A British author in search of a topic for her next book strikes up a correspondence with a group of book-loving friends on the island of Guernsey.

I love epistolary novels. I love the way they give us these beautiful, tantalizing fragments of the characters' lives. I love the way they layer piece upon piece, slowly but surely revealing the full story. I love how they allow us to fill in the gaps for ourselves. I love what they leave unsaid. And, most of all, I love the way they surprise us. There may be hints of what's to come, just as there are in real life, but the best epistolary novels don't really foreshadow. They let us live the story along with the characters. We encounter each new twist just as they do. Their reactions become our own.

THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY is a very good epistolary novel. You know those British indie films about tight-knit small towns filled with eccentric yet loveable villagers? The ones where the characters all know each other so well that all their experiences are wound together into a tight little knot? This is one of those films, except for the part where it's a book. It's a celebration of people, of words, and of the endurance of the human spirit (if you'll forgive me a cliche or two). It warmed the cockles of my heart, and I don't doubt it'll do the same with yours.

That's not to say that it's an entirely pleasant novel. This is a post-war story, and the Society members did not emerge from the conflict unscathed. They've spent five years in isolation, and they've lost friends and family to the German occupation. I found many of their stories heartwrenching, and I shed more than a few tears before the novel was done.

I highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in this period in history or a fondness for epistolary novels.

(A slightly different version of this review originally appeared on my blog, Stella Matutina). ( )

I borrowed this from my mother, who didn't like it, who borrowed it from her mother, who also didn't like it. It has no subtlety, and while the story isn't bad, the factual historical detail are stuck into the book like wads of gum, and the characters have no life, no drive, and no passion. I hope to forget this within the week. ( )

This is one of the best audio books I have ever listened to. The story is fascinating, the characters interesting. The reading, by varied actors, is well done. Highly recommend. ( )

http://books.moonsoar.com/archives/20... ( )

This epistolary novel provided me with much entertainment on the day after my eye surgery. The story tells, after the fact, of the occupation by German troops of The Channel Islands, especially Guernsey and we do get a lot of insight into the difficulties they faced and of some of the atrocities that happened there and also in France and Germany. There are tears in this story along with the joy. But the story mainly concerns the time directly after the war learning about life on the island and how they are coping with rebuilding their lives as well as the damaged property. The characters are delightful (except the undelightful ones!) and there is also a love story. I got the feeling that there had been quite a bit of research which made the tale more compelling than it would have been without those darker elements, but I would still classify it as entertainment. However I do highly recommend it! We all need some fun in our reading and this one has elements that makes if a cut above “fluff.” ( )