Book Cover
SIMILAR TITLES
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
Dear Mrs. Bird by Amanda-Jane Pearce
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
AWARDS
Indies Book Choice Awards for Best Indie Buzz Book (2009)
POINTS TO REMEMBER
BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Shaffer, M. A. & Barrows, A. (2009). The guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. New York, NY/USA. Random House.
PAGES
288
PAGES
288
PURCHASING OPTIONS
Hardcover $23.40
Paperback $11.47
Paperback $11.47
NOOK $12.99
Audiobook $80.00
Audiobook $80.00
Kindle $12.99
Hardcover $10.71
Hardcover $10.71
Paperback $10.72
Audio CD $34.95
ANNOTATION
Juliet becomes friends with the people of Guernsey as she learns of their WW ll struggles.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Juliet Ashton is a young, up-and-coming author who lives in London and has recently published a very successful book. She was also a successful columnist during the war. Now, she is trying to find inspiration for a new book, but is coming up short. One day, in January 1946, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams. He is a resident of Guernsey Island telling her he has come into possession of one of her old books and is wanting help to get more. She is then subsequently introduced to several of the other residents of the island via letter, thus begins long-distance friendships with them. She learns that they created a literary society by accident, but decided to keep it going as a way to escape the hardships of the German occupation. Juliet eventually decides to visit the island to meet those shes been writing. She is pursued by a rich American, harassed by the town gossip, Adelaide Addison, enraptured by Kit the orphan, haunted by the legacy of Elizabeth, and protected by the many residents of Guernsey all while developing a deep and abiding love for the island and its people.
MY REVIEW
This book came to me highly recommended by a colleague of mine from work. In all honesty, I was doubtful of it, and I did not find much appeal to the book despite it being historical fiction-one of my favorite genres-and WW ll era-my favorite sub genre of historical fiction. I was delightfully proven wrong! Within a few pages of the book I knew I had unjustly judged this book and was captivated. The subtle and elegant wit through the pages of the book were perfectly placed. The down-to-earth yet eccentricities of the people of Guernsey were beguiling. The humanness, loyalty, love, and solidarity made the characters in the book come alive to the point that I found myself day dreaming of traveling to Guernsey Island myself. I found the style of writing to be whimsical and playful yet mournful and reverent. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have woven together a story of hope and solidarity intermingled with loss and calamity. It is a testament that the worst of human kind can bring out the best in it as well.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Emerald
Juliet becomes friends with the people of Guernsey as she learns of their WW ll struggles.
SUMMARY *Spoiler Alert*
Juliet Ashton is a young, up-and-coming author who lives in London and has recently published a very successful book. She was also a successful columnist during the war. Now, she is trying to find inspiration for a new book, but is coming up short. One day, in January 1946, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams. He is a resident of Guernsey Island telling her he has come into possession of one of her old books and is wanting help to get more. She is then subsequently introduced to several of the other residents of the island via letter, thus begins long-distance friendships with them. She learns that they created a literary society by accident, but decided to keep it going as a way to escape the hardships of the German occupation. Juliet eventually decides to visit the island to meet those shes been writing. She is pursued by a rich American, harassed by the town gossip, Adelaide Addison, enraptured by Kit the orphan, haunted by the legacy of Elizabeth, and protected by the many residents of Guernsey all while developing a deep and abiding love for the island and its people.
MY REVIEW
This book came to me highly recommended by a colleague of mine from work. In all honesty, I was doubtful of it, and I did not find much appeal to the book despite it being historical fiction-one of my favorite genres-and WW ll era-my favorite sub genre of historical fiction. I was delightfully proven wrong! Within a few pages of the book I knew I had unjustly judged this book and was captivated. The subtle and elegant wit through the pages of the book were perfectly placed. The down-to-earth yet eccentricities of the people of Guernsey were beguiling. The humanness, loyalty, love, and solidarity made the characters in the book come alive to the point that I found myself day dreaming of traveling to Guernsey Island myself. I found the style of writing to be whimsical and playful yet mournful and reverent. Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have woven together a story of hope and solidarity intermingled with loss and calamity. It is a testament that the worst of human kind can bring out the best in it as well.
