Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I'm not taking a class at BYU this semester, and am instead going to focus on improving my writing. Check out the "School Days" button on the sidebar if you want to join me!

Homework: Pick one or the other, or be inspired. ~Read something on your book shelf for sheer pleasure.
~Blog about a book you've read over and over. Prompt: "I can rifle the pages of ____and easily find my favorite part about____."

Do you ever close a book that you've loved and just clutch it tightly to your chest when you've finished it? That's the mark of a truly beloved read and it is exactly what I did when I finished "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I first heard of this book from my friend Pat, who read it following an actual visit to the Isle of Guernsey. We generally have very similar reading tastes, and the fact that she loved it was enough for me to put the next few days of my life in Mrs. Shaffer's capable hands.

The story is set in post-WW2 British Isles and is written in letter form, primarily between Juliet, a newspaper columnist/author, and a fascinating collection of people in her life. She is a bit lost concerning what to write about next when she receives a letter from Dawsey, a man on the Isle of Guernsey who has a used copy of a book that used to belong to Juliet. He contacts her through the address she wrote inside the cover, and that one letter changes her life and the lives of everyone surrounding both of them.

It's laugh out loud funny in many parts, and deeply moving in others. Though my mother-in-law was born and raised in England and spent her late teens and early twenties surviving WW2, I knew absolutely nothing about the Channel Islands or the events that took place there during the war. The voices of the characters came through so clearly it was almost as though they were reading their letters out loud right over my shoulder. Such an amazing story of survival in all respects--physically, socially, spiritually, and intellectually.

I nearly always check my books out of the library, but after reading this I had to have my own copy. It was a great read, and is also an amazing audio book. I still laugh when I think of my favorite quote from the book: "My friend Mrs. Maugery bought a pamphlet that once belonged to you too. It is called 'Was There A Burning Bush? A Defense of Moses and the Ten Commandments.' She liked your margin note: 'Word of God or crowd control???' Did you ever decide which?"

If you would like to see the other books that I've enjoyed, click on the Goodreads button on the right sidebar. I try to review them all and not just give a star rating. Your suggestions are most welcome, as I usually have three or four books going at a time anyway!