“That’s what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you on to another book, and another bit there will lead you on to a third book. It’s geometrically progressive – all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment.” – Juliet Ashton
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society took me by surprise. I’d heard about it last year before I knew it was going to be a film, and I was instantly intrigued. When I finally got the chance to read it, I was very excited to begin; it did not disappoint!
The novel is about a young woman named Juliet who is having trouble deciding the topic of her next book until she receives a letter from a stranger telling her that he has bought a book Juliet had once owned (her name and address were written in the book). A correspondence begins, and Juliet soon becomes captivated by the man writing the letters and the book club called The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
Bonds form with the other Society members, and letters start to flow in daily. Enchanted by their life stories on Guernsey during the German occupation, Juliet purchases a ferry ticket to meet these extraordinary people. Upon arrival, Juliet learns more about the society’s haunting past. Juliet’s life will never be the same again!
This was the first book I’ve read where it was written entirely in the form of letters. It was incredibly creative, witty, and, at times, hilarious! The characters came to life throughout the letters. I felt like a fly on the wall and could picture Juliet at her desk writing a letter to Sidney or Dawsey and them responding once the letters were delivered.
I was so excited that I finished this book the day I attended a pre-screening of the movie, followed by a Q&A with the actors, director, producer, and screenplay writer! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to talk with the people involved in making this extraordinary book come to life! I could’ve spoken to Glen Powell (lead actor) and Thomas Bezucha (screenplay writer) all day! They were just as passionate about this book/movie as I was, and they perfectly portrayed the book. Of course, Thomas did make a couple of changes when writing the screenplay, but he didn’t lose the book’s essence! I commend everyone on the work they did on this movie because it really enhanced the book and was done beautifully.
Book Rating: [yasr_multiset setid=0] Ages: 13+
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- (Left to right) Glen Powell (actor), Paula Mazur (producer), Lily James (actress)
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- My cousin and I with Glen Powell!!
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- Best. Screening. Ever!
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- My cousin and I with Thomas Bezucha
Watch the movie trailer
