This month’s meeting held in Middelburg combined a birthday celebration with our book meeting. The book under discussion, chosen by the birthday girl, was The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
The book, as the title suggests is set in Guernsey, the period is just after WW2.
The islands were of course occupied by German forces and as the story unfolds we learn something of the trauma felt by the occupants under the invading force.
The book uses the device of letters written between some of the book’s characters, a pleasing formula which allows everyone their own voice.
This also gives the illusion of very short chapters.
The book captures the softness of the islands and the story unfolds sympathetically with only a hint of menace, we as readers remain distanced from most of the real horrors which took place during this war. There are terribly sad moments but they are tempered by humorous episodes and a general impression of congeniality and camaraderie.
We began our evening with cake (except me as I was on a stupid no-carb diet which was totally ineffectual, well um, I might have taken too much advantage of the wine allowance)
We very quickly agreed that we had had no difficulty in starting and then reading this book.
It has a host of likeable characters, tempered by one awful bile- filled horror, a necessary addition to prevent the book from being overly sweet.
We learnt that not all the soldiers in the occupying force were bad, and that they too were susceptible to the privations of war.
Unhappily the author Mary Ann Shaffer died in 2008.
Our discussion was led by some questions chosen by our hostess:
1. Which character would you like to be or meet?
There were many different responses to this question, Eben, Juliet for her gutsiness, Kit for her imagination and ferret obsession, Dawsey, and even the Parrot lady.
2. Does it reflect this particular period in History?
Yes it gives us a good idea of how people were affected by occupation, hunger and fear, but without too much graphic description. We were all affected by the way in which the child transportation before the occupation was described.
A very enjoyable book which we awarded 4/5.
If you have read the book and would like to express your opinions on any of the above points, or any other aspect of the book, please post your comments below.
We’d love to hear from you.
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