The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

Critics

• Bright and dark

  The zany title of Mary Ann Shaffer's first and, alas, last novel derives from an invented book club on the island of Guernsey in the second world war. The club is invented by the resourceful character Elizabeth McKenna, who, bumping into a German pat ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

21 Reviews

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  Unusual style - the book consists only of letters and telegramms, received and sent by the fictional woman-writer who collects material for her next book. Topic is the German occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII and while this is a very serious matter, the authors manage to make it an easy ... (continue)

  Unusual style - the book consists only of letters and telegramms, received and sent by the fictional woman-writer who collects material for her next book. Topic is the German occupation of the Channel Islands during WWII and while this is a very serious matter, the authors manage to make it an easy and compelling read. All characters are well cut out and even though they are quite different and normally probably wouldn't mix, the occupation brings them together in this book club. It's a charming book, describing lovely people who survived the worst.

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  Lunarossa said on Aug 24, 2009 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  This book is absolutely amazing. I love it mainly for three reasons:

  (i) the way it is presented, i.e. in a string of correspondences in 1946 between Juliet Ashton, a writer in London, and her friends and a group of new acquaintances in Guernsey, which had just been liberated from the Nazi o ... (continue)

  This book is absolutely amazing. I love it mainly for three reasons:

  (i) the way it is presented, i.e. in a string of correspondences in 1946 between Juliet Ashton, a writer in London, and her friends and a group of new acquaintances in Guernsey, which had just been liberated from the Nazi occupation. It reminds me of "84 Charingcross Road", but this one is even more interesting and fascinating.

  (ii) the wonderful characters of the book, especially members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Their lives, revealed through the letters, are a celebration of human courage, compassion and dignity in times of extreme oppression and dire straits.

  (iii) the story behind how the author, Mary Ann Shaffer, came up with the idea of the book, saw it to fruition and passed away shortly after the book was published. The fact that Shaffer, an American, could write in such a British style and know so much about the very English Channel Islands is astonishing.

  Highly recommended.

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  Tracy W said on Aug 20, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  An absolutely charming story!!! Loved the letter format and how the writer could make a serious theme light and enjoyable.

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  Nini said on May 24, 2011 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  Serious story, witty style

  A serious story about the German occupation of Guernsey, told with in a lovely witty style.

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  lankylad said on Nov 26, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  Actually spell-binding. I could not put it down. The fact that it's written as a series of letters makes it easy to read and very personal, only giving you glimpses of what Mary Ann Shaffer wants you to see. A refreshing take on life during and after World War II and truly romantic. I'd definitely r ... (continue)

  Actually spell-binding. I could not put it down. The fact that it's written as a series of letters makes it easy to read and very personal, only giving you glimpses of what Mary Ann Shaffer wants you to see. A refreshing take on life during and after World War II and truly romantic. I'd definitely read it again!

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  Valentine said on May 24, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  
  one of the loveliest books, witty, precious!

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  Nickoletta said on Feb 25, 2011 | Add your feedback

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Book Details

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• English Books
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• ISBN-10: 0440297001
• ISBN-13: 9780440297000
• Pub date: May 01, 2009
• Also available as: Paperback, Hardcover, Audio CD and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, Livres Français, Libros en Español, llibres en català, Libri Italiani, Nederlandse Boeken, Svenska böcker

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