The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

I loved this book so much that I didn't trust myself to review it properly, so I present you with the best review I could find : “Traditional without seeming stale, and romantic without being naive” (San Francisco Chronicle), this epistolary novel, based on Mary Ann Shaffer’s painstaking, lifelong research, is a homage to book lovers and a nostalgic portrayal of an era. As her quirky, lovable characters cite the works of Shakespeare, Austen, and the Brontës, Shaffer subtly weaves those writers’ themes into her own narrative. However, it is the tragic stories of life under Nazi occupation that animate the novel and give it its urgency; furthermore, the novel explores the darker side of human nature without becoming maudlin. The Rocky Mountain News criticized the novel’s lighthearted tone and characterizations, but most critics agreed that, with its humor and optimism, Guernsey “affirms the power of books to nourish people during hard times” (Washington Post).Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC

This book is so beautifully written, romantically written, that it was such a pleasure to read. I often felt as though I was reading someones personal letters. Admittedly, the style was a bit hard for me to embrace initially but it didn't take long before I was hooked. Who would the next letter be from? What information would be divulged? And so on. By all accounts, do yourself a favor and read this book.