Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This was at times fun/lighthearted, poignant and moving. Really (really) liked it :)
243 pages
English language
Published Jan. 5, 2008 by Bloomsbury.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
4 stars
(36 reviews)
"A glorious, gorgeous, completely irresistible novel, Guernsey will win hearts everywhere. An affecting, emotional epistolary novel recalling the charm and warmth of 84 Charing Cross Road and the gentle wit of Alexander McCall Smith, Guernsey tells the story of a small group of neighbors on the island of Guernsey off the coast of England. A pig farmer, an elegant lady, a potion maker, a rag and bone man, a footman posing as a lord who survive the Nazi occupation in the Second World War by gathering over humble potato peel pie to talk of Shakespeare, Chaucer, and the great novels. With the war over, Juliet, an eager writer from London, uncovers just how dramatic the lives of these islanders really were during the war, and through them, discovers the drama in her own life. Guernsey is a real gem of a novel. It's that rare thing: a small story, simply …
"A glorious, gorgeous, completely irresistible novel, Guernsey will win hearts everywhere. An affecting, emotional epistolary novel recalling the charm and warmth of 84 Charing Cross Road and the gentle wit of Alexander McCall Smith, Guernsey tells the story of a small group of neighbors on the island of Guernsey off the coast of England. A pig farmer, an elegant lady, a potion maker, a rag and bone man, a footman posing as a lord who survive the Nazi occupation in the Second World War by gathering over humble potato peel pie to talk of Shakespeare, Chaucer, and the great novels. With the war over, Juliet, an eager writer from London, uncovers just how dramatic the lives of these islanders really were during the war, and through them, discovers the drama in her own life. Guernsey is a real gem of a novel. It's that rare thing: a small story, simply told, that contains within it enormous depth and heart. Completely accessible and immediately captivating, the characters are nothing short of enchanting. Gloriously honest, moving, sweet and funny, a sheer delight from beginning to end, this is truly a book to fall in love with."--Provided by publisher.
Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
**My third reading of this book, and I love Guernsey just as much as I did three years ago. And the audiobook is just perfect!
Just like Juliet, I have fallen in love with Guernsey. I want to pack my bags and live there and join their literary society. I am enchanted.
Journey back in time through a series of correspondence between author Juliet Ashby and the people of Guernsey Island following the occupation of World War II. But beware--you might find you leave a piece of your heart behind. Funny, sweet, dramatic, and curious, I was so absorbed. I just loved this book. I loved everyone in the literary society, especially Dawsey. And I loved the ending, and felt it was the perfect ending to a beautiful book.
Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
What to say? It's an award winner and I have several friends who have rated this book with a five star rating. So I guess I was expecting to love it and I just didn't. It took me way too many days to finish this book and maybe that's an issue in and of itself. If I read it in one sitting maybe it wouldn't have felt so disjointed to me. Anyway, I do love that the book features a "book club" of sorts that loves reading!
Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
This was delightful. At first, it masqueraded as a light, humorous tale, but then it became a lot more than that. And I learned something; I was not aware that the Channel Islands were occupied during WWII. This was yet another war experience I'd never heard before, and the characters were very likeable.
I now have another destination for my bucket list, too. This is a short novel that packed quite a punch!
Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
It's a sweet book. It starts out as a treatise on how the love of literature can spring up in the unlikeliest places, for the unlikeliest reasons. Then it becomes a series of harrowing vignettes on life in occupied Europe during WWII. And finally a simple love story, in which everyone involved is absolutely blind to the existence of the two star-crossed lovers.
cessie reviewed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (Random House reader's circle)
Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Since I visited the Channel Islands for the first time as a little girl (my dad needed to work at Guernsey) I do have a soft spot for these islands.
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Subjects
- Fiction
- Women authors
- Book clubs (Discussion groups)
- History
Places
- England
- Guernsey
- London (England)
- Great Britain Miscellaneous Island Dependencies
- Guernsey (Channel Islands)
- Channel Islands