The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is an intimidating title for a relatively short, heartwarming book. The novel concerns Juliet Ashton, a spunky, witty newspaper columnist attempting to write her first novel as the world emerges from the shadow of World War II. The novel is told in an epistolary style, with letters written back and forth between Juliet and a variety of other characters, including her best friend, Sophie, and her brother, Sydney, who is also her publisher.
While many books written in an epistolary style suffer because all the characters’ voices sound the same, Guernsey manages to create distinct writing styles for every person in the vast cast of characters. This particular success is in part because the novel is co-written by Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece Annie Barrows. Having two authors allows characters to develop unique personalities, yet still maintain a closeness that might be attributable to the familial bond between the writers. Despite individual character quirks, however, there is no real diversity. Everyone has a deeply ingrained sense of right and wrong; everyone is lovable and literary-minded.
Juliet receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, who had purchased a copy of Charles Lamb essays from a used bookstore and found Juliet’s name and address written in the front cover. In his letter, Dawsey asks where he could find a biography of Charles Lamb and explains how he first was introduced to Lamb by the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet is intrigued and thus starts her correspondence with not only Dawsey but all the other members of the society.
The Nazis occupied Guernsey, an island off the coast of Normandy, during the war. Dawsey tells Juliet that the society was started as an excuse to explain why a group of friends had broken the German-imposed curfew on the island — and the more she learns about Guernsey and the society, the further she is drawn into the charming yet quirky community. Juliet leaves for Guernsey, intending to do research for her novel. There, she finds more than inspirational anecdotes; her life is changed forever.
Guernsey avoids falling into some of the pitfalls of other post-World War II novels. Although it deals with the horrors of war, such as concentration camps and the London bombings, the authors take special care to mention the German officers and soldiers who risked their lives and jobs in order to show kindness to the inhabitants of Guernsey.
There is so much to like about this book: the authenticity of the characters’ voices, the warm but chilling nature of the World War II stories and Juliet’s laugh-out-loud humor. But the novel never quite moves beyond sweet and cuddly. Within the genre of the post-Holocaust novel, it fails to impress in comparison to other novels such as The Reader by Bernhard Schlink or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. As the characters reference literary greats such as Oscar Wilde and Jane Austen, one cannot help but compare Guernsey to the classic works.
In the end, Guernsey is a novel about the power of literature to create bonds between people of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Guernsey is delightful, fluffy and is perfect for passing a cold winter afternoon. Yet it lacks that specific, elusive quality that makes a book unforgettable.
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