The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The author has received glowing reviews and some reviewers predict this book will be the most popular for book groups this year. We have noticed that interest in Caringbah. Several people from book groups have put their names on the list.

Mary Ann Shaffer was born in 1934 and died last year before the book was finished and published. Her niece, Annie Barrows completed it for her. It is too bad she never got to see her success.


The story is about a journalist and writer from London who starts corresponding with residents from Guernsey soon after the 2nd World War. They and their stories intrigue her and she sets off to meet her new friends and research the island's war history under Nazi occupation. As the story develops the focus hones in on Elizabeth McKenna and her young daughter. Elizabeth was one of the founders of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. It is fascinating to read of the very modern and tolerant attitudes displayed by the islanders in the 1940's and 1950's.


I won't give the rest of the story away except to say that it tugged on my heart strings and I definately would now like to visit Guernsey and the rest of the islands, who by the way don't pay their taxes. As one reviewer said: "There's romance, suspense, tears and laughter".


- Caringbah Library

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society