Guernsey Part II

After I had read just a few pages of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Juliet Ashton already reminded me of Bridget Jones. This was not such a surprising connection to make because as the title suggests Bridget Jones’ Diary takes the form of Bridget Jones’ diary and in Guernsey, Juliet’s voice is expressed in a collection of letters. Both British women refer to themselves as aging spinsters and endear themselves to their readers with their enviable wit and humor.

As I continued to read, I began to compare Juliet to Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love. When Gilbert wrote about her travels in Italy, India, and Indonesia, she was trying to find herself following a painful divorce. Juliet finds herself on Guernsey. Last night after I finished reading Guernsey, I discovered praise for the book from Gilbert printed on its back cover:

“I can’t remember the last time I discovered a novel as smart and delightful as this one, a world so vivid that I kept forgetting this was a work of fiction populated with characters so utterly wonderful that I kept forgetting they weren’t my actual friends and neighbors. Treat yourself to this book, please – I can’t recommend it highly enough.”

Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love also introduces readers to extraordinary people, the friends she makes on her journey, so it is no surprise that she is a fan of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows’ novel. The characters in Guernsey are so vivid because their unique voices and personalities are expressed in their personal correspondences. We feel like these characters are our own friends because we read the letters intended for their closest friends. Gilbert accurately and articulately expresses the appeal of this wonderful book.

A final note: This novel is compelling for many reasons, but I was amazed to learn about the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II. As a Londoner, Juliet did not know the extent of the hardship islanders endured, and vows to write a book to enlighten readers. In her acknowledgements, Shaffer explains that she visited Guernsey to research another book, but when she learned of the island’s unbelievable history she had to write a book to bring attention to it. I find the parallels fascinating: Shaffer writes about a character that is working on a book about Guernsey residents’ experience during World War II.