Many of you may have already read this book, since it was first published in 2009. A copy was given to me by a friend a few weeks ago – and my recommendation is that if you haven’t read it yet, rush out and get a copy immediately!
I knew little of Guernsey and the other Channel Islands, other than a memory of reciting them off in school geography lessons many years ago - Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney and Sark – but this book will certainly bring to light a picture of Guernsey and its people at the time of the German Occupation during World War II, and the aftermath and attempt at recovery and stability in 1946.
The story is comprised of a series of letters exchanged between Juliet, an aspiring young author, the members of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and other local residents, and her friends. Jumping from character to character and incident to incident, we are introduced from one Guernsey inhabitant to another and so are given a crystal-clear picture of the individual personalities, their acts of heroism during this time of war and occupation, their fearlessness, kindness, and their struggles.
The letters merge to give us a book will make you laugh. It will also make you weep, sometimes with sadness, but often with tears of joy at the reminder of the strength of the human character through tragic and difficult times, the survival resources that can be mustered, and the essential goodness and hopes of the human spirit.
Guest Blogger: Margaret Magee, Administrative Coordinator, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows