships of those who experienced the German invasion of Europe firsthand.
Each of the characters was so individual, some were just nasty like the island busybody, some were hilarious and some like Elizabeth is inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. While you are horrified by what these characters had to endure during the war, you will cheer them at the same time for their fortitude and resilience.
I highly recommend this special novel! There aren’t words enough to describe what a special experience reading this novel was to me. You’re just going to experience it for yourself.
My Rating:
✬✬✬✬✬
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