'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' - A Book Review

    I was at the library recently, and casually opened the pages of a novel entitled 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'. (A more complete description can be found here.) It turned out to be an epistolary novel, a form for which I am a sucker, chronicling the relationship of an authoress of light humor with the residents of a channel island (Guernsey), from its origins in an unsolicited fan letter to her full involvement with their community. The action of the book begins in March of 1946. The narrative consists in the main of a gradual unfolding of the events of the German occupation of the island during the Second World War, disclosed in the context of the heroine's own personal dilemmas of life and love.

    I took the book home, read it, and found it so unusual that I shared it with my wife. The odd feature of the book did not lie in anything out of the ordinary in the epistolary format, nor in the off-the-beaten bath subject matter. What was striking was that the exposition in the first half of the book was nothing less than superb - muscular, thoughtful, restrained, with one narrative surprise after another woven seamlessly into an account of the young heroine's romantic conflicts. The drop off in quality in the second half (by the way, the book is divided into parts I and II) is striking and remarkable. My wife had the same impression.

    The book is co-authored, by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows. Thereby hangs a tale, and a rather sad one. Annie Barrow is the niece of Mary Anne Shaffer. The book is evidently the product of Ms. Shaffer's life long interest in the Channel Islands and the experience of the islanders during the Second World War. Tragically, she died in February, 2008, about five months before the publication date of the book. 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' will be her first and only book. Annie Barrow, her niece and an experienced editor of children's literature, evidently saw to the publication of the book in good form.

    I have to emphasize how much of this is hunch. But if ever a novel shows the work of two different hands, it's this one. It's as if one very gifted writer wrote part I, and another, not nearly so gifted, did part II. The big question is which woman did which part. Did Ms. Barrows skillfully edit the first part while her aunt was alive, and then courteously leave the second alone? Or did Ms. Shaffer pass away, leaving part I in good form and leaving her niece to do the best she could with part II? An interesting question, but - unlike most interesting questions - one that does not necessarily deserve an answer.

    If anything above dissuades the reader from taking a look at this book, let me reassure you. It is a first class read, despite the drop off in quality. ('The Guernsey . . .Society' already has some enthusiastic fans. For example.) Part I is superb, part II merely good. But the book as a whole is still one of the most off beat and entertaining novels a well-read person is likely to encounter.

Comments

[Karen @ Planet Books]

Great review! I thought there was something different with the second half of the book but your theory never crossed my mind, and I have to say now that I do think about it, what you say makes sense. I still adored this book and hope that many people will read it.
Thanks for stopping by Planet Books!!

[JLS Hall]

Interesting thoughts. Personally, I didn't really notice any drop off in quality in the second half of the book - although there is definitely something of a tone change as the more somber elements of the German occupation are brought out. But I always like to hear other interpretations of my favorite books. And I agree it would be very interesting to know which woman wrote which part, or if indeed there was any such division of labor. So far, I believe Annie Barrows has remained pretty quiet on that matter. But your comments have provided one more reason for me to go back and take another look at this excellent novel. Thanks for that and for stopping by my blog.