Book Review I

"I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers."

A few weeks ago, Mum handed me The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and told me to read it. A few days ago, I finally got around to it...and finished it that same day. It was an extremely enjoyable book - the characters had a depth and range of personality that I was not expecting from a novel structured as a series of letters and telegrams, and the plot was both lighthearted and deeply moving (I realize that to call a book both of these things is a little confusing, if not downright contradictory, but somehow this book did end up being both saddening and uplifting. I'm going to take that as a sign of good writing). What I found most engaging about Society, however, was that it was set in a time period and place I had never given a passing thought to - post-WWII England and Guernsey, which is (apparently) a really tiny island in the Channel. I'm no stranger to WWII or its aftermath, but no class I've ever taken or book I've ever read has given as much focus to the individual survivors and their struggles to recover from the trauma of the war as Society does. A significant amount of historians, authors, and teachers tend to focus on the political ramifications of the war and the recovery efforts that took place in Germany, but outside of that, most of what happened in Europe and at home is overshadowed by the Cold War.

I was particularly struck when, early in the book, the lead female mentions buying a new dress for the first time in four years. FOUR. YEARS. I don't think I go a month without buying something new for my closet, and I don't go a week without buying something else frivolous (take-out food, scrapbooking stickers, lip gloss, etc.). Not once, in all of my educational forays into WWII, did I ever grasp the concept of rationing - not until I read that part about the dress. To me, rationing meant having toast with homemade preserves instead of butter, or not having cookies for a few weeks because sugar supplies are low. Rationing wasn't supposed to mean forgoing new clothes for years, or sharing one copy of Pride and Prejudice with every single one of your neighbors because all the bookstores were destroyed in the Blitzkrieg.

Society was effective at bringing to life this distant era because it really hit home. As an avid reader with vague aspirations of becoming a writer, I had no trouble connecting with the myriad of characters, all of whom were drawn together by a love of books and literature. As a history student, I appreciated the attention to detail and care with which the author crafted her novel's environment. I will caution, though, that it is an unusual book. It is very much an homage to the simple act of reading, and to the way that a good story draws people close and binds them inextricably together. For this reason, those individuals who scorn books and reading will probably not enjoy Society...but then, I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone who has never found pleasure in the listening to and telling of a tale.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was a wonderful and memorable book, made all the more special because of the author's obvious love for books and writing. A relatively quick read, it remains with you for quite some time (or at least I expect it will, I only read it two days ago but it's still very fresh in my mind), which merely extends the sensation that one has just read a truly excellent novel.

Sadly, there is no recipe for potato peel pie. :(