The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer

277 pages

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2008 by The Dial Press.

ISBN:: 978-0-385-34099-1

(27 reviews)

"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. From the Hardcover edition.

24 editions

govmarley reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

**My third reading of this book, and I love Guernsey just as much as I did three years ago. And the audiobook is just perfect!

Just like Juliet, I have fallen in love with Guernsey. I want to pack my bags and live there and join their literary society. I am enchanted.

Journey back in time through a series of correspondence between author Juliet Ashby and the people of Guernsey Island following the occupation of World War II. But beware--you might find you leave a piece of your heart behind. Funny, sweet, dramatic, and curious, I was so absorbed. I just loved this book. I loved everyone in the literary society, especially Dawsey. And I loved the ending, and felt it was the perfect ending to a beautiful book.

Sandi reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Paul Boehmer

Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Storygraph'

3 stars

What to say? It's an award winner and I have several friends who have rated this book with a five star rating. So I guess I was expecting to love it and I just didn't. It took me way too many days to finish this book and maybe that's an issue in and of itself. If I read it in one sitting maybe it wouldn't have felt so disjointed to me. Anyway, I do love that the book features a "book club" of sorts that loves reading!

Sharyl reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

This was delightful. At first, it masqueraded as a light, humorous tale, but then it became a lot more than that. And I learned something; I was not aware that the Channel Islands were occupied during WWII. This was yet another war experience I'd never heard before, and the characters were very likeable.

I now have another destination for my bucket list, too. This is a short novel that packed quite a punch!

AliCorbin reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

It's a sweet book. It starts out as a treatise on how the love of literature can spring up in the unlikeliest places, for the unlikeliest reasons. Then it becomes a series of harrowing vignettes on life in occupied Europe during WWII. And finally a simple love story, in which everyone involved is absolutely blind to the existence of the two star-crossed lovers.

cessie reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (Random House reader's circle)

Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Since I visited the Channel Islands for the first time as a little girl (my dad needed to work at Guernsey) I do have a soft spot for these islands.
read more