Book Review Presentation

by Sharon Watts

Fountains of Knowledge Book Club

Three Fountains East

Murray, Utah

September, 2009

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

INTRODUCTION:

Golly, what a huge crowd we have today! I think I need to take a deep breath and come in again! Wow! This is wonderful! (beat – beat) — It’s truly good to be back with all of you at the beginning of our new book club season.  There is nothing better than reading good books and having the chance to share them with wonderful and close friends.

I am delighted today to have the chance to share with you a book I feel is charming, witty, endearing and touching, all at the same time.  In literary terms, it is called an epistolary novel, because it is made up entirely of letters. Actually, I think that the book itself is a singular letter, a love letter to book lovers, and we are all book lovers, so it is a love letter to us.  I feel strongly about that, and hope that many of you who have read it feel the same way! (beat – beat)  How many of you have had an opportunity to read the novel? (The response was overwhelming – almost everyone)! How many of you are in the process of reading it now, but haven’t quite finished? No, this isn’t a test – I don’t give D-merits — wow, that dates me!  (Just two or three – very few had not read the book). I sincerely hope that by the time we are through with the review and discussion today, those of you who haven’t had an opportunity to read the book yet, will feel compelled to beg, borrow, or steal – no, forget steal! – just put your name on a library list and take the wonderful journey this book offers – it’s well worth your time.

I mentioned handouts – Character Identification List from the book, plus a List of  Books, Authors, Poets, Philosophers, etc. actually mentioned in the novel – indicating the diversity of the reading material of  “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” – all the way from Marcus Arelius and Seneca to Agatha Christie, and all stops in between.

For those who haven’t read the book and for those few with foggy memories (you mean there aren’t any foggy memories? – Oh, I see, that’s a big joke)! All right, I’ll share a little synopsis with you just to put you in the picture:

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” begins in January l946 – that’s just eightmonths after the war in Europe ended, and eight months since the Nazi’s surrendered after

occupying the Island of Guernsey for the full five years of the war. During that time, the Islanders had absolutely no communication with the outside world – no wireless, crystal sets, newspapers, periodicals, letters or any other kinds of correspondence – including telephones.  Their only news of the ‘outside world’ and the war itself’ came from what the German occupiers told them, and much of that was false information, or outright lies, and things went down-hill from there. After just eight months since liberation, the people of Guernsey are still ‘licking their wounds’; as things got extremely bad for the citizens, particularly during the final months of the war the people were actually facing serious starvation.

At the same time, we find the popular author (and heroine) of our story, Juliet Ashton, much like her fellow British countrymen,  also emerging from the dark days of WWII. She experienced the London Blitz, the V-l or ‘Doodlebug’ bombs Hitler dropped over England, causing so much death and devastation, and she would have experienced the nightly bombing attacks by the Luftwaffe, and the blackouts; she also worked as a fire warden putting out the fires of incendiary bombs, plus she would have experienced the  Battle of Britain. She lost her own flat, or apartment, in a bombing raid, destroying all her material goods, and, worst of all, her beloved  library of books – she only managed to salvage a large crystal paperweight, with ‘Carpe Diem. . . Seize the Day’ – etched on the top.

Through her correspondence to her publisher, boss, mentor, and one of her best friends,Sidney Stark, we immediately warm to this author who is in search of material for a new novel in the aftermath of the war. Then, out of the blue, she receives an unexpected query from a Mr. Dawsey Adams, and suddenly we are caught up in a delightful web of letters and very vivid personalities.

Dawsey Adams is a farmer on the Island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands, in the Gulf ofSt. Malo. He has, somehow or other, come into possession of a book that once belonged to Juliet – one with her name and address written on the inside, and he writes to her. Spurred by a mutual admiration for the author of the book, Charles Lamb, the two, Dawsey and Juliet, launch an epistolary correspondence that reveals much about Dawsey’s Guernsey and the Islander’s recent lives under Nazi Occupation. Juliet tells him much about her experiences in London during the war, but she is especially interested to learn about the curious beginnings of

“The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” Dawsey has referred to, and before longDawsey has her exchanging letters with its other members – not only Dawsey, but the eccentric and lovable Isola Prebby, the potion and veg seller; the kindly gentleman and fisherman, Eben Ramsey; the lovely, gracious matron, Amelia Maugery; and a real character, the blacksmith, Will Thisbee – the creator of the original potato peel pie. Suggesting that the Society must have ‘eats’ after every Literary meeting, he came up with the potato peel pie: mashed potatoes, mixed with mashed beets for sweetening, and a top crust made of potato peels. Some of the group actually liked it – most did not, but it lent its name to The Literary Society.

