Potato Peel Society

I am finally posting my review! Sorry it took me so long - will you excuse the crazy lady with schoolwork?

I also really enjoyed this book - on the surface, it was breezy and fun, but with a bit more to it than that.



1. What was it like to read a novel composed entirely of letters? What do letters offer that no other form of writing (not even emails) can convey?

I actually liked that fact that you jumped into the middle of this correspondence between friends, and started the new one with Dawsey at the same time. It's fun figuring out the dynamics of the relationships based on what you learn through each letter. First I though that Juliet and Sidney were destined for one another, but I realized only later that theirs was too much of a brother/sister relationship.

I adore letters - they convey so much of what the person is thinking at the time. E-mail is too quick. When I'm writing a letter, I take the time to get the right words in my head before I put them on paper. You kind of get the difference in the book with the letters v. the telegrams and quick notes.



2. What makes Sidney and Sophie ideal friends for Juliet? What common ground do they share? Who has been a similar advocate in your life?

Sidney and Sophie were ideal friends for Juliet because they had her best interests at heart - no ulterior motives. They "got" her, really understood her quirks and what she had gone through in her life. They were the kind of friends you don't have to explain yourself too. For me, Sariah and my mom would be similar advocates. And Aaron. And Rebecca and Annette (just had to throw you two in there!). The kind of friend that pushes you to do something that you know you want to do but are afraid of doing.



3. Dawsey first wrote to Juliet because books, on Charles Lamb or otherwise, were so difficult to obtain on Guernsey in the aftermath of the war. What differences did you note between bookselling in the novel and bookselling in your world? What makes book lovers unique, across all generations?

Differences between bookselling in the novel and in my world? Um, I can get anything I want with free shipping? I can't imagine not having nearly every book imaginable available to me at all times. I can get used, rare, out-of-print books and the latest bestseller. I can get books in any language if I want to.

What makes book lovers unique, in my mind, is that we tend to obsess about our favorite authors or subjects. I, personally, have a smidge of an obsession with Jane Austen. Love her books. Love books about her. There's even a book on Jane Austen and food that I read at culinary school. I also love books about Asia - India, China, Japan, Vietnam. Fiction, non-fiction. Bit of an obsession with me. Dawsey developed a passion for Charles Lamb and pursued it. I would do the same had it be me on Guernsey, reading Jane Austen for the first time.



4. What were your first impressions of Dawsey? How was he different from the other men Juliet had known?
Truthfully, I didn't even consider him as a prospect for Juliet - I thought he was too old! He seemed good and kind. The other men in Juliet's life were a bit flashier, more modern. Fast-paced kind of men. Nothing wrong with either, but she obviously hadn't found what she wanted with them.



5. Discuss the poets, novelists, biographers, and other writers who capture the hearts of the members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. What does a reader’s taste in books say about his or her personality? Whose lives were changed the most by membership in the society?

I can't remember much, but the woman who was so excited when she was introduced to Pride and Prejudice I immediately related to.



6. Juliet occasionally receives mean-spirited correspondence from strangers, accusing both Elizabeth and Juliet of being immoral. What accounts for their judgmental ways?



7. In what ways were Juliet and Elizabeth kindred spirits? What did Elizabeth’s spontaneous invention of the society, as well as her brave final act, say about her approach to life?



8. Numerous Guernsey residents give Juliet access to their private memories of the occupation. Which voices were most memorable for you? What was the effect of reading a variety of responses to a shared tragedy?



9. Kit and Juliet complete each other in many ways. What did they need from each other? What qualities make Juliet an unconventional, excellent mother?



10. How did Remy’s presence enhance the lives of those on Guernsey? Through her survival, what recollections, hopes, and lessons also survived?



11. Juliet rejects marriage proposals from a man who is a stereotypical “great catch.” How would you have handled Juliet’s romantic entanglement? What truly makes someone a “great catch”?

I'm a bit passive aggressive, so I would most likely have handled it the same way - got caught up in the romance of it all and in the end realized he was so wrong for me! But I would have to escape him first to really know it. Oh wait, this IS MY LIFE! Thank goodness for my own Guernsey Island (known in Jennie's history as Hyde Park NY and Seattle WA) where I realized how wrong he was and then found Mr. Right-for-Me.



12. What was the effect of reading a novel about an author’s experiences with writing, editing, and getting published? Did this enhance the book’s realism, though Juliet’s experience is a bit different from that of debut novelist Mary Ann Shaffer and her niece, children’s book author Annie Barrows?

At least they had a first-hand knowledge of the process. I can relate a bit, especially to Juliet's lack of inspiration that drives you far away from what you know so you can find it again.

13. What historical facts about life in England during World War II were you especially surprised to discover? What traits, such as remarkable stamina, are captured in a detail such as potato peel pie? In what ways does fiction provide a means for more fully understanding a non-fiction truth?

14. Which of the members of the Society is your favorite? Whose literary opinions are most like your own?

15. Do you agree with Isola that “reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones”?
Yes, yes and YES!