The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This was a fantastic book! Once I realized I wasn't going to finish The Art of Happiness, I decided to pick up this one that my mom recommended. (She always has great recommendations!) I read it in just a few days, after trying to trudge through the Dalai Lama's book. It was fun, entertaining and easy to read.

Written by Mary Ann Shaffer, this book is set in England just after WWII. The format of the book is letters and telegrams written back and forth between the characters. I thought this was a very creative way to tell the story and I didn't feel like I was missing any information in between letters. I'm sure that was a difficult feat to accomplish.

This was different from other post-WWII books that I've read. Maybe it was the geography (mostly set on the island of Guernsey), but I think it had more to do with the author's approach. I loved it and I highly recommend it! I'm so sad that the author didn't live to see the fruits of her work (she passed away in 2008).

I won't give too many details, but the main character is Juliet and I just love her personality! She was a strong willed woman who knew what she wanted in life. She had a witty sense of humor and seemed like the kind of person who would make any gathering more fun just by being there. She starts a correspondence with a man who bought a book with her name and address in it. He lived on Guernsey and was part of a book club during the war. You'll have to read it to find out the rest!