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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society | 
 enlarge | Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Publisher: The Dial Press
Category: Book
List Price: $22.00
Buy New: $11.80
You Save: $10.20 (46%)
New (41) Used (9) Collectible (1) from $9.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  147 reviews
Sales Rank: 19
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
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: This product is NEW and in perfect condition. No remainder marks or signs of wear. Guaranteed fast shipment to anywhere in the world. Expedited shipping also available.
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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 142 more reviews...
 Great Book and Sweet Love Story September 6, 2008
I thought this book had an odd title but was attracted to it because of Guernsey Island. I have a cousin who was a child in Jersey ( a another island in the same group) who was living there with her father and brother during WW2. The Germans took their island over too and life was very hard. I remembered the talk about it in our family. I thought the book would be interesting and it was!
Told through the writing of letters it really spun a fascinating connection of events that all took place when the Germans were occupying Guernsey. The interrelationships that happened then gave a wonderful picture of people at their best dealing with the awful life that faced them on a daily basis. I was fascinated seeing these friendships grow and include outsiders. What a wonderful group of friends! The story draws the reader into the story and it becomes a real page turner at the end. I loved it!
 Aliceupnorth September 6, 2008
I LOVED THIS BOOK! At first, I didn't think I would get into the letters and all the characters, but once I started reading it, I could hardly put the book down. Wonderful book!!
Really fine epistolary historical novel. September 6, 2008
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is a rare gem of a book; in its epistolary (letters written back and forth) fashion, it illuminates a vanished time (World War II under the Germans) in a place very few people know much about, the Channel Islands off of the United Kingdom proper.
This novel has it all -- the historical research is spot on, the characters are interesting and well-developed, and I truly believed in both the "present" of this novel (1946) and the recent "past" occupation under the Germans.
I firmly recommend this novel and will be looking for whatever Mary Ann Shaffer and her writing partner author next.
Five stars, highly recommended.
Just what I wanted September 6, 2008
I've been interested in novels written in the form of letters for a while. I particularly enjoyed the characters, the history lesson, and the combination of what was said/written and what was not. The central romance was pretty obvious from early on but other than that, good work!
 Depends on what you want in a book September 5, 2008
1 out of 5 found this review helpful
This novel is comprised of a series of letters from a developing group of friends. The main character is a writer whose editor is an old friend, the brother of another friend, and a quietly jealous observer of the main character's growing attachment for another admirer.
While I admit to some curiosity about some decisions the main character has to make about her tragic past and the consequences of a newly-ended war in the present, I just felt this novel could have been a bit more "evolved" about its approach to religion. The slams are frequent and harsh, and you get the sense there's a strong anti-religious crusade that is always vying for your attention so you can't really pay attention to the story itself. And it ruins all the fun. It's like baking a roast in the oven and garnishing it and presenting it with thoughtful perfection, only for your guest to discover you used sugar instead of salt to season it with. It seems in the 21st century we're all expected to be a bit more tolerant and sensitive than that. I just got tired of it. It marred what could have been a very nice work.
So what did this fictional writer with the sharp wit and a penchant for launching projectiles (books, teapots...)at her book-reading audiences decide about her seething disdain for the pursuit of a better life?
I just couldn't tolerate the slams long enough to find out. A pity.
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