For my last book of the semester, I wanted to choose something special that contains everything I love about the process of reading and enjoying literature. In my opinion, the perfect book transports you to another world and provokes you to keep asking questions long after you’re finished reading. For me, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is that book. Told through an exchange of letters, this book follows Juliet and a group of friends on the island of Guernsey shortly after the devastation of World War II. As the novel progresses, you’ll fall in love with each character and the specific mannerisms evident throughout each written word. In a society that has virtually no use for snail mail, I loved reading this book because it reminded me of a time when people waited weeks and weeks to hear from loved ones who were far away instead of sending a quick text message.
Why you should read it: This book has everything that is beautiful about the reading experience: historical perspective, humor, suspense, and love. The material is thought-provoking and relatable through the vivid character descriptions put together by Shaffer and Barrows. This book is perfect to read by the pool or to give you a break from studying for finals.
From the back cover: “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.
I’ve enjoyed this journey through literature with you all, and I hope you’ve enjoyed my book club just as much as I have. Never stop reading! You’ll be surprised at all of the places you can go if you simply find yourself between the pages of a good book.
HC xo,The Bookworm Belle