The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows)

" 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 Chapters.ca)


Book Club Discussion Notes

Our book club really enjoyed this book. We liked the letter format of the book, and found that it helped make the book easy to pick up and put down, even though we didn't really want to. The characters are all likeable and well developed, and it was interesting learning about the history of a place most of us didn't know about. We also liked the discussion questions at the end of the book. They were questions that inspired good discussion about the book, but also further discussion about our love of reading and other books that we have enjoyed. We recommend this book to all other book clubs as it is a good, easy read that will lead to a fun book club discussion.

Rating = 5 Irises