However, Juliet soon comes to discover, the most compelling Island character is Elizabeth McKenna, the courageous founder of the Society, who lives in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved her. Each person who writes to Juliet adds yet another chapter to the story of Elizabeth’s remarkable wartime experiences. You recall that Elizabeth, along with a neighbor, Peter Sawyer, came to the aid of a Todt worker, one of Hitler’s slave workers on the Island, which was against established German rules.  The young boy was filthy, bleeding, and unconscious from near-starvation when found. Elizabeth and Peter rescued him, and tried to nurse him back to health.  They were spied on by another neighbor, who turned them in to the German High Command on the Island, and the three of them were immediately arrested and sent to prisons on ‘the continent’ – Elizabeth going to the infamous Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. The Todt worker going, undoubtedly, to his death (as that was part of Himmler’s plan, to work or starve the Todt workers to death, and several thousand of them did die on the Channel Islands during the occupation – after all, they were expendable, they could easily be replaced), and Peter Sawyer, a man in a wheelchair, was simply sent back to Guernsey, as his captors didn’t know how to deal with a man so confined – why they didn’t just shoot him, I don’t know – but the Nazi’s were capricious in their dealings, running hot and cold. During the eight, or so, months since the war has ended, the Society has heard nothing of Elizabeth’s whereabouts, and their hopes begin to fade.

Juliet is touched by the stories of Elizabeth, the Literary Society, and the citizens of Guernsey themselves, and finally makes the choice to travel to Guernsey to meet the wonderful Society members she has come to love through their correspondence over the ensuing months, and to obtain personal interviews for material for her novel – this choice, to travel to Guernsey, will have surprising consequences for everyone involved.

This was Mary Ann Shaffer’s first and only novel, sadly she died early in 2008 just before the novel was finished, and it fell on the capable shoulders of her niece, Annie Barrows, to finish the novel and bring it to publication. Thank goodness she did, as it now graces the bookshelves of bookshops, bookstores and libraries all across the nation, and now WE HAVE IT. I believe it’s like the wonderful quote in the front of the book: “Perhaps there is a sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers!”  I feel that WE ARE those “perfect readers!”

QUESTIONS for “THE GUERNSEY LITERARY & POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY”:

1. Introduction and synopsis.
2. The MAP of the CHANNEL ISLANDS and NORMANDY – D-DAY LANDING COVERED, PLUS ITS IMPACT ON GUERNSEY. (Vega Ships). The juxtaposition of the Islands to France, but fact of their being territory of England for over a thousand years.

1. How did you feel about reading a novel composed entirely of letters? Did it read like anovel, with a beginning, middle, climax and ending, were the principal characters well developed and fleshed out, and did the story follow along smoothly, growing to a satisfactory conclusion? Or was the book choppy, disconnected and confusing for you – hard to follow? (Crowd response – most all felt it read like a novel – One lady thought that Dawsey Adams was a woman – but that soon got straightened out).

Personally, I felt that Isola Prebby’s journal entries broke the chain of letters a little bit – did that bother anyone else? Otherwise, the little anecdotal stories added on, only seemed to me like adding spice to a cake, just giving the novel more flavor.

How many of you write letters with a pen, in long-hand – how often do you do it? How do we most often correspond now days? Yup! E-mail – by way of our computers – fast – easy and efficient! Writing by long-hand is a dying art, sadly. In fact, I feel so bad about it that I’m just going to be your little ‘ole mail carrier today, and in my mailbag I have stamped, addressed envelopes with letters for everyone in the club. They are personalized letters, no two are alike – there is even an individualized letter for our guest today. I stamped them with a one-cent stamp, flew to London and posted them in the nearest mailbox so that they would have a London postmark, and flew right back for book club. But, I’m putting them back into my mailbag, and will deliver them at the refreshment table.

Speaking of refreshments – I want to take this opportunity to thank Elizabeth Tanner, Liz Pincock and Annette Nielsen for creating for us a most delicious treat – and NO, it’s not potato-peel pie! (I also thanked Annette for helping me put up the display the night before and that morning, before book club)! Speaking of refreshments, as far as you are concerned, there is a caveat involved – I have made a pact with the refreshment ladies not to serve you until you have come up after the discussion and taken a good look at the display. This is not a decoration – it is a continuation of the novel. The novel is so multi-faceted, that there just isn’t time to cover all the excellent components of it – so, hopefully, the display will help to flesh-out the book and single out some of the stories or incidents that we won’t be able to touch on within our time limit. Now that I’m controlling the refreshments, I’ve got you where I want you, haven’t I?!

We’re just going to focus on the principal characters, and follow the two central love stories that are key to the book, trying to include as many of the other wonderful characters as we can. Let’s start with Juliet’s arrival on Guernsey – turn to pp. 160-161 –  Juliet was extremely nervous to finally meet all the wonderful members of the Literary Society she had been corresponding with – she was truly taken with them, but felt that they might be disappointed in her once they met her in person. She had learned to love them through their wonderful letters, and she didn’t want to disappoint them.  She could see them on the pier, as the boat pulled into St. Peter Port – recognizing them from their letters – there was a tall, lean man with a young boy, who was all bones and angles – that had to be Eben Ramsey and his grandson, Eli. And beside them was the petite, beautiful, white haired Amelia Maugery – and then she saw Isola Prebby in a mad hat and purple shawl pinned with a glittering brooch, and Juliet stated, “I loved her instantly!”  She needn’t have worried about her reception, as Isola Prebby broke loose from the crowd, leapt over a crate of lobsters, grabbed Juliet by the waist, swinging her off her feet and squeezing the nervousness right out of her, saying the endearing words, “Ah, lovey!” Then the gentle Eben Ramsey and his grandson, Eli stepped forward and welcomed her in a most warm and wonderful manner – Eli shyly handed her a small gift he had made for her, then he bent down and picked up the very precocious four-year old Kit, the daughter of Elizabeth McKenna, and hoisted her up on his shoulders. Juliet leaned in to give Eli a “thank you kiss” on the cheek, then happened to glance up at the young child and was met with the most malevolent stare she had ever received from anyone – she instinctively backed off.  Juliet knew she had her work cut out for her to “break the ice” with this child and make her a friend! (The upshot is, that Juliet did all the right things, she was instinctively great with children, and before long she and Kit absolutely adored each other –  often spending night and day together, but that came later)!!

