The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

As a friend put it, this is a book you could recommend to anyone. At first glance it might seem like chic lit, but even my husband found this little book worthwhile. It offers a bit of everything—lively writing, stuff to learn, humor, charming characters, themes to ponder, a perfectly paced story arc crafted through a seemingly disjointed hodge-podge of personal letters. What begins as a light-hearted jaunt becomes a life-affirming account of “the immeasurable sustenance to be found in good books and good friends." (People)

Without losing its optimism and humor, the book gives an inside picture of a Nazi occupation, a perspective on WWII that was new for me. In each vignette, some heart-wrenching and some humorous, characters choose ingenuity and integrity, banding together to solve problems and stand up for what’s right.

In their letters, the characters feel like real people, people I wished I knew—quirky and endearing, each heroic in their own small ways. I still smile when I think of them, and I wonder how the authors mastered so many unique voices. All in all, a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable read.