Written by Anne
Photo by Enrapture Captivating Media on Unsplash
If you’ve ever imagined yourself throwing a teapot at a nosy, gossip for asking you inane and persistent questions about your personal life for the sheer satisfaction of hoping to knock some semblance of civility and respectability into them, then perhaps The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is for you.
Though the name is quite a mouthful, if you’re wondering why the name of the novel sounds familiar to you, you’ve probably scrolled past the movie adaptation on Netflix in pursuit of the latest true crime documentary instead. Whether your a fan of Lily James or not, like my friend Jess, the movie may be still worth scrolling past in your queue, for it does do the colorful and humorous group of vagabond characters from the book justice.
Set in post-war London and the Island of Guernsey in 1946, the epistolary novel featured the novel’s main protagonist, Juliet Ashton, sharing letters and telegrams with strangers on the Island of Guernsey. Though I thought the writing style would drive me crazy and make me crave the standard first-person narrative and dialogue, I enjoyed this quick read filled with hilarious anecdotes and saddening historical truths of the sufferings of many people during World War II.
Despite their differences, debates, and various loves of genres, they found a sense of stability and safety in a time when one wrong word or action could result in them having been shot or imprisoned.
The most inspiring aspect of the novel was the idea that this group of complete strangers, all of whom have varying interests and personalities, could find comfort, love, and friendship within one another over books. Despite their differences, debates, and various loves of genres, they found a sense of stability and safety in a time when one wrong word or action could result in them having been shot or imprisoned. As we currently live in a time where our differences so commonly divide us, I could not help but appreciate how each member of the society sought to describe how valuable the society was in ensuring their survival and sanity throughout the German occupation and after the war.
As a lover of books myself, it never ceases to amaze me how reading books, whether fiction or nonfiction, can put some of life’s toughest truths and realities into perspective for you.
Each character through their letters to Juliet describes the ability of books to help them confront their fears and worries and understand the sadness they were burdened with during and after the war. As a lover of books myself, it never ceases to amaze me how reading books, whether fiction or nonfiction, can put some of life’s toughest truths and realities into perspective for you. And as a person who has read many first-hand accounts of people who suffered at the hands of Germans during World War II, I imagine sharing those stories with others as a vital healing process and an important process of empathizing with our neighbors and other strangers.
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For those who adore witty and daring female characters, down-to-earth men, romance, and learning about the ability of books to create communities and bring strangers together – this book is for you.
“That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It’s geometrically progressive– all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.”
— page 12 (kindle version)
Travel by the Book 