Then the gracious and lovely Amelia Maugery gripped Juliet’s hand tightly and said, “Juliet, I’m glad you’re here at last! Let’s get your things and go home!” Juliet felt as if she was at home on Guernsey all ready. And during all this, Dawsey Adams stepped forward and took both her hands in his – and she said that an unaccountable jolt of excitement coursed through her body, (which she never forgot)! He didn’t say much, but it didn’t matter!

What were your first impressions of Dawsey? (Start with the letter writing). Was he shy and reticent, or merely polite and cautious? He became a wonderful “conversationalist” in the letters with Juliet and shared great stories with her about the Occupation, as well as the Literary Society – and he showed significant interest in her, her London war experiences, her  work as a novelist, etc. – plus sharing back and forth with her the wonderful anecdotal stories about Charles Lamb, whom they both enjoyed immensely! (They unanimously liked Dawsey, andapproved of him completely).

How did Dawsey compare with the other man in Juliet’s life, Markham V. Reynolds, Jr.? (Big moan from the group – they didn’t like Mark Reynolds)!  The comparison was like NIGHT AND DAY!! When Juliet first met Mark Reynolds, she wrote to her best friend, Sophie Strachan (pron. Strawn – it’s Scots, and they corrupt their names just like the English do – it’s quite wonderful)! – she stated to Sophie that “Mark Reynolds was absolutely dazzling – she had never met anyone like him in her life”!      Well, it certainly seemed like this stereo-typical “great catch” had everything going for him, money, American good looks, etc., etc.; but who didn’t like Mark Reynolds at all, and didn’t hesitate to tell Juliet right to her face?    Sidney Stark – her boss, mentor and brother of Sophie Strachan. Sidney told Juliet that Mark was aggressive and unscrupulous – not a man to cross – “Mark is all charm and oil and he gets what he wants, and he wants you (Juliet) because you’re beautiful and intellectual at the same time, and he thinks you’ll make an impressive couple.” Juliet’s reaction was to put her chin up in the air and say, “You just don’t know Mark like I do, Sidney!” Ironic, because Mark – from the get-go – started to ask Juliet to marry him, and her pat answer was, “No, I just don’t know you, Mark. I don’t know you well enough!”

Turn to p. 8 of the novel – Juliet is pouring her heart out to Sophie about men (Sophie was a great sounding-board for Juliet’s affairs of the heart) – And this time Juliet was saying, “I don’t want to be married just to be married! I can’t think of anything lonelier than spending the rest of my life with someone I can’t talk to, or worse, with someone I can’t be silent with!”

Now, this was before she had ever heard of Dawsey Adams and before she had met Mark Reynolds, but judging by what you know of them from your reading, which man best fits the criterion of Juliet? (Score two points for Dawsey Adams – that was an easy question)!

Well, Juliet’s “dazzlement” soon turns to “disappointment,” which turns to “disillusionment,” which turns to “disintegration,” and finally turns to the “dissolving of the relationship. Mark constantly “wines and dines” Juliet – dinners, private clubs, party after party, theatres, and people, people, people – Mark was a “party animal” and Juliet looked especially good on his arm!!

Was Mark interested in Juliet as a novelist? Was he interested in her lengthy (several months) correspondence with the wonderful people of the Literary Society in Guernsey? Ok, if not, who was he interested in? (MARK REYNOLDS!!)! What did Juliet mean to him? (She was beautiful and witty, and they looked very good together – she was like a trophy – they were a couple who made heads turn)!

How did Mark Reynolds react to Juliet’s refusal to accept his proposal of marriage when he offered her the diamond “as large as a pear”? He flew into a rage arguing with her, finally shouting!! at her, until he had worn her down with frustration to the point of tears – then he was all ‘sweetness and light’. She actually considered for a moment that she might be wrong about him – that he was a better man than she had thought – but her common sense kicked in, and she considered that, if she married him, would she have to cry every time she wanted him to treat her decently? No, that wasn’t for her!!! Why had Juliet been so indecisive about Mark? (The whirl and twirl of it all made Juliet absolutely giddy, and she felt very complimented – after all, it had been four long years since she had dated – due to the war, and she was enjoying herself for the first time in a very long time).

His reaction to her decision to travel to Guernsey was awful, to say the least, calling her “ridiculous” for wanting to go to that “god-forsaken island to just meet that miserable passel of people.” He was outraged! How did Juliet react to his unwarranted behavior? (She simply said that “he wasn’t calling the shots” – and she went to Guernsey – much to his chagrin)!

