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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Pages
288
Published
2008
Language
English

Synopsis

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb....As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. From the Hardcover edition.

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Characters

Juliet AshtonProtagonist
Dawsey AdamsSupporting
All characters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Frequently asked questions

  • Did Mary Ann Shaffer live to see the book published?

    No. Shaffer died in February 2008, several months before the novel's July 2008 publication. Her niece, children's author Annie Barrows, completed the editorial revisions the publisher requested, which is why the book carries both their names.

  • Is the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society a real historical club?

    No, it's fictional. In the novel it began as a spur-of-the-moment alibi a group of Guernsey islanders invented to explain being out after curfew during the German occupation, and the name stuck as the group became a real reading circle.

  • Was the book adapted into a film?

    Yes. A 2018 film directed by Mike Newell starred Lily James as Juliet Ashton and Matthew Goode as Sidney Stark; it later streamed on Netflix.

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