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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: $12.95
You Save: $9.05 (41%)
New (39) Used (9) Collectible (3) from $12.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  240 reviews
Sales Rank: 29
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: International shipping available
Condition: Brand new item. Over 3.5 million customers served. Order now. Selling online since 1995. Order with confidence. Code: B20081014212734T
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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 235 more reviews...
 the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society October 15, 2008
simply the best book i have read this year...a gripping story that will make you laugh out loud and probably cry a bit...what an enjoyable and inspiring read.
Delightful, charming read October 15, 2008
When I first started blogging this summer, I read a lot about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, so I went out and bought it. Then, I let it sit on the shelf for a while because I was afraid my expectations were too high. Boy, was I wrong. I loved this book - it was even better than I expected.
This book is written as a series of letters. World War II has just ended and Juliet Ashton, who is an author, is living in London when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams who lives on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. Dawsey has an old book that had belonged to Juliet at one time. In his letter he mentions the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a sort of book club, that sprang up because of the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II. This leads to a flurry of letters between Juliet and members of the Society. Juliet decides there might be a book in the story of the lives of these people and decides to visit Guernsey. Once there, she falls in love with the island and it's people.
One of my favorite lines in the book is in a letter from Juliet to Dawsey when she says, "That's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment." This book is charming and delightful. It made me want to visit Guernsey and made me miss the art of letter writing.
Grit and Grace October 15, 2008
The title seems absurd. Start reading....
This is one of the best books I've read in a very long time. It is remininscent of British WW11 movies about "Chin Up", etc. However, the initial sense of grace under pressure diminishes within the first several pages. The feeling of a facile story passes and a deeper story immerges.
In point of fact, it is very close to a modern version of a Jane Austen story; intimate, class conscious, followed by understanding, acceptance and love.
This is a wise and lovely book that should be short-listed for the Pulitzer. It offers so much so sparingly. (Don't we all hate overwriting?)
Finally, this book is not a "woman's" book. It's a lively description of the life and times of recent post-war England and the havoc that the Nazi's caused in this small piece of England. It is a microcosm for what they accomplished in the wider world during that awful war.
This book is a book that can and will be read for many years to come. I hope schools have the sense to list this as a required reading book. It offers so much for discussion.
I fully recommend this book for teens and older. It's a treasure.
 Modern Day Jane Austen October 14, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. I learned more about World War II from the perspective of the people who suffered occupation, near famine, air raids and other incredible hardships than from any other book I've read. The visual pictures made me want to visit Guernsey. The story line reminded me of Jane Austen novels.
While it might not win a Pulitzer, the book had wonderful characters and a good story. I would recommend it to anybody as an easy, enjoyable read.
WELL WORTH THE READ October 14, 2008
tho the characters in this story are fiction the authors did use facts that happened in the Channel Islands during the war . Not too many Americans realize that Guernsey was occupied for almost five years by the Germans and the only outside news they had wwere lies being told them by the occupation as all radios were confiscated , newspapers etc.
That generation of Brits were magnificent .
Perhaps it will have more people look into non fiction books about that time and place .
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