Meanwhile, back with the wonderful Society people of Guernsey, Juliet is treated royally – as they take turns, or go in groups, showing her all over the Island – taking her to all ten parishes (counties or shires) to see all the sights of Guernsey. And she loves the Island. However, she also spends a lot of time alone with Dawsey, long walks and long talks about the many interests they share in common. Dawsey takes her to see an unusual sight, The Little Mosaic Chapel – (described briefly to group), after he tells her about its unusual construction and design, he stands back quietly and gives Juliet time to just enjoy the surroundings, the uniqueness and beauty of the little building. Juliet said that Dawsey was “the most ‘unhurrying’ man she had ever met.” Did that impress her?  (She loved that in his nature).

Then there is the magical night when Dawsey stops by Juliet’s cottage for one reason or another (she’s staying in Elizabeth McKenna’s cottage, as Elizabeth still hasn’t returned to Guernsey since the end of the war), and Dawsey and Juliet take a walk out on the headlands, on the cliffs above the ocean. It’s a beautiful night, with a full moon, it’s rather ‘electric’. Maybe this will be the night Dawsey takes her hand, or maybe even a kiss – when all of a sudden, bam!!! A carriage (the town taxi) skids to a halt in the gravel on the road right by the couple, and a man calls out loudly, “Surprise, darling!” And there’s Markham V. Reynolds, Jr., right on Guernsey! He jumps out and grabs Juliet – who wishes he would drop dead – and smothers her in roses, and then in kisses (all the while she’s thinking “not in front of Dawsey, no, no, not in front of Dawsey – please, not in front of Dawsey”)! Mark ignores Dawsey, but Juliet makes introductions, then Dawsey says “goodnight” politely and literally fades into the background!

To make a long story short, Juliet invites Mark into the cottage, and he immediately starts in with the marriage-proposal-wedding-date-thing, the difference this time is that Kit, the four year old child of Elizabeth McKenna, is staying for a few days (and nights) with Juliet, and is at the table having her dinner. (By this time, Juliet has come to love Kit tremendously, and Kit absolutely adores Juliet, showing her affection consistently and constantly in charming ways).  Mark flies into his usual rage, arguing with Juliet when she refuses him, saying, “You don’t owe these people on this miserable island anything –  and as cute as this kid is, you don’t owe her anything either, just buy the kiddy a toy and she’ll forget you in a couple of days!” Well, this was the straw that broke the camel’s back, wasn’t it? How did Juliet take Mark’s words? She nearly threw Kit’s supper dish at him, but she didn’t, what did she do? She didn’t yell, she didn’t shout, perhaps even more intimidating – she “whispered” at him in almost a hiss. What did she say? (“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW AND DON’T EVER COME BACK – I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN! AND FURTHERMORE, ANYONE WHO DOESN’T LOVE KIT AND GUERNSEY AND CHARLES LAMB, JUST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO MARRY!!”  Mark responded, “What’s Charles Lamb got to do with it anyway?” –  (That was a Freudian slip for Dawsey, I think). Well, Markham V. Reynolds, Jr. finally got the message, and left. Later, Juliet wrote to Sophie, saying “I should feel just miserable or even remorseful, but I don’t! I don’t! I feel free!!!” The sad thing was that Dawsey didn’t witness that parting between Juliet and Mark – and his relationship with Juliet truly underwent a sea-change (that’s Shakespeare – from “The Tempest” –—-I didn’t say that to the ladies, Joe, I’m just telling you, because everyone and their dog is using “sea-change” right now, and they don’t even know that they’re quoting Shakespeare)! (Besides, I want to see if you are truly reading this)!

What happens to the relationship between Dawsey and Juliet? (Dawsey avoids her – he becomes quiet and reticent in her presence – no more long walks or long talks). Juliet doesn’t know what to do – whether to go to Dawsey’s house and explain about Mark – why doesn’t she? (She’s not sure that he feels the same way about her as she feels about him – and what if he pitied her? That would be even worse)! She’s just at a terrible loss all of a sudden, isn’t she? What do you think she should have done? Did her over-all “indecision” about Mark Reynolds  from the beginning of their relationship bother you? (Various answers to this question).

Juliet is actually having a bad time in more ways than one. She is suddenly floundering with her new novel, in spite of all the wonderful letters and interviews with the Island people – it just doesn’t seem to be coming together – something is lacking.  Sidney has read her manuscripts, and he is so insightful and has such a clear perspective, that he realizes what the problem is right away – but not wanting to offend Juliet, he just gives her a gentle nudge in the right direction. He tells her that she already has the core (or focus) of her novel, she just doesn’t know it yet!    a

What or who is the core or focus of her novel? (Elizabeth McKenna). Why is Elizabeth so important to Juliet’s novel? (Sidney tells her that her novel needs one person’s voice to tell what was happening all around her, and Elizabeth is that person – she is the catalyst, the uniting factor, the focus for all of the stories from the Society members – everyone mentions her or refers to her in some way – she was the thinker, the doer, the organizer, the founder – she was the “be all, the do all” to everyone)! Turn to pages 200-201 for Sidney’s observations regarding Elizabeth and her qualifications for being the core of Juliet’s novel – perfect reasons! There was another reason for writing a book about Elizabeth, what was that?