RATING
Quality: Gold
Popularity: Emerald
GENRE & SUB GENRES
Historical Fiction
World War II
Romance
APPEAL FACTORS
The engaging style of writing keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. The story is one of tragedy and hope and the characters and plot line are creatively interwoven. The reader gets a real feel for Guernsey Island, its people and culture, and the struggles they faced during the German occupation. It features several strong female characters and provides a look at how even the most obscure places were affected by the ravages of WW ll.
BOOKTALKING
The life and legacy of Elizabeth is an example of how to live our lives with courage and kindness at the same time.
Reading can literally save your life just like it did for the people of Guernsey Island.
Reading is more than an individual thing. Just like food, it can bring people together with diverse backgrounds and beliefs and unite them.
Juliet's choosing to not go the road everyone would have expected by marrying Mark Reynolds-a rich, successful, educated, elitist, powerful man-and instead fell in love with a seemingly simple, quiet, and modest man showing that there is so much more to happiness in a relationship than titles, money, and privilege.
Hope is hard to kill even in the worst and more depraved situations. We are resilient and can overcome. However, it requires openness, connection, vulnerability, and loving acceptance.
DISCUSSION POINTS
How does reading a book compiled of letter change the reading experience compared to if the book was written in a more traditional style?
In what ways were Juliet and Elizabeth the same?
What did Elizabeth's spontaneous act of creating the literary society and her last courageous act say about how she lived?
Juliet rejects the proposal from a man that most would stereotype as the ideal. What makes someone a truly ideal type?
Which of the society members was your favorite? Why?
WHY THIS BOOK?
This book was recommended to me by a colleague from work and was also the book of choice for the book club I am part of at work. I was a bit turned off by it at first, because the colleague that recommended the book said it was a romance, and I had just finished a romance novel that I did not like. Thus, I wasn't too keen on starting up another romance novel. However, I decided to give it a try mostly because it was WW ll era, and, thankfully, was proven wrong.
THE AUTHOR
Marin Independent Journal-Mary Ann Shaffer
Annie Barrows
World War II
Romance
APPEAL FACTORS
The engaging style of writing keeps the reader interested from beginning to end. The story is one of tragedy and hope and the characters and plot line are creatively interwoven. The reader gets a real feel for Guernsey Island, its people and culture, and the struggles they faced during the German occupation. It features several strong female characters and provides a look at how even the most obscure places were affected by the ravages of WW ll.
BOOKTALKING
The life and legacy of Elizabeth is an example of how to live our lives with courage and kindness at the same time.
Reading can literally save your life just like it did for the people of Guernsey Island.
Reading is more than an individual thing. Just like food, it can bring people together with diverse backgrounds and beliefs and unite them.
Juliet's choosing to not go the road everyone would have expected by marrying Mark Reynolds-a rich, successful, educated, elitist, powerful man-and instead fell in love with a seemingly simple, quiet, and modest man showing that there is so much more to happiness in a relationship than titles, money, and privilege.
Hope is hard to kill even in the worst and more depraved situations. We are resilient and can overcome. However, it requires openness, connection, vulnerability, and loving acceptance.
DISCUSSION POINTS
How does reading a book compiled of letter change the reading experience compared to if the book was written in a more traditional style?
In what ways were Juliet and Elizabeth the same?
What did Elizabeth's spontaneous act of creating the literary society and her last courageous act say about how she lived?
Juliet rejects the proposal from a man that most would stereotype as the ideal. What makes someone a truly ideal type?
Which of the society members was your favorite? Why?
WHY THIS BOOK?
This book was recommended to me by a colleague from work and was also the book of choice for the book club I am part of at work. I was a bit turned off by it at first, because the colleague that recommended the book said it was a romance, and I had just finished a romance novel that I did not like. Thus, I wasn't too keen on starting up another romance novel. However, I decided to give it a try mostly because it was WW ll era, and, thankfully, was proven wrong.
THE AUTHOR
Marin Independent Journal-Mary Ann Shaffer
Annie Barrows
REVIEWS
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
Dear Mrs. Bird by Amanda-Jane Pearce
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
AWARDS
Indies Book Choice Awards for Best Indie Buzz Book (2009)
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Guernsey Island
- Potato Peel Pie
- Letter format writing style
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