Guernsey is situated in the English Chanel around 27 miles from the coast of Normandy, France. As part of the Channel Islands, this isle was a target for the Nazi forces during World War II – close enough to easily reinforce from the mainland, a step in the right direction towards England, and a lookout point for any incoming Allied forces. Like all occupied territories, the island experienced food shortages, marshal law, and violence or imprisonment of the citizens. However, there was kindness and connection between the soldiers and the citizens you do not typically see in the stories about this era.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a beautiful historical fiction novel detailing the aftermath of the occupation on the island. In the author notes, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows discuss that this was not the novel they started out to write, but much like Juliet in the novel, they stumbled upon Guernsey and had to investigate. The writers beautifully show the power of the human connection and how one small conversation can change the future. This is a novel about unconditional acceptance and love, even amongst the worst of circumstances.
I give The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 4 out of 5 stars. This surprising tale is full of history and cultural facts about the occupation I had never heard before. However, it is written as a series of letters that can make it difficult to follow the conversations. I did enjoy the banter between the different parties, and the letters allow for some frank conversations that may not have been possible between characters in person. I also appreciate the way art imitates life here with Juliet’s work and the novel’s writers choosing to follow the life of one character as a catalyst for the story.
This novel is a great read for historical fiction lovers. With a light romantic storyline, readers who like romantic comedy or historical romances will appreciate this book, too. With discussions of the atrocities of war and Nazi concentration camps, I would direct this novel to more mature readers over 13. This would make a great book club read with discussions of the Guernsey literary society, the characters, and the occupation.
I chose The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for the Booklist Queen Reading Challenge prompt “with a long title”. My librarians and I had a good laugh about how well this fits the challenge when I checked out the book. We also had a healthy debate about how to pronounce the island’s name – after research, I discovered it’s GURN-zee. If you’re like me and watched the movie when it was released in 2018 staring Lily James, you’ll find that it is very similar to the book, but reading it as letters delivers a different feel to the story. After reading this novel, I am longing to visit the island and see the bay and countryside for myself!
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