(For Kit, who was only a tiny baby when her mother was arrested and taken away – Kit has never known her mother, except for what the Society Members, who are taking turns raising her, tell her about Elizabeth. What a wonderful book this would be for Kit to have in the coming years – the story of her mother’s life). The first time I read this, I thought, ah, come on,

I think Elizabeth is just a little too good to be true, perhaps you felt the same way? – So, I re-read the pages about her, and then it hit me right between the eyes – Wow! I have someone in my immediate family just like Elizabeth, a doer, a thinker, an organizer, a founder, a courageous person, a loyal and true friend, alike even to the part about Elizabeth being an artist – and I thought, yes, there are truly people like Elizabeth McKenna – perhaps they’re rare, but they do come along every now and then and if we’re lucky enough to know them, they touch our lives and make them better!!! Yes, I believe in Elizabeth McKenna! Was Juliet offended by Sidney’s suggestion? (Not at all, she was grateful and did realize that “the focus” was right in front of her all the time – and she was excited by the prospect)!

Let’s talk about the relationship of Elizabeth McKenna and Doctor Captain Christian Hellman, her German sweetheart.  Why was their relationship so risky, so extremely dangerous? Why was it so different than the usual “silk hose, perfume, Jerry-bagger” relationships going on at the same time? (“Jerry-bagger” was an insulting term used for the Guernsey girls who consorted with the Germans for cheap favors) – Ans. (He was an officer, well, officer’s could “have women”, BUT, they weren’t supposed to fall in love with the Guernsey girl – they certainly weren’t supposed to want to marry the Guernsey girl – and Elizabeth was pregnant with their child). What would have happened to them had they been caught? (Zip! — To the continent! Most likely to concentration camps)!

Amelia Maugery had never trusted Christian Hellman from the get-go, and she tried to explain her feelings to Elizabeth – “You must be so careful, he could turn you in and lie to the authorities about your situation, and who would they believe, you or him? He could turn us all in – he knows the story of how our Literary Society got started – with that bold-faced lie to a German patrol guard, after getting caught out after curfew – plus the absolutely forbidden roast pig dinner, yes, Christian could turn us all in! He’s the enemy, Elizabeth, and the Nazi’s are not to be trusted! You must listen to me!” And Elizabeth, like Juliet had done with Sidney, just put her chin up and said, “You just don’t know him like I do, Amelia!” The day after this conversation, a knock came to Amelia’s door, and who stood there? (Doctor Captain Christian Hellman, Elizabeth’s German sweetheart, in all his Aryan glory – big, blond, handsome, in uniform). How did Amelia react? (She was absolutely terrified. She thought he had come to arrest her, or to confiscate her house – the Germans were doing that to the Guernsey people – taking their houses for German residences). When she finally got up her courage, she asked him, “What are your intentions, Sir?” And, in a surprisingly nervous manner, he answered her by saying, “I’ve come to talk about my intentions regarding Elizabeth. Amelia hesitantly said, “I think you’d better come in!” What then transpired? (Christian told Amelia that he loved Elizabeth with all his heart and soul, and he planned to marry her. He said that he was going to be shipped out in a few days to France, where he had been assigned duty in a French hospital. But the moment the war was over, he was coming back to marry Elizabeth and settle down on Guernsey – “and raise freesias, read, and forget the war”. He didn’t like what his country was doing, and he was disgusted by it. They talked for some time, he undoubtedly told her about his close friendship with Dawsey Adams, as well as several others on the Island – but, mostly, he talked about Elizabeth.  By the time their conversation was over, Amelia was giving him her blessing, and, as she stated to Juliet, “I was half in love with him myself!”).

Christian had a favorite poet he quoted a lot and talked about with Elizabeth, Rainer Maria Rilke, who wrote a lot of German and French poetry – very personal and touching love poems, which the two lovers shared. Christian gave Elizabeth his little red leather-bound book of Rilke poems, writing inside, “For Elizabeth, who turns darkness into light!,” Christian. He also gave her his signet ring, a token he was forbidden to give away due to his status as an officer. He told her that he was coming back just as soon as the war ended, to marry her and make a home with her on Guernsey – he had grown to love the Island because Elizabeth was there! (Did you note the curious note Christian wrote in the book? – there is a slight theme developing at this point about “light and dark” – and “dark” doesn’t refer to nighttime).

Well, Christian was shipped out for France, and in the English Channel, his ship was bombed by British planes, and all aboard were killed, including Christian Hellman. Dawsey got word of his death at the Occupation Hospital, and give Elizabeth the heart-breaking news. She was bereft, all alone without Christian, and pregnant with their child. How did the Literary Society help her? (They helped deliver the baby when the time came, and kept as quiet as was humanly possible about the birth – so that the Germans wouldn’t hear about the child, and take her away from Elizabeth to send to Germany to be raised. The Society went to great efforts to protect both mother and child)!

