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

by Guatemama@evpl on Wednesday, August 27 2008, 10:24am. Viewed 1,091 times.
EVPL Blogs » Blogs » Books Blog » "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyIn looking for the next "good" book to read I happened upon a review of this title and was quickly drawn in by... well,  just about everything.  It centers around an unlikely book group.  It makes mention of and draws parallels with some great authors and their literary works - the Bronte sisters to name a few.  With a setting in London and the Channel Islands just after the German Occupation of World War II, this novel appealed to my love of historical fiction. And it is a debut novel... something I am always fascinated to find and explore!

As I began to read, I was put off just a little by the book's format, a series of letters written between the people of Guernsey and a young author in London,  but quickly found this quite charming. (Not to mention this succinct style worked well for me -- a mother of two young children!)  I was quickly and thouroughly drawn into the correspondence between this varied group of people.  And though I thought I knew what I was getting into with this book, I found it to be anything but predictable.  I was hooked from the first page to the last and even with a joyously happy ending I was left wanting to know more. And hoping to read more from Mary Ann Shaffer and her aunt/co-author Annie Barrows in the future!

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Comments (6)

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MediaPhile@evpl wrote
on Wednesday, August 27 2008, 4:10pm

What a coincidence.  I was just talking to someone who had heard about this novel on NPR and was so intrigued that she suggested it for for book group.

HRevvdon@evpl wrote
on Wednesday, September 3 2008, 11:57am

I just finished reading this book and then I downloaded to my MP3 player to listen to it.  There are multiple voices, including Juliette Mills, that lend to the letter format.  I have not started listening to it but I am looking forward to it.  The book was great.

Dewey@evpl wrote
on Tuesday, September 9 2008, 10:54am

The book was written by Mary Ann Shaffer, who died before she could complete it. Shaffer had asked her niece, Annie Barrows, to help finish the novel after she died. You can hear a interview with Annie Barrows on the books inception at www.npr.org/.../story.php

It's a wonderful book,a page turner.  The characters come alive.  

Meditatinglibrarian@evpl wrote
on Thursday, October 2 2008, 5:13pm

I came across a link to a reading list (a few years old, tho) on the Seattle Public Library site called "Epistolary: letters, diaries, journals, and emails url: www.spl.org/default.asp ."  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an epistolary novel, so if you enjoy this form you might check there for similar titles.

Shh_ImReading@evpl wrote
on Wednesday, June 3 2009, 12:37pm

I finally got around to reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society this week. It was wonderful! It was a sort of addictive read; I kept thinking I'd just read one more letter and then go do something else. This went on for about three or four hours yesterday until I finished the book. This book reminded somewhat of a shorter, non-fiction title that I love as well: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

HRevvdon@evpl wrote
on Thursday, June 4 2009, 6:51am

After reading the book I downloaded it to my MP3 player and listened to it - it added a whole new dimension.  It was very good.

84 Charing Cross Road is wonderful and I just watched the film (again) with Anne Bancroft.  Great book and film.