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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Random House Reader's Circle) |  | Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Publisher: Dial Press Trade Paperback
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $1.50
as of 9/3/2010 12:11 CDT details
You Save: $13.50 (90%)
Seller: NeenaGard
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 171
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Thus.
Pages: 290
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.7
ISBN: 0385341008
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780385341004
ASIN: 0385341008
Publication Date: May 5, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | ISBN13: 9780385341004 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A history lesson and a sheer delight of a book! September 3, 2010
Linda Linguvic (New York City)
This novel is not only a fine book to read. It also taught me something. During WW2, the British Channel island of Guernsey was occupied by the Germans. This experience with all its horrors is brought to light in this delightful book. Yes, I said this book is delightful in spite of its subject matter. This is because of the skill of the authors, librarian Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece Annie Barrows. Set in 1946, right after the end of the war, it consists of a series of letters between Juliet, a strongly opinionated and rather witty British journalist and a whole series of people, especially the residents of Guernsey. The letters vary in length and really display the authors' skill in evoking a time and a place. This is history with fictional characters, each one endearing and unique, and the narrative flows so well that it was hard to put the book down.
I loved the characters, especially the narrator, as everything is viewed through her eyes. It starts with a letter she receives from a gentleman living in Guernsey asking her to find a certain book for him in a London bookstore. Now that the war is over, he is free to write letters and he describes his book club, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", which was thought up one night after a few people were caught after curfew by the Nazis and one enterprising woman in the group made up the name on the spot as an excuse for them being out so late. During the years of occupation, this group met regularly, discussing books and supporting each other through the dreadfulness of the occupation.
Each member of the group has correspondence with Juliet and Juliet has correspondence with her literary agent as well as his sister who is her best friend. Each of these people come alive through their letters and it doesn't take long to be drawn into the story. Eventually, Juliet visits Guernsey and the story develops more and more, actually giving details of some of the brutality as well an understanding of the Germans, just young soldiers who were also caught up in a war they didn't create. I particularly liked this aspect of the book, which was written in 2008 and could not have had the same tone if it was really written in 1946 when the wounds of war were still hurting. However, I must say that the authors got the tone of 1946 just right --- before computers and cell phones and even copying machines.
I loved this book and read it quickly. I think the use of correspondence instead of straight narrative was a brilliant idea. It is a sheer delight and I urge you not to miss it.
Charming! August 26, 2010
F. Burke (Houston, TX)
This book is just so delightful, despite dealing with such a difficult time period and some very serious subjects. The characters are vivid, the prose is crisp, and the pages turn themselves. I found myself carefully reading the extras (the addendum, dedications, etc) and then rereading it immediately to find out if I missed anything. I highly recommend it.
A fantastic heart-warming read August 23, 2010
Carolyn
I love books set in the World War II time period, and this was no different. Most of the books out there are based on the larger cities, but reading about how the war affected those in the small town of Guernsey was a take that I thoroughly enjoyed. Seeing as how reading and learning how to survive among the Nazi occupation brought this group together was very inspiring. Also, I loved how the book was written in letters between the different groups, so you were really able to get a sense of who the characters were and what drove them. I definitely definitely recommend this book!
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