The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie... â€� Reader Q&A

Questions About The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, please sign up.

Answered Questions (36)

Am looking for more books written in the epistolary style.... any suggestions, beside 84 Charring Cross Road?

John Try the Griffon and Sabine Trilogy if you are interested in a more unusual, fantastical story in this style. Great artwork, compelling story albeit stâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðTry the Griffon and Sabine Trilogy if you are interested in a more unusual, fantastical story in this style. Great artwork, compelling story albeit strange.(less)

flag

Is alphabetizing your books really that bad? Referring to Juliet when she says she hopes Markham Reynolds doesn't alphabetize his books. I personally alphabetize mine by author so my series are together

Amy Personally, I think this is Juliette's-Anne Shirley-moment (or rather one of many). In my mind, and experience with my own book shelves, I feel like sâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðPersonally, I think this is Juliette's-Anne Shirley-moment (or rather one of many). In my mind, and experience with my own book shelves, I feel like she is saying that she has spots where there are the books she loves the most, the spots where subjects are similar, or how a certain book makes you feel...it's a personalized, not practical, and definitely not formulaic system. This is one of those systems you couldn't figure out if you tried, because the system is as unique as the person who makes it up. That is my guess, because that's how I am. (less)

flag

Any truth to the Oscar Wilde letters written to a young Granny Pheen? It is such a lovely, touching story I wish them to be!

L i was wondering the same thing. Annie Barrows confirmed it was just fictional, as Mary Ann had adored Wilde:

"Dear Mr. Blumenfield,

Ane Mulligan passedâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ði was wondering the same thing. Annie Barrows confirmed it was just fictional, as Mary Ann had adored Wilde:

"Dear Mr. Blumenfield,

Ane Mulligan passed your email along to me. The characters we placed on Guernsey are fictional, which means they are composites of people we have known, heard of, or imagined. Elizabeth is not based on anyone on the island. Mary Ann was deeply interested in the Resistance fighters of WWII, in particular a Danish boy named Kim Malthe-Brun, so Elizabeth has some attributes of his, but much of her is imagined.

There are stories of heroic defiance on Guernsey, as well as of daring escapes and infiltrations. I got a lot of information from a book called Islands in Danger, by Alan Wood, which was published in 1955. Mary Ann was partial to a book called Liberation by Nick Machon. There is an Occupation Museum on Guernsey as well as numerous websites about the Occupation, if youâ€™d like to find out more in a non-fictional vein.

Sorry about the Oscar Wilde lettersâ€“itâ€™s an utterly fictional episode. Mary Ann adored Oscar Wilde.

Best,
Annie"

from

However, I did find something else that said Wilde had written short stories which were published as fairy tales for children, so Mary Ann probably just ran with that idea. Also a fun note -- Oscar had a sister named Isola. (less)

flag

Has the author written any other books?

Sara Her Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ profile says she became ill with cancer while writing the book and died before it was published.

flag

Loved the book, but why were there never any letters from Sophie? This really annoyed me!

Jeri Bitney My hunch is that any letters from Sophie would not add to the development of Juliet as a character, nor did Sophie play any part in the correspondenceâ€¦m´Ç°ù±ðMy hunch is that any letters from Sophie would not add to the development of Juliet as a character, nor did Sophie play any part in the correspondence with the island residents. If it was a movie, most if not all scenes with Sophie would have ended up on the cutting room floor. (less)

flag

Load 5 more questions