The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Book review by Jane
I was curious about potato peel pie; but now, after reading the book, I do not recall it mentioned. The story drew me in and I would not have gotten out, except the book ended. I felt somewhat nosy, but happy to read the letters that the main character wrote and received. In fact, the book is wholly made up of letters and communications (wired notes, notes slipped under doors, etc.), except for a brief diary portion of one of the characters that fills the story in nicely to wrap up the ending. There are even letters to a book club member’s grandmother from Oscar Wilde!

Letters, letters, letters. I love letters. After reading the book, it reminded me that the Internet is taking away a fine mode of communication and turning it into e-mail, which does not have the staying power of letters. How much e-mail have I exchanged with Joel and Tracey? I do still have a copy on Outlook Express, but someday the computer will make it to the graveyard, then where will our e-mail have gone? The grandkids will not be able to read them and learn of our days past, like we can with the letters of our grandparents and great-grandparents.

Colorful characters corresponded with Juliet, a writer during (and after) WWII, and the letters cover the period after the war. Juliet is writing mostly to keep in contact with friends and to learn more about a book society in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands off the coast of England that were occupied by the Nazis during the war. She wanted to write about their love for reading, and found out about their history. I have found a theme in recent non-fiction books I have read about Nazis--people often had to come up with explanations to the soldiers on the fly. It is amazing how many times people actually got away with stuff that could have gotten them killed or imprisoned. Anyway, in this fictional account, the book club rouse fooled the Nazis into not punishing a group for being out after curfew. They were out after having a large feast for their situation, as they were starving most of the time on the rations they had. It is quite funny how they fooled the Nazis.

The book is a tender exploration of people who suffer through war and occupation. This book is one of the best books I have read, and it is not full of smut and shockers. Imagine, getting along without that?

Jane.