Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a fabulous novel and a quick read. It’s completely told in letters between several of the main characters and delves into the history of the Guernsey Islands during WW2 while they were occupied by the Germans. The primary letter writer is Juliet Ashton (pen name Izzy Bickerstaff), a writer who quickly tires of covering the war, even in her uniquely upbeat manner. She tells Sidney, her editor, that she wants to write something of importance. When Dawsey Adams of Guernsey finds Juliet’s name in a used book and begins a correspondence about a mutual favorite author, he intrigues her with the name of his literary society and their correspondence flourishes from there. Juliet is drawn into the stories from Guernsey and encourages the entire society to write to her with their observations on literature and life. The sudden jumps in narration can be a little confusing at times, but overall the story holds up well and is very touching. Despite it’s somber subject matter, this is an uplifting story and should not be missed.