Rating: ****
Tags: Fiction, General, England, London (England), Literary, Literary Criticism, Historical, Fiction - General, Historical - General, Popular American Fiction, Book clubs (Discussion groups), London (England) - History - 20th century, Epistolary fiction, Women Authors, Guernsey (Channel Islands), Lang:en
Summary
" 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 friendsand what a wonderfully
eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel
Pie Societyborn as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members
were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their
islandboasts 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.