Originally published: July 2008

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

Set in: Guernsey

Genre: Historical Fiction

Page count: 274

Reading dates: 5-9 January 2018

Everyone who has read this book, tells me how wonderful it is and it didn’t disappoint. Written in the form of letters, this delightful novel introduces us to the residents of Guernsey in 1946. Juliet is an author who receives a letter from a Guernsey resident called Dawsey who tells her he has a book that once belonged to her by Charles Lamb. He writes asking if she knows of any other books by this author and from this their correspondence begins. He tells her about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and as the members start to write to Juliet, telling her of life during the German occupation, she falls in love with the people and wants to tell their stories.

It is a quick read – the letters keep the plot moving along nicely and are both amusing, sad and romantic. All the characters are well written and I enjoyed all their voices. This book has left me wanting to know more about the German occupation of the Channel Islands during World War 2 and I would love to visit Guernsey one day!

Due to be released as a film in Apr 2018, I am looking forward to see how they translate the characters from novel to screen.

Some other books I have enjoyed on World War 2 include:

• All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank