Guernsey Potato Peel Pie article - As featured in
Livinglife 10 by Livingroom Estate Agents,
Guernsey.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by
American authors Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows was a bona fide
instant hit when it was published in 2008, hitting the New York
Times bestseller list in its first week and staying there for
nearly a year. It has since been translated into 35 languages.
Livinglife talks to Annie Barrows about this much-loved book,
which might never have been
written were it not for Guernsey fog.
On a visit to London in 1980, Mary Ann Shaffer decided to visit
Guernsey but was unable to leave when a thick fog descended and all
flights were postponed, so she whiled away the hours by reading the
books in the airport bookshop. Mary Ann's niece, Annie Barrows,
explains why the accounts of the island's Occupation particularly
resonated with her aunt: 'Mary Ann always adored people who display
courage in the face of unconquerable odds, people who retain their
humanity in inhuman circumstances, and those who lead with their
hearts instead of their heads.. she discovered a story that
exhibited the very qualities she prized.'
Mary Ann's work has been much praised for its faithful account of
the Occupation years and its sensitive portrayal of relationships
between German soldiers and locals and, indeed, she spent twenty
years researching for what was to be her only novel. According to
Annie, the subject of islander-invader relationships was one of the
elements that most fascinated Mary Ann: 'In a community closed off
from the rest of the world for five years, the categories of Enemy
and Friend, Insider and Outsider become blurry. And perhaps this
blurriness gives people the opportunity to see beyond category, to
assess others as individuals.'
The novel is written as a series of letters between a London
writer, her publisher and the earthy, resilient people of Guernsey.
Mary Ann decided to write in the epistolary form because 'for some
bizarre reason, I thought it would be easier.' The story begins in
1946 when Juliet Ashton, who is struggling to find inspiration for
her new book, receives by coincidence a letter from a stranger, a
founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie
Society. Juliet is intrigued, and so begins a heart-warming - and
sometimes harrowing - tale of the island during the German
Occupation. Although the reading group is originally invented as an
alibi to avoid punishment for breaking curfew, it becomes a reality
as they are united by a shared passion for books and find that
literature can heal even the most wounded spirits.
Sadly, Mary Ann's health began to decline shortly after her
original manuscript was accepted by publishers and she asked her
niece Annie to help her with the rewrites. Although Mary Ann did
not live to see the publication of her book, Annie says that a
dozen foreign editions had been sold on the strength of the
manuscript, a good indicator of future success. Additionally, once
advance reading copies were produced, 'we began to hear a lot of
excitement from booksellers and reviewers all over the
U.S.'
Annie Barrows is a popular children's author as well as co-author
of Guernsey Pie, as she abbreviates it: 'I was shocked that they
let us keep that title-eight words!-and though its readers
generally get one or two of the words correct, virtually no one
gets all eight of them.' Although Annie is often asked about her
contribution, the story was complete when her aunt asked her to
undertake the rewrites. Annie's goal was 'to make a seamless read'
and she inserted material throughout the book, primarily by adding
to letters that already existed, and occasionally by writing new
ones. The author has visited Guernsey twice, initially before the
book's publication to see if the island was how she had imagined
it: 'I was tortured by the idea that I had been horribly wrong in
all the details I had been obliged to make up,' she admits. 'It was
an enormous relief to see that I hadn't.' Annie returned in 2011
for the inaugural Guernsey Literary Festival, where she captivated
audiences with her witty talks on Guernsey Pie and her children's
book The Magic Half. 'This last visit was less stressful - it was
completely lovely, in fact. Such a beautiful island!'
Guernsey Pie has given a boost to tourism on the island. Because
the story revolves around the eccentric members of the Literary
Society, it has been a particular hit amongst reading groups -
nearly 57,000 book club members from the United States entered a
competition sponsored by the publisher to win a trip to Guernsey.
The novel has also sparked an interest in Guernsey's history, as
America's National Public Radio's Book Correspondent, Lynn Neary,
explains:
'I knew less than nothing about the Channel Islands, less than
nothing about Guernsey and nothing about the Occupation at all. And
so suddenly, it opened up this window into history that I knew
nothing about and that was fascinating.'
Caitlin Inderwick lives in Ontario, Canada; in 2011 she visited
Guernsey, where she has family connections, after reading Guernsey
Pie. 'My mother read the book and recommended it,' she says, 'and I
knew nothing about Guernsey or the Occupation so it was definitely
educational.' Caitlin fell in love with the novel and longed to
visit the island which had been so beautifully described by Mary
Ann and Annie. So she was delighted when, for a surprise present,
her parents gave her a ticket for a flight to Guernsey. 'This book
allowed me to open my mind to new opportunities and experiences -
the island blew my mind: the people were wonderful, the history
rich, and my personal journey was genuine.' Caitlin definitely
plans to return, hopefully bringing her family to show them around
her favourite places, especially the haunting Underground
Hospital.
As we go to print, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie
Society is set to be made into a film, with much of it filmed on
location in Guernsey. This can only be good news for the island.
More than 120 years after his death, Victor Hugo continues to draw
visitors to the island; does Annie think the book she wrote with
her aunt could do the same? Annie's reply is typically modest: 'I
would never, ever have the audacity to compare the legacy of
Guernsey Pie to that of Victor Hugo.' Only time will tell, but this
is a story which people have taken to their hearts and it has
brought a little more magic to our island home.
The second Guernsey Literary Festival will take place between
13th-16th September 2012
www.arts.gg/index.php/guernsey-literary-festival
