The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

After reading this book, I read thru some of the less flattering reviews out of curiosity. I think it boils down to what mood you are in. I find that my mood affects my enjoyment of certain types of books - maybe that true for some who didn't care for this. I enjoyed it, and found myself telling my husband about parts of it that I found interesting - the historical aspects of the area, etc. It's an enjoyable read. The format of the letters makes a nice change - though it wasn't very realistic that all of the letters' authors would have such similar styles of writing. It's difficult to emulate different writing styles - so that was a risk, I thought. But I did enjoy the story, and I guess I was just in the mood for a warm story about a special place, and people who found their families among their neighbors enduring impossible hardships. I also enjoyed the main character's willingness to reinvent herself. I'm not necessarily always in the mood for this kind of book - but this one worked for me.

This is a great read, with richly drawn characters who you like and feel you know by the end of the book. I rarely laugh out loud while reading but I laughed several times while reading this and cried as well.

Great historical fiction - easy read but pulls you into the story line from the start. By the end of the book, I wanted to move to Guernsey and have these characters as friends.

Reminded me of the Jan Karon books in tone but there was considerably more story per page.

This book was delightful, thoughtful, and poignant. Colorful characters, a beautiful seaside setting, and a desperate and trying era, come together in a unique and hopeful story.

The story is set in the mid-1940's as the UK recovers from WWII. Juliet Ashton is the central character - she is in her 30's - - lives in London - - and is a successful newspaper columnist who is looking for her next story idea. By chance, she receives a letter from a resident on Guernsey in the Channel Islands who pulls her into a series of letter exchanges between other residents of Guernsey. She finds herself building close relationships with Guernsey residents and becomes immersed in the history of the Island and the residents during the Nazi occupation during WWII - including the evacuation of children to England -- the starvation of the residents and the Nazi slaves and the horrors of the concentration camps. Juliet decides to make a trip to Guernsey to build the foundation for her story.

My assessment of the novel:

1) It is a quick read

2) It is charming, clever, entertaining and enlightening story on a subject that can be best described as dark

3) The central characters in the story are colorful - with a deep sense of right and wrong - describing acts of courage, fortitude, endurance and most of all - survival.

4) This is a "feel good" book that is interspersed with horrific stories of the occupation and the evil of the Nazi regime

5) The authors have an effective visual writing style - you'll want to visit Guernsey to see the cliffs, the ocean, the gardens, the landscape - and meet the residents of the community.