Monday, June 01, 2009

More 'Channel Island' Potatoes

Whilst I've been lazing in the garden over the weekend, sitting in the shade during the hot afternoons and studiously ignoring the ever growing pile of ironing which sits accusingly in its overflowing basket, I've been reading a most wonderful book.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer is written in the form of letters to and from a writer, Juliet Ashton, who has become popular during the early 1940s writing a newspaper column called 'Izzy Bickerstaff goes to War.'

It is 1946, Juliet's flat has been destroyed by bombs and she is struggling to find material for a new book with which to shake off her rather frivolous 'Izzy Bickerstaff' image. The book starts with letters to her friend and publisher Sidney Stark and his sister Sophie in Scotland. Then one day a letter arrives from a farmer in Guernsey called Dawsey Adams who has found her address in a second hand copy of a book written by the 19th century writer Charles Lamb. He wants her help in tracking down more works by Charles Lamb. The letter eventually finds her and intrigues her and so begins her idea for the subject of her new book. She replies immediately and starts a correspondence with, and receives letters from, not only Dawsey Adams but also other wonderful characters like Eben Ramsey, Isola Pribby and Amelia Maugery all members of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Their letters tell of their time during the German occupation of the island and underneath the good humour and cheerfulness lie the personal stories of the hardships and tragedy they endured. The second part of the book consists of Juliet's letters back to London and Scotland from Guernsey where she has gone to meet her new friends and to research her book. The characters are endearing and Juliet is a wonderful central character; the book is heartwarming and yet at times unbearably sad, suffice to say though that the ending is everything you would want it to be. I'll leave it with you to read the book to find out the reasons for the foundation of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.


10 comments:

  1. The book sounds like a good read and what an intriguing title it has too!

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  2. It looks a wonderful book..I'm putting it on my list!
    Sal ;-)

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  3. That one is in my summer reading stack! I've done the ironing, it's the filing I can't seem to tackle!!

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  4. Rosie, you have peaked my curiosity. I think I will have to find out more about that most unique title.

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  5. The book sounds extremely interesting, and so does the Potato Peel Pie! On our visits to Jersey we have been keen to learn more about German occupation on the islands. x

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  6. What a lovely book! We have been to both Jersey and Guernsey quite a bit and hubby loves the German artefacts that still remain - he is a bit of a WW2 fanatic. The most scarey place I have ever been is the German underground hospital in Guernsey. The one in Jersey is really interesting as a museum and tells the story of the lives of the Islanders who suffered at the hands of the Nazi's but the Guernsey one is just left as they found it and its terrafying. Have you visited Bumblebee cottage in my sidebar? This lady has moved from Australia to Guernsey.

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  7. Sounds great! That is definitely going on my list.
    I've really enjoyed reading Child in the Forest again, I loved reading it when I was young too, but didn't catch nearly as much of the humour then as I did this time around.
    x
    Sumea

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  8. I listened to this on audio book & it is one of the best and most enjoyable books that I have listened to this year!
    Big Hugs, Bethxx
    p.s Thanks for visting my site!

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  9. If I had seen this on the shelf of a book storeI am not sure I would have taken it down and looked at it. However after reading your review it shoudl interesting and I will be definately be looking out for it.

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  10. Hi Rosie,

    Just saw this book over the weekend while on holiday on Ocracoke Island (Outer Banks of North Carolina... gorgeous!)!!! Had not heard of it and stood there in a quaint little bookstore/gift shop ("Books to be Red") reading and thinking "This sounds like a good read!" Now that you've endorsed it I shall have to read it.

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