Elizabeth had a little poem of her own that she often quoted to members of the Society when times were especially hard and discouraging to them. They all learned it, and quoted it from time to time – also, the members shared something important together, what was that? (Their membership in the Society itself, the close and affectionate ties with friends and the sharing of good books. It was absolute salvation for many of them –something to look forward to – something to take their minds off the lack of food and the many conveniences they had to do without – plus the seemingly never-ending presence of the Nazis, who were becoming more mean-spirited and capricious as time went on). Many of the members quoted Elizabeth’s little poem, anything to try to keep their spirits up. Turn to page 64, to learn what Eben Ramsey had to say about both situations ( and notice the reference to grey – dim light):

“. . . .days were grey with hard work, and evenings were dark with boredom (remember, they had no light at night – their rationing for candles ran out) – everyone was sickly from so little nourishment and bleak from wondering if it would ever end. We clung to books and to our friends; they reminded us that we had another part to us. Elizabeth used to say a poem – I don’t remember all of it, but it began, “Is it so small a thing to have enjoyed the sun, to have lived light in the spring, to have loved, to have thought, to have done, to have advanced true friends? Is it so small a thing?” “No”, Eben went on to say, “no, it is a big thing. I hope, wherever she is, she has that in her mind.”      Elizabeth certainly embodied that small poem (by the English poet, Matthew Arnold) in her daily life – she loved the sun, the beauty and light of spring, and she loved with all her heart Christian Hellman, her baby girl, Kit, and the members of the Society. She truly knew how to think on her feet, telling a bold-faced lie to a German guard when caught out after curfew, she organized and got things done, forming the Society itself, and she beautifully advanced true friends – bringing together complete strangers into the Society, causing them to become close and affectionate friends, sharing good company and good books.   Many of the members expressed their deep feelings about the Society, but perhaps Amelia Maugery sums it up best with her words:  “None of us had any experience with literary societies, so we made our own rules – we took turns speaking about the books we’d read. At the start, we tried to be calm and objective, but that soon fell away, and the purpose of the speakers was to goad the listeners into wanting to read the book themselves. Once two members had read the same book, they could argue, which was our great delight. We read books, talked books, argued over books, and became dearer and dearer to one another. Other Islanders asked to join us, and our evenings together became bright, lively times—we could almost forget, now and then, the darkness outside.” (And, she wasn’t speaking of the night, but of the Nazi Occupation and the privations it brought on them). Do you remember how often the Society met together? (Every fortnight, every two weeks – and sometimes oftener, if voted on by the group, which often occurred).

Well now, Remy Geraud! Remy Geraud was a former inmate with Elizabeth at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. She was befriended by Elizabeth and grew to love her deeply – Elizabeth pleasing her with many delightful stories of The Potato Peel Pie Society. At the present time, Remy is in a hospice in Normandy, recovering from near-starvation and the effects of being in a concentration camp.  When she is strong enough to finally write to the Society members, what does she tell them in her long letter? (That Elizabeth is dead)! It seems that she could take the injustice of the camp system no longer, and struck out forcefully against it – she was grabbed by two guards, taken out into the woods, made to kneel, and was shot through the back of the head – this is what Remy tells the members in her letter.  Life stood still for a time for each member, each grieving in his or her own way after receiving the news of Elizabeth’s untimely death at the hands of the Nazis. There is a little Rilke poem that rather sums it up: “Tonight there was something in the air that makes us bow our heads! We want to pray for prisoners for whom life stops, and we think of life stopped!!”

Dawsey and Amelia decide to go to Normandy, after scrutinizing Remy’s long letter, to meet Remy and try to persuade her to come back to Guernsey with them, to spend time among Elizabeth’s beloved friends in her recovery. Dawsey is especially persuasive, and Remy finally agrees, traveling with them to the Island. Remy’s coming to Guernsey presents a particular problem for Juliet – what was that problem? (She felt that Dawsey was paying more than just mere attention to Remy’s ‘recuperation’, more  attention than seemed necessary, at any rate). How did she react to the situation? (She was jealous, frustrated, then remorseful and filled with guilt)! “How could she have such strong feelings about this thin, little waif of a girl, who was (Amelia said) as fragile as glass”? ( Dawsey’s continued interest in her, and the fact that Dawsey was Remy’s favorite member of the Society – it all began to take a very real toll on Juliet). Juliet tries to befriend Remy, and Remy is certainly receptive, but after time has passed, and Dawsey doesn’t seem to relent in his apparent attentions, Juliet’s frustration only grows more intense. She actually thinks, “Remy, Remy, don’t you think you’ve been here long enough – isn’t it time to go back to France? – On! How can I think such horrible thoughts, what a terrible person I must be! This isn’t like me at all!” Her feelings were yo-yoing up and down! Remember the night Dawsey actually came to visit Juliet, and she was elated – then Remy stepped out from behind him, and Juliet said that her “feelings fell flat!”

