The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Published 29 July 2008 Bloomsbury

Now, I remember this book being published and it was popular - so much so in fact there was a reservation queue at the library, so I waited.

Better late than never eh?!

But first, a confession... I have seen the film before reading the book. I know, I know... but I LOVED the film so it didn't in the slightest put me off reading a copy eventually. The film, directed by Mike Newell came out in 2018 and stars Lily James as Juliet (a very good casting I might add).

Now, back to the book. It is a collection of letters between author Juliet Ashton, her publisher Sidney Stark and members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society. The purchase of a second hand book and a letter to the previous owner sparks one of the most wholesome, wonderful, heartwarming meet-cutes I've read. Pig Farmer Dawsey writes to Juliet, she writes back, Dawsey tells the society and pretty soon they are all corresponding (quite rapidly). Pretty soon Juliet has all the makings of her next book and a need to visit Guernsey and meet the society in person. 

I was already aware Guernsey, along with the other Channel Islands were occupied by Germany during World War 2 and really enjoyed reading more about how that impacted the lives of the islanders - some detrimentally. I didn't realise that hundreds of POWs were sent from Europe to the Islands to work on building German defences and that the Islanders who had so little, still tried to share what they could with them.

I came away from reading this book feeling like I had made a new group of friends. The prose is witty, the character voices unique and full bodied, the premise quite emotional and moving. It shall join my books on the bookcase and I'm sure will be a re-read time and again. 

To end this review, a note on the author. Mary Ann Shaffer was born in West Virginia, USA and worked as a librarian and book seller. She had written this novel and it was signed to be published when her health began to fail and she died in February 2008. The edits were completed at her request by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann's niece.