After reading the timeless classic Enchanted April for March and April (and how great was that book?), we have a modern historical fiction/romance to jump into next!
For May and June 2022, The Silver Petticoat Book Club selected the epistolary novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows to read. It’s like the go-to book club pick when you want something comforting. It’s also for book lovers everywhere.
Guernsey is one of our favorite books of all time, and we can’t wait to read it with you.
ABOUT THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY
“Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows have written a wondrous, delightful, poignant book— part Jane Austen, part history lesson. The letters aren’t addressed to you, but they are meant for you. It’s a book everyone should read. An absolute treasure.”—Sarah Addison Allen, author of Garden Spells
We wanted to select something heartwarming to read when choosing this month’s book club selection. Well, we find when you’re in the mood for that sort of book, sometimes it’s fun to return to an old favorite.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is just that for us. While there’s much sadness in the pages of Guernsey, there is also something therapeutic about it.
Sarah Addison Allen says it exactly right: when you read the book and the letters, it’s as if it was meant for you. Indeed, this is a book everyone needs to read.
The Guernsey book is a New York Times Bestseller initially published in July 2008 by Dial Press. It became a popular book, with translations in 38 languages, deservedly so. It’s a brilliant read.
It was even adapted into an excellent Netflix film in 2018 (although yes, the book is better!), starring Lily James, Michiel Huisman, and Jessica Brown Findlay, among other actors.
RELATED: ‘The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society’ Will Make You Happy: Movie Review
A few years ago, Amber spoke to Guernsey Travel about the film adaptation (before it premiered) and discussed why she loved the book and looked forward to the adaptation.
Our views haven’t changed since then. We still love the book for the same reasons!
Here’s a quote from the article about why Amber loved the book, how “it awakened her interest in the island of Guernsey itself, and her hopes for the film adaptation”:
“Not since I read the imaginative descriptions of L.M. Montgomery’s Avonlea (aka Cavendish, P.E.I.) from Anne of Green Gables, have I been so excited to see a place both on screen and in person than when I read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society…The book captures your heart in a way few novels can (just look at its incredible success), and because of that story magic, it will make for a fabulous film adaptation – as long as the essence of the novel remains intact.”
Thankfully, the film kept the magic intact. And as for the novel, the sense of place and love of literature and Austen-like storytelling draw you into it.
So, whether you’re reading the book for the first time or rereading it with us, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do and discover the magic found in the pages of Guernsey!
Find out more about the book in the official description below or check out The Silver Petticoat’s review by clicking here.
Genres: Historical Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Romance, Epistolary Novels, World War II
Content Note: There is nothing graphic in this book, although there are some descriptions of the hardships of World War II and a concentration camp.
OFFICIAL BOOK SYNOPSIS – DIAL PRESS
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A NETFLIX FILM • A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.
“Treat yourself to this book, please—I can’t recommend it highly enough.”—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . .
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
BUY THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY: OUR BOOK CLUB PICK
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JOIN THE SILVER PETTICOAT BOOK CLUB
If this is your first time hearing about The Silver Petticoat Book Club, we’d love for you to join us! We’re a group who love to read and discuss great (and fun!) books together.
The Silver Petticoat Book Club focuses on sweet, smart, or Austenesque books with love stories. We select a book once every two months to discuss, alternating book club choices between modern and classic books.
For this month, we’ve selected a newer book (which we count as anything published 2000+) to read. So, for July 2022, we will choose a classic book.
THE GENRES OF INTEREST FOR THIS BOOK CLUB INCLUDE:
- Austenesque
- Classic Literature
- Clean & Wholesome Romance
- Fairy Tales
- Fantasy
- Gothic Romance
- Historical Fiction
- Historical Romance
- Literary Fiction
- Paranormal Romance
- Romance
- Romantic Mystery/Romantic Suspense
- Rom-Com
- Women’s Fiction
- YA Fiction (typically fantasy/paranormal, romance, or historical)
You can find our previous choices HERE!
We do not choose heavily explicit books or books with lots of profanity or excessive violence. We focus on books with steam levels between one and two with a few threes; never fours or fives.
HOW THE ONLINE BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION WORKS
At the end of the second month, we’ll discuss the book on Facebook and Goodreads, with a bit of discussion also available on Instagram. Feel free to join us, as we’d love to hear your thoughts on the book.
You can also download our free printable discussion questions and discuss the book on your own time with your friends or family. These discussion questions will post on The Silver Petticoat Review for your personal use!
After announcing a new book club pick, find a copy – buy it, borrow it, or even check it out from the library, and start reading! You’ll have about two months to finish.
We give a longer reading time because some classic books are long and readers want more time!
You can follow our site, The Silver Petticoat Review (subscribe to our newsletter for updates), for up-to-date information on the book club. You may also connect with us via our social media sites using the hashtag #TheSilverPetticoatBookClub.
Read more about The Silver Petticoat Book Club HERE.
Will you read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie with us for the book club these next two months? Have you read this famous book before? Let us know in the comments below!
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