Book Club in a Box The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Marilyn Herbert

Guernsey is one of four British Channel Islands occupied by the Nazis for five years, 1940-1945. This extraordinary story is one that few people, except for historians, were aware of until Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows recreated the wartime atmosphere of postwar London and Guernsey through the journalist, Juliet Ashton, and her relationship with the Islanders. It all started with a letter from a farmer, Dawsey Adams, who was trying to track down books by Charles Lamb. None of the Guernsey bookstores had survived the war and Dawsey was looking for help in locating more books by Lamb. The single book that Dawsey owned had the name and address that Juliet had once written on the inside page and so he wrote to her. His letter hinted at the existence of a strange book club called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and its connection to a secret dinner of roast pig. Those two details alone guaranteed a spike of interest for Juliet. She responded and the rest is intriguingly revealed in the novel s subsequent correspondences between Juliet and the Guernsey inhabitants. In its review of this special novel, Bookclub-in-a-Box considers the background and backdrop of the German occupation of the island; the ideas of collaboration, physical and psychological survival and behavior in wartime; the power of literature and the importance of literary classics; and, of course, the ultimate value and importance of belonging to a book club. Every Bookclub-in-a-Box discussion guide includes complete coverage of the themes and symbols, writing style and interesting background information on the novel and the author.

Genres: Historical Fiction

78 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

As an educator, school librarian, writer, book-talk presenter and facilitator, Marilyn loves to read and talk about books. Her enthusiasm for reading and sharing led her to unite her two favorite things: people and pages. In turn, this led to the creation of Bookclub-in-a-Box, the ultimate discussion companion for contemporary works of literary fiction. Marilyn is always looking for a great debate about books and welcomes all feedback.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like stories told in an exchange-of-letters format and you like reading about life during wartime or haven't read much in that vein, you might like this. The novel is set in WWII in the Guernsey Islands during German occupation.

The portrayals of hardships endured and creative coping skills employed by citizens of occupied nations in wartime are nothing new. I've read biographies of people who survived horrific conditions and found their stories gripping and emotive. Though some incidents occurring in the fictional accounts of this book are likely based on fact, it didn't work for me. What I found most annoying is the letters sound as if they were all written by the same person. They should at least reflect the varied personalities of their fictional authors. The stories were predictable, and I quickly became bored. This simply was not my "cuppa."

[Larry E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book to hold your interest for days.

Interesting format of letters by principal characters. The weaving of light historical truths makes the narrative believable and real. This is a book to read slowly with a notepad handy to keep up with all the characters mentioned. Places and events make for a very interesting read. This Book club in a box is great way to study the novel.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up - predictable, but the occupation story was good.

[Kathryn Horne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the style of this book. It felt at times that you were a voyeur, snooping through the personal letters of aged aunt. There were moments I felt joy, sadness, outrage. Moments I laughed out loud and moments that I could have cried at. Unfortunately the latter quarter of the book felt rushed, the easy pace and subtle intricacies seemed to disappear, resulting in, for me, a feeling that things were not resolved and that there was much more that needed to be said. Overall though, a great read, lovely characters and time well spent.

[Cecelia Simeone]

Loved it. Set during the second World War on the island of Guernsey off the coast of England. Tells about the relationships that grew during the German occupation with members of the small community.

[Adelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was beautifully written, with wonderful characters. A true delight to read.

[Susan Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. I didn't want it to end.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific, feel good book about Guernsey Island during WWII. Loved it.

[Anne Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed with this book. Started with great promise but trailed away to boredom.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charming and fun

[Lorraine Kent]

great read, written in a letters sent back and forth