About the Book:

“ 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.

Book Review:  ★★★★★★

This is a book that I tried to read several times.  It was recommended to me through several sources — primarily book review blogs.  Most of what I have read about this book were raving comments about how wonderful this book is.  Every time I picked it up I just had a hard time getting into it.  And the problem I kept running into was the format of the story.  It is all in letter format, which made it really difficult to orient to the story in the beginning, and even harder to figure out who the primary characters are.  However, once I checked this book out and started listening to it in the audio format — everything just seemed to fall into place!  And I am so glad I stuck with this one, until I found a format that worked for me.  The book is everything that others have said it was — and more.

The story provides everything that I love about reading.  Real characters with depth and personality, A historical setting during the World War II era, and different approach to the Nazi atrocities, and multiple sub-plots all combined to make a fantastic read.  It is common to find books dealing with this time period to explore the depths of of depravity in human nature, and the extent of violence that people are capable of.  They will frequently deal with injustice, brutality, and genocide.  But this book explores another aspect of the war years that is frequently acknowledged, but rarely developed and examined.

This book looks at the uncertainty that came with the oppressive nature of the Nazi regime, as well as the uncertainty that came through the sudden and unexplained disappearance of neighbors, friends, and family members during this time.  It is often the case that people would suddenly find themselves arrested, with no explication or allegations.  Once the arrests were effected, they would disappear from the world.  Family and friends would frequently be told all kinds of conflicting stories, and never given a certain place where their loved ones could be found.  Eventually they would receive notice of the death of their loved one, without explanation of how or where they died — and often these deaths happened without trials, and due process of law.

But this book is also a look into the effect of the Nazi oppression of a small community, and the difficulties that the war had on the people of these close societies.  Set on an island, this book magnifies the effects of the emotional impact of the Nazi occupation — and gives the reader the opportunity to know what it felt like to be part of an isolated community without protection from the outside world.  This story gives us an understanding into how the Nazis worked — isolating these smaller communities, until they could oppress the whole.  The format of this story adds credibility, and established a historical feel to the setting. The letters — the part of the book I had so much trouble with in the beginning, I found to be the greatest strength of the book.

This book is a wonderful read — and it is one that, once I found the appropriate format, which worked best for me, proved to be another new favorite book.  The characters were diverse and real — they were easy to identify with, and kept me wanting more.  The format of the letter presentation of the book was powerful, with a sense of authenticity.  It was like looking into the lives of people, and seeing the world through their eyes.

Tags: Clean Reads, Concentration Camps, Family, Friendship, Grief, Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Loss, Love, Memory, Morality, Nazi, World War II

Category: Clean Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, World War II