The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is book one of two that I have read recently written in a letter format. Mary Ann Shaffer introduces us to Juliet Ashton, a writer who lived during the blitz on London during World War II. During the war, she wrote positive stories to support the war effort. But reality is much darker and more difficult than what she had written. She wanted to write a real story about the war. Juliet is introduced to a cast of characters on the island of Guernsey. These people lived through the occupation by the Germans.

The story is a series of letters between Juliet and her publisher and the people on Guernsey. I liked the letter format for storytelling. The characters are revealed in layers and you can grow to like them in the same way you get to know people in real life. I liked the story and finished it rather quickly. The book was recommended highly by a reader's group in my town. When some online friends also recommended the book highly, I went ahead and picked it up. They may have over-hyped the book because I found the book a bit predictable. But doesn't that always happen when people get excited about a book? It didn't move me in the same way and certainly not in the way I expected. The book is still worth reading and I am glad to be introduced to the island of Guernsey.

Book Rating: 4 stars