The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Book Review

I got a recommendation from my mom's group so I reserved this book at the library.  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel by Annie Barrows was a collection of letters.  It wasn't the best book to start off because it was hard for me to get into but then I couldn't put it down.  A lot like 84 Charing Cross Road which was another collection of letters that I read last summer and enjoyed!!

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . .

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.  Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.  Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

It took me a little bit to get into this book but I enjoyed it once I was in and was sad when it was over.  All of the characters were amazing and you really wanted to get to know all of them.  It was interesting to learn about how the war was different for different people.  Juliet was writing letters to lots of friends and making new ones a long the way with all of the people in the island of Guernsey.  Juliet was instantly connected to them because someone bought a used book with her name inside it and her life was instantly changed.  By the end of the book, you can't even remember why Juliet found the amazing people on this little island but you know that her life is forever changed.  Make sure you pick up the book and follow along these letters to see how her life changes.  I was drawn in and couldn't put it down with horrible stories of war and wonderful stories of overcoming.  I was so glad that I got to read this book and I hope that you do too!