The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Mary Ann Shaffer

I was a little nervous about this book, as I had recommended it to my book club without having read it myself, but I was reassured when a couple of friends told me that they had read and very much enjoyed it. I am even more reassured now that I have read it myself.

This book suited me on all levels. It is a good story, with strong, well rounded characters and I felt confident that I was learning something. There are essentially three stories: the events in the life of the main protagonist, the soap opera of the lives of the Guernsey people and the history of the German occupation.

I very much enjoyed the letter format, which gave the story a pleasing immediacy - almost like email. Although there were dates, I found myself paying little or attention to them. It is quite an emotional book. It starts out very "feel good" and cheerful, but induces other emotions as the story proceeds.