There were more than a few indications that Juliet’s feelings about Dawsey and his attentions to Remy were entirely wrong. Some were very subtle, but there were – however, two big ones, and I want you to tell me about them:    a. The beach party that Eben Ramsey gave, because he had “a big, important announcement to make.” Well, Juliet’s heart just sank to her toes – what did she think the announcement was? (She thought that Eben was going to announce the forthcoming marriage of Dawsey and Remy)!  What was the announcement that Eben did make to the Society members at the party? (That Remy had been offered a job with an important confectioner in Paris, and also, a home with friends – and she was over-the-moon to be going home to her beloved France, and favorite city, Paris. And, she would be leaving in just a few days)!   Well, everyone rushed up to congratulate her, wishing her ‘bon voyage’, everyone except Dawsey? How did he respond? (He turned away from the crowd, off to the side, with a sad, melancholy look on his face).  b.  Someone in the crowd noticed Dawsey, and thought, “Oh my, Dawsey’s in love with Remy and wants to marry her. Well, I’ve got to find real evidence to show the practical Remy that Dawsey loves her, and convince her that she shouldn’t go to Paris, but stay and marry Dawsey – they’ll both be very happy!” Who was that person, and how did they go about ‘finding the evidence?’ (It was Isola Prebby – who decided to play at being Miss Marple, and do some real detective work – she told Dawsey that the last time she was in his house, she noticed that his kitchen floor was dirty, and it needed to be scrubbed, and she would like to do it for him). How did Dawsey react to this announcement? (He was taken aback! He was, after all, ‘Mr. Clean’. Even Juliet had noticed how clean and tidy his barn was, even his hay was “stacked beautifully”! We know from the novel that Dawsey was clean and neat in his person, and something of a perfectionist in keeping his house and farm neat and very clean)! All right, Dawsey, though taken-aback, tells Isola to go in and clean to her heart’s content – he’ll be up at the ‘Big House’ (Sir Ambrose Iver’s mansion, part of his large estate which he, as her mentor, left to Elizabeth – he was killed in a bombing raid in London – and with Elizabeth’s death, the estate becomes Kit’s – it consists of the ‘Big House’, the cottage where Juliet is staying, and all the land in between and surrounding the buildings – the German’s had confiscated the ‘Big House’ during the Occupation, and had vandalized it rather badly. The mayor of the Parish, who was the trustee of Kit’s estate, had commissioned Dawsey [a master carpenter] to get a crew together and remodel the house, making it ready for tourist use, to bring in some income for Kit). So, Isola grabs her mop, rags, and bucket and goes to Dawsey’s house –where she really does clean – all the time searching for “evidence” – and what does she find? (She finds Dawsey’s “treasure box” under his bed). And, what’s in the “treasure box?” (She finds all of Juliet’s letters to Dawsey, tied together with Juliet’s blue satin hair ribbon, there is a handkerchief with  a large “J” embroidered on it, smelling slightly of perfume, and there are pictures of Kit and Juliet, and Juliet, and Juliet, and Juliet). Is there anything regarding Remy? (No, nothing whatsoever). How does Isola feel? (She feels like a failure because she didn’t find anything indicating Dawsey’s interest in Remy, and in her innocence and single mindedness, she thinks, “Oh, Dawsey must have found Juliet’s hair ribbon and handkerchief on the beach and has just forgotten to return them to her, I’ll remind him. But she feels really sad about Remy). What does Isola do then? (She decides to confide in Juliet, and goes to her cottage, arriving there in tears. Juliet brings her right in, gets her a cup of tea, and asks Isola to tell her what’s wrong).

Isola pours out her heart to Juliet, who, as soon as she hears about the contents of the treasure box, knows exactly what it means.  Please turn to pp. 271-273, I want to share Juliet’s reaction with you. Follow along, if you like, though I will be paraphrasing and reading rapidly! This isIsola speaking, after she has told Juliet about the contents of the box: “Juliet got up and went over to her desk, she picked up the crystal ball with Carpe Diem etched on the top. “Seize the Day,” she said. “That’s an inspiring thought.” Then she turned around to me and gave me that great grin she has and asked, “Where’s Dawsey? Up at the ‘Big House,’ isn’t he?” Then she bounded out the door, and raced up the drive to the ‘Big House.’

Oh! Wonderful Juliet, she was going to give Dawsey a piece of her mind for shirking his feelingsabout Remy. Juliet was inside the house by the time I got there. I went on tippy-toes to the terrace and pressed myself by the French windows which were wide-open. I heard Juliet open the inside door and ask for a private moment with Dawsey. He was on top of the big stepladder I decided, because his voice echoed as he greeted Juliet.

Oh, I thought, she’s going to tell him he must get up and go propose to Remy at once. But she didn’t! (Beat, beat). What she said was, “Would you like to marry me?”

I nearly died where I stood! (very slowly, and softly spoken) There was quiet—complete quiet. Nothing! And on and on it went, not a word, not a sound.

But Juliet went on undisturbed. Her voice steady— “I’m in love with you, so I thought I’d ask.”

And then Dawsey, dear Dawsey, swore! He took the Lord’s name in vain! “My God, yes,” he cried, and clattered down that stepladder, only his heels hitting the rungs, which is how he sprained his ankle.

I kept to my scruples and did not look inside the room, tempted though I was. I waited, it was quiet in there, so I came home to think. I had got everything wrong – EVERYTHING! But it came out Happy, so Happy, in the end – no thanks to me! I just don’t have Miss Marple’s insight into the cavities of the human mind. Oh! Well!

