But before you go, please read my mini-review that is posted on our community board at Terrace Books.
Title: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel
Author: Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Publisher: Dial Press, 2009 trade paperback edition, $14.00
ISBN: 978-0-385-34100-4 290 pages
Genre: Fiction, literature
Rating: 5 stars, outstanding!
What the book is about: Ever had potato peel pie? Don't worry, this book is not about cooking! It is a compelling tale about the German Occupation of the Channel islands during World War II. The story gives us an insiders view of the Occupation, written in a unique style of letters exchanged between the members of the society and Miss Juliet Ashton, a published author. This old fashioned book club was invented by the founding member, Elizabeth McKenna in order to create a diversion from the Germans during curfew one night. What entails is a moving masterpiece of history told from those that lived it and how the books they read helped them survive. Yes, the books helped them survive. It is somewhat of a love story: a love of books, a love of writing and a love of Guernsey. The relationships -- between the people and the books they read -- are revealed slowly and purposefully. Be prepared to fall in love all over again with the classics and with the unforgettable characters in this book.
Why I loved it: Each character is revealed to us through the books they read. They are, in essence, defined by their choice of book!
My favorite excerpt: "I love seeing the bookshops and meeting the booksellers -- booksellers really are a special breed. No one in their right mind would take up clerking in a bookstore for the salary, and no one in his right mind would want to own one -- the margin of profit is too small. So, it has to be a love of readers and reading that makes them do it -- along with first dibs on the new books." page 15 (My thoughts exactly!)
My recommendation: You will enjoy this book if you like historical fiction. It is a romance about books and reading. I highly recommend it for English teachers or anyone else whose profession revolves around reading. Also, those interested in the occupation of World War II should enjoy the historical implications. Very well researched and has made me move on to other Occupation non-fiction books.
What to read next: (all are non-fiction)
London 1945: Life in the Debris of War by Maureen Waller
The Model Occupation: The Channel Islands Under German Rule 1940-1945 by Madeleine Bunting
Our Longest Days: A People's History of the Second World War by Sandra Koa Wing
Toodles,
BookLady
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