THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

by Mary Ann Shaffer (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2002

  $3.44

  It's 1946, and as Juliet Ashton sits at her desk in her Chelsea flat, she is stumped. A writer of witty newspaper columns during the war, she can't think of what to write next. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance he's acquired a book Juliet once owned - and, emboldened by their mutual love of books, they begin a correspondence. Dawsey is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and it's not long before the rest of the members write to Juliet - including the gawky Isola, who makes home-made potions, Eben, the fisherman who loves Shakespeare, and Will Thisbee, rag-and-bone man and chef of the famous potato peel pie. As letters fly back and forth, Juliet comes to know the extraordinary personalities of the Society and their lives under the German occupation of the island. Entranced by their stories, Juliet decides to visit the island to meet them properly - and unwittingly turns her life upside down.

• Used

  Paperback
  2008

  $3.44

  It's January, 1946, and writer Juliet Ashton sits at her cluttered desk in London, struggling to find a subject for her next book. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams who, as well as sharing her love of Charles Lamb, is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, set up in secret during the German Occupation. It's not long before Juliet begins to hear from the other members and discovers that the society is every bit as extraordinary as its name. There's Isola, who sells love potions along with her vegetables; Eben, a fisherman with a passion for Shakespeare; Will, the creator of the famous potato peel pie; and Dawsey himself, a bashful farmer with a tender heart. As the letters fly back and forth, Juliet's curiosity turns into genuine affection, and she decides to visit her new friends and learn more about Elizabeth, the founding member of the society, who fell in love with a German officer and was sent away to a concentration camp, leaving her only child behind. Poignant, captivating and utterly charming, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a timely testament to the power of friendship, books and love.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2008

  $3.44

  It's January, 1946, and writer Juliet Ashton sits at her desk, vainly seeking a subject for her next book. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from one Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance, he's acquired a secondhand book that once belonged to Juliet - and, spurred on by their mutual love of Charles Lamb, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey reveals that he is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Juliet's curiosity is piqued, and it's not long before she begins to hear from the other members. As the letters fly back and forth with stories of life in Guernsey under the German Occupation, Juliet soon realizes that the society is every bit as extraordinary as its name. There's gawky Isola, who makes love potions to sell along with her vegetables; Eben, a fisherman with a passion for Shakespeare; Will, erstwhile ironmonger and the creator of the famous potato peel pie; and Dawsey himself, a farmer with a shy manner and a tender heart. Most poignant of all are the memories of Elizabeth, the founding member of the society, who fell in love with a German officer, saved a starving prisoner, and was sent away to a concentration camp, leaving her child behind. Sustained by books and one another, the islanders have battled the bitter hardships of World War II. Juliet, entranced by their stories and their spirit, decides to visit Guernsey to meet her new friends properly. A moving tale of the power of friendship, books, and love, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will beguile the heart and mind.