The Enchanting Story of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

k: Although it was listed in Very Good condition, it was underrated. It was more like Like New condition . So pleased with my "used" book. I can even give to friend after I finish with it and can be happy to share it--great quality!!

United States on Oct 06, 2023

AubreyAubrey: I LOVE this book and was thoroughly enjoying reading it until I got to page 118 and it jumps to page 151. It does this twice in the book. Has the same pages twice. I’m sad :(

United States on Sep 23, 2023

laura j.: A book telling a story entirely written in letters. Mostly about the Germans invading Guernsey during ww11 with a bit of romance tied up in a bow at the end. It was nice and I enjoyed it. 3.5 stars rounded up

United Kingdom on Sep 08, 2023

Zalewski Valerie: This is a wonderful story of friendship and a very agreeable visit to Guernsey. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone who needs a heartwarming story.

France on Aug 22, 2023

ALT: Watched the film, loved it.

Bought the book, forgot about it for 18 months or so. Had no idea of the writing style, but was not put off in the slightest.

This book is beautiful. Written in such a way, I felt I had travelled to Guernsey myself.

Beautiful, just beautiful... And, I felt like I've learnt stuff re WWII and the occupation too!

Can not recommend highly enough... I wish there was a sequel!!

Oh and as always, so much better than the film, despite the fantastic cast.

United Kingdom on Aug 14, 2023

Sapna_Dreamz_Foreva: This book is an awesome read. I really liked it because it was interesting and funny, and sad too, and it was written in a flowing, easy to read way. I read it after hours in one week and really enjoyed myself.

Basically the book is about Juliet, an authoress and it is set in the post-WWII era. Juliet has written a biography about Ann Bronte and a book about WWII life as a fictitious person. The biography wasn't so successful but the second book she wrote, titled Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War is a humorous take on war life, which was moderately successful. Well Juliet has had a failed engagement and starts to receive flowers from an unknown suitor. Later we find out the suitor is an American, a very rich guy named Mark. Juliet starts to receive letters from a resident of Guernsey who finds out her name in a book by Charles Lamb and there Juliet finds out about "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society". The name and society was created incidentally. What happened was Dawsey and his friends had a secret party eating pig and if you google potato peel pie: quo-unquo "The potato peel pie is actually a true occupation recipe, which made the most of the limited...

India on Sep 19, 2021

Glynn Young: My dear correspondent,

I’ve always had to wonder when I read a novel comprised entirely of letters. I think, well, it’s either going to be very, very good or will peter out after the second chapter and become tedious, repetitive, and boring.

I’m happy to say that “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer falls definitely into the former and not the latter category. It is very, very good, and (if I had to assess why) it’s because Shaffer tells a story and stays in command of the story to the very end. And the story itself is a dramatic one and based upon a recent historic event – the occupation of the Channel Islands by the German army during World War II.

The Channel Islands lie just off the coast of France but have allegiance to Great Britain. Technically, they are not part of Great Britain, but their inhabitants sound (to an American ear) as British as any Briton. They were owned by Duke William of Normandy, who retained ownership after he invaded and won Britain in 1066.

Because of the proximity to France, the British Army and Navy couldn’t defend the islands, so they became as much German-occupied...

United States on Apr 16, 2018

FictionFan: Not long after the end of WW2, London-based journalist Juliet Ashton is looking for a book idea to follow up on the success of her humorous war-time columns. Coincidentally, she is contacted by Dawsey Adams, a man from the Channel Island of Guernsey, who has found her name and address in a second-hand volume of Charles Lamb, and asks for her help in finding more of his work, since the only bookshop on Guernsey closed during the German occupation of the island. He mentions the importance that the titular Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society had in keeping up morale during the Occupation. Fascinated, Juliet asks for more details, and so starts a correspondence that gradually spreads to include more of the Guernsey residents. And after a time, Juliet realises that she wants her book to tell the story of the islanders and their Society...

The entire book is told in the form of letters, mostly between the Guernsey people and Juliet, but also including her existing friends and publishers. This technique works pretty well for the most part, though it does begin to feel a bit contrived, especially once Juliet decides to visit the island for herself. In the early part of the book,...

United Kingdom on Apr 26, 2016

Alpha Reader: The year is 1946, and Miss Juliet Ashton is touring England to promote her book `Izzy Bickerstaff Goes to War'. Originally a serial that appeared in `Spectator' to lift spirits by taking a humorous look at the war, the book is now selling splendidly and Juliet finds herself a legitimate authoress. The only problem is that she doesn't have much of an idea for a second book. The war is over, but Juliet is struggling (with the rest of the nation) to forget the horrors. Her flat was bombed to bits in 1942, and Juliet finds herself displaced in a Chelsea rental. Ration cards are still in circulation, to begin helping all those displaced persons across Europe (and Juliet will admit; it sticks in her craw that some of those persons are German).

Waiting ever patiently for an idea to come to her is Juliet's dear friend and publisher, Sidney Stark (of Stephens & Stark Ltd.) who also happens to be the elder brother of her very best friend, Mrs Sophie Strachan. Ideas are even less forthcoming when rival American publishing tycoon, Markham V. Reynolds Junior takes to courting Miss Ashton - on the basis that she is the only woman to have ever made him laugh.

And then a letter...

United States on May 28, 2012