The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows.
There were widely divergent views on this book with some of us loving it and others seeing very little merit in it.
The first potential stumbling block was the epistolary format.
Some of us thought that this made for a disjointed narrative with little to distinguish the voices of the different characters; others found it enjoyable maintaining that the distinct voices of the writers came across well.
Some of us found the story ill-researched and lacking in credibility whilst others thought it provided a valuable insight into life in Guernsey during the occupation.
Some of us found it jingoistic whilst others found the account well-balanced.
There were elements that were contrived and predictable but it is a novel best enjoyed rather than over-analysed and the humanity and love of literature shine through.
NS May 2010
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