The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Hardcover

Shaffer, Mary Ann; Barrows, Annie

4.19

752,071 ratings by Goodreads

9780747589198: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0747589194 ISBN 13: 9780747589198

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2008

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It's January, 1946, and writer Juliet Ashton sits at her desk, vainly seeking a subject for her next book. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance, he's acquired a secondhand book that once belonged to Juliet - and, spurred on by their mutual love of Charles Lamb, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey reveals that he is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Juliet's curiosity is piqued, and it's not long before she begins to hear from the other members. As the letters fly back and forth with stories of life in Guernsey under the German Occupation, Juliet soon realizes that the society is every bit as extraordinary as its name. There's gawky Isola, who makes love potions to sell along with her vegetables; Eben, a fisherman with a passion for Shakespeare; Will, erstwhile ironmonger and the creator of the famous potato peel pie; and Dawsey himself, a farmer with a shy manner and a tender heart. Most poignant of all are the memories of Elizabeth, the founding member of the society, who fell in love with a German officer, saved a starving prisoner, and was sent away to a concentration camp, leaving her child behind. Sustained by books and one another, the islanders have battled the bitter hardships of World War II. Juliet, entranced by their stories and their spirit, decides to visit Guernsey to meet her new friends properly. A moving tale of the power of friendship, books, and love, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will beguile the heart and mind.

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Review:

'I can't remember the last time I discovered a novel as smart and delightful as this one. Mary Ann Shaffer has created a world so vivid that I kept forgetting this was a work of fiction, and she has populated that world with characters so utterly wonderful that I kept forgetting they weren't my actual friends and neighbors. Treat yourself to this book, please -- I can't recommend it highly enough.' -- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

'I found this book moving, authentic in its voices and sense of place and time, and funny. The grimness of war-time existence in occupied Guernsey and the human tragedies that occurred are balanced by the courage, humour and matter-of-factness of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.' -- Paul Torday, author of Salmon Fishing of the Yemen

'It is, in essence, a love story but perhaps not the one you expect. It can be frivolous and it can be harsh. It doesn't hold back when exploring the dark times of the occupation, but neither does it care if it enters into the realm of whimsy at times. I was reminded of Wodehouse and Helene Hanff, Sebastian Faulks and Mary Wesley. And, it must be said, I was completely swept away with it.' -- Scott Pack

What a gorgeous book - very touching and funny and deeper than one might have thought at first...thank you so much'
-- Joanna Lumley

Book Description:

`This warm-hearted tale of friendship, secrets and long correspondence is perfect rainy-day reading'

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