The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A Novel

By: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

Narrated by: Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, Juliet Mills

Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times Best Seller

Now a Netflix Film

A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

“Treat yourself to this book, please - I can’t recommend it highly enough.” (Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love)

“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.

Praise for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

“A jewel... Poignant and keenly observed, Guernsey is a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends.” (People)

“A book-lover’s delight, an implicit and sometimes explicit paean to all things literary.” (Chicago Sun-Times)

“A sparkling epistolary novel radiating wit, lightly worn erudition and written with great assurance and aplomb.” (The Sunday Times [London])

“Cooked perfectly à point: subtle and elegant in flavour, yet emotionally satisfying to the finish.” (The Times [London])

©2008 Marry Ann Shaffrer and Annie Barrows (P)2008 Random House, Inc.

Absolutely loved it!

I didn't want to stop listening! Beautifully written and read!

Never so distracted from life

I have never been so unable to pull myself away from my iPod as with this novel. The characters are so real and charming and beautiful even the awful ones. It's every bit as good as all the other reviewers and critics say it is. I so wish that I had heeded the good publicity sooner.

Excellent book!

I loved this book! The story is entertaining and heartwarming. I listened to this book on a car trip and it swept my mind into the story immediately. The characters are vibrant and wonderful. I wasn’t sure how I’d like a story told in letter format, but it gave so much insight into each character that I ended up loving it. The readers of this book are excellent. It’s well worth listening to!

Five Stars Would Be a Stretch

This was an entirely OK book, but fell short of my five-star expectations. Of course, my expectations were high given the spectacular reviews and ratings that this book has received. I almost want to nudge this book into the romance novel category, which isn't my preferred genre. Also, I didn't really care for the format of telling the story through a series of letters.

wonderful

a joy to listen to. fantastic story, phenomenal characters and amazing reading. still smiling. want to listen again

Pleasant Surprise!

A friend recommended this title, I was skeptical... And very pleasantly surprised. This is moving story with believable, engaging characters and an absolutely fantastic narration/performance. I enjoyed it very much.

One of the best books I've read recently

... and not so recently. This story is funny, touching, informative, sad, happy -- pretty much perfect. Elizabeth's story is heartbreaking and made me cry, which I rarely do for a book. The narration was great too, with multiple actors adding dimension to the characters. I think this is a case where the audiobook could be even better than the book (not sure though, because I have not read the hard copy).

I absolutely adored this charming little book!

This books has pretty much all the elements that I enjoy in fiction: wonderful characters, interesting history background, romance, friendship and some twists and turns that should keep you listening through the end.
I agree with others reviewers that it is perhaps the correspondence exchange format that makes this book perfect as an audiobook.

To top it all, the narrators are all great and their performances allow you to be transported to London & the island of Guernsey during and after World War 2.
The letters that are exchanged between the different characters, served as the perfect vehicle to help you experience the German occupation of the little island of Guernsey (located in the English channel out of the coast of Normandy) and how it impacted their lives.

A little nugget of information, as you can see the book has two authors listed, Mary Ann Shaffer and Ann Barrows. Mrs. Shaffer finished the original manuscript of the book but by the time the editor requested some rewriting, she passed away. Ann Barrows, Mrs. Shaffer's niece, was already an established author of children's books, so she was asked to finish the editing and rewrite the parts requested by the editor.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a little bit of romance, you will probably enjoy this wonderful book!!

German occupation of the island of Guernsey

This book was a little slow at the beginning, but the history of the German occupation of Guernsey during WWII was very interesting.

I loved, loved, loved this book

The letters format worked well. The cast rather than a single reader was wonderful. There was heft to the story. A lightness in tone but real content. I really cared about these people. I occasionally caught myself arguing with them on my way to work.