BOOK REVIEW #2

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

It was this intriguing title and the blurb of the book that compelled me to pick it up. One other reason was, I had vowed to expand my reading genre this year and this book in the “Epistolary” format(written in the form of a series of letters) matched the criteria perfectly.

The story is set in the year 1946 when people are still nursing the wounds of World War II. The protagonist, Juliet Ashton, is an author struggling with writer’s block, who one day receives a letter from a stranger, Dawsey Adams from Guernsey. Over a series of letters, Juliet gets to know about the literary society, its members and the tough times they faced during the German Occupation during the war. Fascinated by their warmth and kindness, Juliet sets sail to the Island to know their story and envisions to publish a book on it.

Review:

Since the protagonist is an author, her love for books is visible throughout the novel — emotions any book lover can easily relate to. The novel started off well with her book tours followed by the people from Guernsey corresponding with Juliet. I loved the way the characters were introduced in their own quirky manner. The amiable nature of the people is sure to capture the heart of the reader and it was disheartening to read their hardships during the war. It would have been better if they were developed on the well built foundation as the novel progressed.

Though I am not experienced with the epistolary format, I felt the story lost its charm once Juliet went to Guernsey Island. The letters to the people she met every day seemed out of the place. Towards the latter part of the novel, additional characters and elements were thrown in, making the story deviate from the plot. The ending seemed rushed with no information regarding the book Juliet had intended to publish.

Overall, what began as a promising novel, switched path through the course, leaving the readers with unanswered questions.