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A review by shorshewitch
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows, Mary Ann Shaffer
5.0
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
My Rating (5/5)
Genre: Historical Fiction - Deals with World War II (But surprisingly definitely not disheartening.)
I just finished reading this book and I am smiling ear to ear while I write this review. The Times has acknowledged this book declaring it as "Charming.... one to lift even the most cynical of spirits" and God! I so agree with them wholeheartedly.
The book majorly talks about the German occupation of the English Channel Islands out of which Guernsey was one and is written as an epistolary novel, initially by Mary Ann Shaffer and later, owing to her ill health was taken over by her sister Cynthia's niece, Annie Barrows. This transition has definitely not caused any loss of delight though. It is set up initially in post-war 1946 London and later takes us through Guernsey and the amazing people staying there. It also talks about friendships and relations which are not by blood.
Dawsey, a carpenter/pig-farmer, silent, brooding as ever - one day, writes a letter to Juliet Ashton, author, columnist - because he happens to have stumbled across a book by his favorite author Charles Lamb, which belonged to her once upon a time, and introduces her to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society. So enthralled is Juliet by the name of the literary society, that she responds back to elucidate on it (and the story behind the name is such a beautiful one). Thus, starts a series of correspondence, from Guernsey to London, from London to Guernsey, from various people of the literary society to Juliet and later to Juliet's minimal but extremely close friends in London. This book takes one through the worse situations of the war with a lightness that will only make one laugh and cry, all at the same time.
I read this book half and then read 2 disturbingly tragic books and then picked this one again. And am I glad I did it? Oh God! Yes. This book was what I needed the most when all I felt was morose.
The Occupation was grim. It did not definitely have happy memories and the post-war Guernsey was not happy either. It was sad. The stories of each one of them are sad. However, this whole story of stories, is about standing tall in face of tragedies, holding on to hope and faith in the most cynical situations, bringing love and cheer in someone else's life and just never ever giving up. Moreover this is about how books have helped people survive, how the literary society which sprang up in the oddest of circumstances nurtured the individuals and helped them stay sane. I don't think a book-lover would not love this idea.
There is one incident in the book from Juliet's life where she breaks off her engagement with a man, mid-war, who decides to bundle up all her books and send them in the basement, to make place for his trophies in her house (How could he even think of it!). Ironically things change after that, but Juliet's love for books doesn't and this love is exactly what helps her find her destiny. In another one, while Juliet is employed for manning the bombed areas, she sees a bomb dropping on a library and she runs hysterically as if she could stop it. Such incidents and more like these in the book have strengthened my faith in humanity in the face of crisis which was shaken badly by the other books I read in the interim. I laughed and cried and held my breath and danced along with these wonderful people of Guernsey, who along with Juliet became my friends too, in no time and in about first 100 pages.
I am so overjoyed by how it ended, I still cannot stop grinning like an idiot in the middle of my office. Guernsey and its people are going to stay in my life forever as long as I stay. How I wish I was Juliet Ashton!
My Rating (5/5)
Genre: Historical Fiction - Deals with World War II (But surprisingly definitely not disheartening.)
I just finished reading this book and I am smiling ear to ear while I write this review. The Times has acknowledged this book declaring it as "Charming.... one to lift even the most cynical of spirits" and God! I so agree with them wholeheartedly.
The book majorly talks about the German occupation of the English Channel Islands out of which Guernsey was one and is written as an epistolary novel, initially by Mary Ann Shaffer and later, owing to her ill health was taken over by her sister Cynthia's niece, Annie Barrows. This transition has definitely not caused any loss of delight though. It is set up initially in post-war 1946 London and later takes us through Guernsey and the amazing people staying there. It also talks about friendships and relations which are not by blood.
Dawsey, a carpenter/pig-farmer, silent, brooding as ever - one day, writes a letter to Juliet Ashton, author, columnist - because he happens to have stumbled across a book by his favorite author Charles Lamb, which belonged to her once upon a time, and introduces her to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society. So enthralled is Juliet by the name of the literary society, that she responds back to elucidate on it (and the story behind the name is such a beautiful one). Thus, starts a series of correspondence, from Guernsey to London, from London to Guernsey, from various people of the literary society to Juliet and later to Juliet's minimal but extremely close friends in London. This book takes one through the worse situations of the war with a lightness that will only make one laugh and cry, all at the same time.
I read this book half and then read 2 disturbingly tragic books and then picked this one again. And am I glad I did it? Oh God! Yes. This book was what I needed the most when all I felt was morose.
The Occupation was grim. It did not definitely have happy memories and the post-war Guernsey was not happy either. It was sad. The stories of each one of them are sad. However, this whole story of stories, is about standing tall in face of tragedies, holding on to hope and faith in the most cynical situations, bringing love and cheer in someone else's life and just never ever giving up. Moreover this is about how books have helped people survive, how the literary society which sprang up in the oddest of circumstances nurtured the individuals and helped them stay sane. I don't think a book-lover would not love this idea.
There is one incident in the book from Juliet's life where she breaks off her engagement with a man, mid-war, who decides to bundle up all her books and send them in the basement, to make place for his trophies in her house (How could he even think of it!). Ironically things change after that, but Juliet's love for books doesn't and this love is exactly what helps her find her destiny. In another one, while Juliet is employed for manning the bombed areas, she sees a bomb dropping on a library and she runs hysterically as if she could stop it. Such incidents and more like these in the book have strengthened my faith in humanity in the face of crisis which was shaken badly by the other books I read in the interim. I laughed and cried and held my breath and danced along with these wonderful people of Guernsey, who along with Juliet became my friends too, in no time and in about first 100 pages.
I am so overjoyed by how it ended, I still cannot stop grinning like an idiot in the middle of my office. Guernsey and its people are going to stay in my life forever as long as I stay. How I wish I was Juliet Ashton!