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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer

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2,709267960 (4.25)296
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The book is interesting mostly for the style in which its written -- all by correspondance between the characters. While it can at times get confusing (who is who, etc), it is a really sweet story of a town and group of people recovering from German occupation, and a woman writer who is writing about their story. ( )
shesh | Jul 10, 2009 |  
One of those rare books that I long to have authored, a whimsically profound retelling, through letters, of the Occupation of Guernsey in the Channel Islands between France and England from 1940-1945. Exploring the issues of character assessment based on nationality versus the godly ability to see humanity in the face of the enemy, the role of art in survival of hardship, the nature of children and parenting, this story kept me up past decent hours just reading one more letter. The completion left me with a desire to read more, that branching effect that a good book has, taking the reader to other stories. A marvel, from a life long lover of the mysterious power of books. It shows. ( )
ViaLys | Jul 9, 2009 |  
At the beginning the characters confused me, with who's who. But once I met Dawsey and the other characters on Guernsey I began to love it. The characters are very entertaining and the stories they tell of their life during world war II made me want to keep reading. A good read that I'm glad I picked up. ( )
kimbee | Jul 8, 2009 |  
One of my all time favorites! Just a pleasure to read the language. Loved the letter format. ( )
meltonmarty | Jul 8, 2009 |  
I thought The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a really unfortunate title for a book, that is, until I read it. It couldn't be titled anything else! Elizabeth Gilbert told me on the front cover to 'treat [myself] to this book' and what a treat it was!

In early 1946, writer Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey, a shy man from Guernsey island, who tells her about his uniquely formed bookclub with a request for information on London booksellers. This is the start of several friendships formed and fortified via letters.

Through their letters and observations (thank you, Isola!), the reader meets a delightful cast of quirky characters who have their own haunting and happy memories of the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

Indeed, it is the lively characters make this story the treat that it is. Anyone who enjoys storytelling, the classics, or historical fiction will enjoy this tale. ( )
readerspeak | Jul 8, 2009 | 1 vote
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
Lovingly dedicated to my mother, Edna Fiery Morgan, and to my dear friend Julia Poppy

—M.A.S.

And to my mother, Cynthia Fiery Barrows

—A.B.
First words
Dear Sidney,
Quotations
Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Book description
From CD case: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she'd never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He'd come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique, spur-of-the-moment way; as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the Germans.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society's charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters she learns about their island, their taste in books, and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, Juliet sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever.

Told with warmth and humor as a series of letters, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a celebration of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0385340990, Hardcover)

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:23 -0400)

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