Book Review: 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'

A friend recommended "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" to me. I'm so glad he did. It's a lovely book.

Unlike a typical book where the story is told through chapters, this story is told through letters. It takes place in England — January, 1946 — eight months after the end of World War II. The lead character, Juliet, wrote a newspaper column during the war. Afterward, her publisher and best friend's brother, Sidney, bundled the columns into a book. The story opens with Juliet on a book tour. It's a bit disconcerting to start in the middle of a story, but it works in this case. Just stick with it and all will eventually be made clear. I love reading the letters as Juliet writes to Sidney, both write to her friend, his sister, Sophie. It's a round robin of letters reflecting on life, the book tour and each other. The title of the book becomes clear when Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. He is a fan of the author Charles Lamb. Somehow, he has come to own a book of Lamb's that once had belonged to Juliet. He writes to her hoping that she could help him out by sending the name and address of a bookshop in London, so he may order more of Charles Lamb's writings by post. With that letter starts a most unusual correspondence. Through letters, you learn about the birth of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, its members and the German Occupation of the Channel Islands.

I was very sad when I finished the book because I wanted it to go on and on. It's not often I can say that. Highly recommended. It's available in paperback or it can be borrowed from the Hutchinson Public Library by calling (320) 587-2368.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer at the Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com.)