The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Elizabeth walked off the pages and into my heart. Here is a heroine that seems real. She isn't perfect and her story doesn't end the way I wished, but I was changed. It is characters like Elizabeth that make fiction worthwhile. They give us strength to heal and courage to fight for justice. In fact, all the characters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society have things to tell us about life.

The format of this book threw me off a bit at first, because it is a collection of letters. I wasn't expecting that, even though this book had been recommended to me several times. I am glad I continued on, because this is a great book. It is set in 1946 and revolves around an author and the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Guernsey was occupied by German troops during World War II, during which time the people of Guernsey were not allowed contact with the outside world. During this time of occupation, some of the people formed a literary society. Many of the members were not really readers, but they found that reading benefited them in unexpected ways.

I think this is a book for every adult. We all have times when courage and strength are needed. This book is fairly easy reading, once you get used to the fact that it is comprised of letters. The characters seem like real people, and the situation they find themselves in is based in historical fact. I gained a different view of WWII from reading this book. This is also a good book for book clubs, because there are a number of different topics and issues to discuss.