The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is not a book I would have chosen to read if it hadn't been one of our Sunday Arts Section (SAS) Book Club selections. Of all the books featured in the SAS Book Club so far this one has turned out to be the most surprising and the most delightful discovery. No one should miss the opportunity to read this novel about a book club in Nazi-occupied Guernsey (one of the British Channel Islands) during World War II.
It almost seems miraculous that this novel was ever published. Consider this: Shaffer managed to write most of the book before she succumbed to cancer, and she had the good luck of having a niece, Barrows, who could finish writing the book.One of the main reasons to read this book is to experience the legacy Shaffer managed to leave for book lovers. How many people would have had the courage to forge ahead with such a project while facing death? Writing a book even in the best of times is a challenge.
When it comes to this novel, expect the unexpected. I never expected that Shaffer's novel about a writer in search of a new subject would weave some useful tips on writing through the story.For me, the entire novel comes together on page 200 in a letter from Sydney, Juliet's publisher, to Juliet. That letter demonstrates the focus of good writing while reminding us that the centre of any timeless story is an unforgettable character. In the case of the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society that character turns out to be Elizabeth, a woman who is dead before Juliet ever discovers the story of the Channel Island book club. Elizabeth is the heart and soul of the novel and undeniable proof that someone's spirit lives on through the deeds registered in life. Chances are Shaffer had this is mind as she faced her own death.
Shaffer lays out a compelling case for judging people on their own merits, and that is another unexpected twist. She makes a case for judging the Nazi soldiers on Guernsey as individuals, not collectively as the enemy. This would seem an impossible task, but Shaffer pulls it off by demonstrating how a group cannot totally define its individual members.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has an uncanny way of making readers think about the purpose of life, and it reminds us that relationships should be built around values rather status or wealth.
This is a novel that came dangerously close to never existing, and that would have been a big loss to literature. If you enjoy love stories, historical novels, adventure, World War II stories, geography or epistolary novels (novels written in the form of letters, diaries or documents), take the time to check out The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Join the SAS Book Club group on Facebook and post your feelings about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Our next SAS Book Club choice will be The Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman.