For now, I will ask Kit over for supper and to spend the night with me so that Juliet and Dawsey can have the freedom of the shrubbery—just like Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

(Oh! I hope you’ve read Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and you know who Mr. Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet are. Because after six hours of DVD, or 350 hours of reading the book, Darcy and Elizabeth finally admit that they love each other, and they are given the ‘freedom of the shrubbery’ to exchange a kiss or a marriage proposal.  Isola had just finished reading “Pride and Prejudice” – and she loved the book, thus ‘the freedom of the shrubbery!’ Also, by this time, Kit absolutely adores Juliet, and is spending days and nights with her in Elizabeth’s cottage, so Isola plans to invite her for the night.

Speaking of boxes, and we were – Dawsey’s treasure box – there are three rather interesting boxes in the novel that we need to explore. There’s Dawsey’s, containing evidence of deep love for someone, and we know who that is! Then there’s Isola’s, an old biscuit tin containing something unique and very, very valuable; the last one belongs to Kit. It is a card- board box, tied with cord, with a red-yarn handle – and she carries it with her almost everywhere she goes.

Juliet instinctively knows better than to ask her about the box or its contents, deciding that Kit will tell her about it when the time is right.  Juliet just hopes it doesn’t contain a dead ferret – Kit loves fettets!

The story of Kit’s box: Early one morning, Juliet awakens feeling Kit softly patting her face. Juliet sits up on the bed, and Kit solemnly places her box on Juliet’s lap, opening it and folding back the tissue paper. Stepping back,, she nods at Juliet, who, without saying a word, carefully takes out each treasure from the box and lays it on the coverlet. There is a baby picture of Kit, another of Elizabeth holding her baby girl. There was a little eyelet covered baby pillow, and a man’s signet ring. She found under the little pillow, Kit’s grandfather’s medals from WWI.

And there was a small, red leather-bound book of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poems, with a much folded and smudged piece of paper poking out of the top of it. Juliet took out the folded paper and looked at Kit (all the while thanking the gods that she wasn’t crying), Kit nodded and Juliet unfolded the paper and read “Amelia, Kiss her for me when she wakes up. I’ll be back by six. Elizabeth – p.s. Doesn’t she have the most beautiful feet!?” It was Elizabeth’s last note to Amelia, to anyone, just before she was arrested by the Germans and shipped out immediately to the continent. Juliet gently laid the note with the other things on the coverlet, then held out her arms – Kit flew into them, and Juliet held her close, then covered her with the quilt and Kit fell asleep.  Juliet, of course, couldn’t sleep – her mind and heart so full of the love and trust of this beautiful child – a child she wanted to make her own, and she be began to plan the rest of their lives.

Do these boxes have any great bearing on the novel? (Yes, especially Dawsey’s and Kit’s). What about Isola’ box, what role did it play in the continuity of the book? (It seemed to come at a rather tense point during the climax). Yes, it’s what is called in theatre “comic relief”, and it certainly created some fun and laughter at a very tense section of the novel – Remy is still on Guernsey, and feelings are tight – then we have the wonderful story of the remarkable Oscar Wilde letters and Granny Pheen’s cat Muffin, now known as Solange during her fourth cat-life. Then the letters are stolen, and the results are rather like the keystone cops coming tothe rescue – written with much wit and humor. What a fun read! Did you all enjoy it, or did you feel that it wasn’t necessary to the novel, and just muddied things up? (the response was positive for the Wilde story and the ultimate capture of the thief, 100%). I went on to mention that the three boxes had been replicated on the display table, snapshots actually from 1946, and all – and that they would also find Isola’s Phrenology Head (she was into that for a short time), her parrot, Zenobia (who plays a role in catching the Wilde-letter thief), as well as Granny Pheen’s cat Muffin, now known as Solange, taking her beauty nap.

I must ask if you liked the ending of the novel? Was it too abrupt? Would you have enjoyed the ending better if Juliet and Dawsey hadn’t married, but just given a hint that something more was starting between them? (The answers were a resounding Yes, we loved the ending of the novel and it wasn’t too abrupt! And No, they wouldn’t have liked it better if Juliet and Dawsey hadn’t gotten married!!! They got that answer out even before I finished the question).

Well, these endearing souls we read about in the novel have touched our own lives for a short time, through an amazing book full of letters and shared experiences – they’ve made us laugh and made us cry – they’ve given us food for thought – and they’ve taught us much that’ we, perhaps, weren’t even aware of, we learned a little history from this book – and all thanks to the brilliant research and authorship of Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Oh, yes, I truly believe that this book’s secret sort of homing instinct brought it to its perfect readers, to US.

Thank you for your wonderful participation and response to the novel and the discussion, it makes me very happy that so many of you liked the book so much.

The music today was by the late, great Cole Porter, very timely for the time period of the book.

Just a reminder, you must ‘sing for your supper’ by coming up and reviewing the display. I will be there to try to answer any questions you might have, and I will ‘deliver the mail’ at the refreshment tables. (I mentioned, especially, Joey’s pictures, and gave him credit –  they loved them! – I also pointed out the “wild flowers,” which many of them had commented on. They were very surprised to learn that they had come from the gift shop at St. Mark’s Hospital.

Well, the time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things – of friends and books and potato peel pies, and cabbages and kings, and anything else that we can think of to chat about – and I learned from the book that we are a very loquacious bunch!!!