The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer

I first heard of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society from Auntie Doris' blog and although I was fascinated by it at the time I have to say that I forgot about it somewhat until I saw it again in the local Waterstones when I was in there the other weekend. Now I've read it though I've been kicking myself for not getting hold of it sooner.

I've always been fascinated by the German occupation of the Channel Islands and was even more fascinated after being taken to Jersey by Mr C for my birthday earlier this year. That weekend we were able to visit the Jersey War Tunnels and learnt a bit more about the people who lived through the occupation. This book has then helped stretch my understanding further.

Juliet Ashton, a published author, is sat wondering what to write next. She's had fame with our book of newspaper columns from the war years, but now that it's 1946 she is at a bit of a loss as to what to write next. Suddenly she received a letter from a Dawsey Adams who lives on the Channel Island of Guernsey. He came across her name and address inside the cover of a Charles Lamb book, The Selected Essays of Elia. Dawsey has fallen in love with Lamb's writing and asks Juliet for details of a bookseller in London so that he can get his hands on more of Lamb's work. 

Juliet is fascinated by his letter, particularly when he tells her that the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society came into being due to a roast pig that they had to keep secret from the German Soldiers. Whose interest wouldn't be piqued after reading that?

Juliet and Dawsey start exchanging letters and she learns about the German occupation and the other members of the Society and how their lives were affected by the Occupation. As the book is mainly composed of letters between Juliet, the Society members, her publisher and dear friend Sidney and her best friend Susan (who happens to be Sidney's sister) the reader is given a very personal insight into what life there must have been like. All the letters are written in a beautifully honest manner and provoke tears and laughter in equal measure.

I certainly want to read more about the Channel Islands during the Occupation and also to visit Guernsey. Jersey was beautiful and from what I've read it sounds like Guernsey is too. Please let me know if you have any recommendations on other books (fiction or non) covering the Occupation period.