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| The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | 
| Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Publisher: The Dial Press
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy New: $12.30
You Save: $9.70 (44%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (127 reviews)
Sales Rank: 17
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 0385340990
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780385340991
ASIN: 0385340990
Publication Date: July 29, 2008
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
? 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 122 more reviews...
 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society August 29, 2008
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
This book is a winner. One learns about the German occupation of Guernsey, about which I was totally ignorant, and it is easy to forget that this is a novel. The characters are so real, the descriptions so vivid that I feel that I could visit Guernsey (which I now very much desire to do) and find those houses and those people. With just a hint of Jane Austen, it is a book that one does not want to end. I recommend it highly.
Now I want to try Potato Peel Pie! August 28, 2008
I was first intrigued by the title of this novel. I became further intrigued when I saw it listed as one of the must-read titles at this year's Book Expo America. I was a bit discouraged when I discovered the book was an epistolary novel, as I tend not to enjoy this format. However, I quickly became engrossed in the story, and could not put it down until it was finished. I began the novel Thursday evening, and finished it in the wee hours of Friday morning.
The Guernsey Island characters are what kept me reading. I have to confess that I didn't like the central character, London writer Juliet Ashton, very much when I started reading, but when she started exchanging letters with Dawsey Adams, my interest quickened. As more Guernsey characters were introduced, I quickly fell under their spell, just as Juliet did.
Enjoyable, heartfelt, and an easy breeze August 25, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
During World War II there was a small town occupied by German forces named Guernsey, and the enrapturing citizens of this quaint town have written down their lives during this most oppressive time. These letters written in such harrowing voices, from such tortured souls shed light on a previously undisclosed chapter of the Twentieth Century.
The book consists of letters from these citizens which turns this into a light and easy read - and while the book does read fast, it also stays with you and will open ... not only your eyes, but your heart as well.
Juliet Ashton is an engaging author in 1946 and through correspondence reaches this little known community. Yet, while this happened some time ago, the people writing these letters somehow manage to captivate the reader and you'll feel as though you know them, as if your the one speaking with them - but I guess that's the sign of a good book.
One might be thrown off by the format of this book (I myself never heard of Mary Ann Shaffer) but this is an enjoyable, heartfelt, easy breeze, and one you don't want to miss.
What a Delight August 25, 2008
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I admit it--the title of this novel almost scared me off. It sounds like one of those novels seemingly created for book clubs, one of those novels that I just cannot enjoy. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon about sappy, sentimental novels, and I was concerned that this was one of them. The wonderful reviews convinced me to give it a try and wow am I happy I did. This book is a delight from start to finish, perfect for anyone who loves books and bookstores. I would recommend this book to everyone, really, even the crankiest of readers. The novel takes place in post-WWII England and is written entirely in letters, in my opinion, a risky tack, but one that works perfectly here. Juliet is a writer in search of her next topic when she receives a letter from a stranger on Guernsey in search of Charles Lamb's books. Juliet finds out about a book group formed on the island, her curiousity is piqued and more letters, from many on the island, fly back and forth. The characters in the novel are so wonderful and the writing is terrific--everything works here perfectly. This novel made me laugh out loud and cry real tears--I highly recommend it. Enjoy!
One of the best books I've read this year August 24, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. It made me laugh and cry. The book is a series of letters from and to, the different charactures in the story. It's nice to read about the events that take place from the different points of view of each person! Has Mary Ann Shaffer written anything else!! If not, why not. I am eagerly awaiting her next book!!!
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