Book Review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Back in the fall, I happened to be amongst some other moms who had already read, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. They recommended it highly, and I put it on my mental list of books to read.

For months, every time I went to the library, I forgot the name of the book, as it is rather complicated. Finally one day I discovered a slip of paper in my purse with the title written down on it. Success at last!

When I got home and began to read, it was immediately apparent that this was one of those wonderful stories that transports the reader through time and place. It was with the greatest reluctance that I put it down to go about my daily life. While I was cooking dinner, or caring for my children, a part of my mind was wondering what would happen next to the characters, who for 274 pages felt like friends.

The story revolves around the life of  Juliet Ashton, an writer in post WWII England. She is looking for a topic for her next book, and inadvertently begins a correspondence with a man named Dawsey Adams, who lives on the Channel island of Guernsey. Through Dawsey, Juliet is introduced to other islanders, who write to her of their experiences when the island was occupied by the Germans during the war.

Eventually, as their friendships grow through their correspondence, the islanders persuade Juliet to come for a visit. She does, and her life is changed forever.

Those who love a happy ending will not be disappointed. I adored this story, and wholeheartedly recommend it. Make sure you have time to immerse yourself in a novel before opening the cover, because this is most certainly a book to get lost in. My only sorrow is that I'll never again have the experience of reading this for the first time. Sometimes stories really are magical, this is one of those books.