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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

A Novel

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Hardback
Publication Date: 29/07/2008

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NOW A NETFLIX FILM * A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.

"Treat yourself to this book, please--I can't recommend it highly enough."--Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

"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.

Praise for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

"A jewel . . . Poignant and keenly observed, Guernsey is a small masterpiece about love, war, and the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends."--People

"A book-lover's delight, an implicit and sometimes explicit paean to all things literary."--Chicago Sun-Times

"A sparkling epistolary novel radiating wit, lightly worn erudition and written with great assurance and aplomb."--The Sunday Times (London)

"Cooked perfectly à point: subtle and elegant in flavour, yet emotionally satisfying to the finish."--The Times (London)
ISBN:
9780385340991
9780385340991
Category:
Historical Fiction
Format:
Hardback
Publication Date:
29-07-2008
Language:
English
Publisher:
Random House Publishing Group
Country of origin:
United States
Dimensions (mm):
216.66x147.07x25.65mm
Weight:
0.44kg
Mary Ann Shaffer

Mary Ann Shaffer was born in 1934 in Martinsburg, West Virginia. She worked as an editor, a librarian and in bookshops. She became interested in Guernsey while visiting London in 1976. On a whim, she decided to fly to Guernsey but became stranded there as a heavy fog descended and no boats or planes were permitted to leave the island.

As she waited for the fog to clear, she came across a book called Jersey Under the Jack-Boot, and so her fascination with the Channel Isles began. Many years later, when goaded by her own literary club to write a book, Mary Ann naturally thought of Guernsey. Mary Ann died in February 2008. She knew that this, her only novel, was to be published in thirteen countries.

Before she died she wrote, 'I must tender special thanks to my niece, Annie, who stepped in to finish this book after unexpected health issues interrupted my ability to work shortly after the manuscript was sold. Without blinking an eye, she put down the book she was writing, pushed up her sleeves, and set to work on my manuscript. It was my great good luck to have a writer like her in the family, and this book could not have been done without her.'

Annie Barrows

Annie Barrows is the #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, and the author of The Truth According to Us, and the Ivy + Bean chapter book series.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a Time and USA Today best book of the year.

Her books have been nominated for many awards, including the Bluestem Award, the Mark Twain Award, the Virginia Readers' Choice, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, and the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, and have been included on the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.

Ivy + Bean has been an ALA Notable Book and is one of Common Sense Media's "50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12."

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