Book Review: Guernsy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

After reading numerous reviews about how exceptional this book is, I knew that I had to read it! This is another example of a book that though it created great hype and a flood of good reviews, I felt that it was lacking.

The plot is pretty simple and revolves around the lives of people on the island of Guernsey which is one of the islands in the English Channel. The reader is introduced to these charming people by Juliet Ashton who became famous during WWII by writing a column in the British newspapers. She wrote one book that was given such acclaim that her editor demanded that she write another. However, Ashton has writer's block and isn't sure that she can make another moving book. Fortunately, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams who has stumbled upon a book of poems by Charles Lamb and wants more information on the poet. Adams mentions that he was introduced to Lamb's work at the local book club called the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Ashton becomes incredibly interested in this society and being a correspondence relationship with Adams and other members of the literary group. Immediately, she feels a pull to the island and its residents. When Ashton is told how Guernsy was occupied by the Nazis during WWII, she decides to visit the island and meet these resilient people. The secrets that she reveals and personalities that she encounters make the novel a delightful read.

The novel is told entirely through letters which is an interesting technique but often takes a bit getting used to. The characters are charming though not dynamic and most times predictable. The story was enjoyable and quaint but not deep or remarkably memorable. The most interesting aspect of the book is the boom of publicity that has preceded and continues to follow this novel. Possibly one of the reasons why it created such a sensation is because the author died before the book was even published. Mary Ann Shaffer died the February before her book made it onto shelves. All editing and changes made to the novel were done by Shaffer's niece Annie Barrows. Many readers of the novel have become so entranced with it that they have created a Google map with pin points to mark certain areas that are described in the book. Besides the island of Guernsy, all other places on the island are fictitious. Yet, readers have used descriptions in the book to locate where certain events might have occurred. These events are marked and the passages in which they are described are tagged on the left.

I believe that literary connoisseurs should read this novel because it is going to be discussed for years to come. Book clubs have already devoured it in such enormous quantities that the novel has skyrocketed to best-seller status across the country. The sensation that this book created is reason enough to pick up a copy. However, do not expect it to be of the caliber of great and lasting fiction.

-DLP