The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society — the Movie

I’m not a movie buff. I don’t watch many movies and my tastes are conservative, but I’ll take this chance to comment on this movie because of the great experience and my interesting ties to it.

I read the novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a few years ago, because of the title, so when the movie came out on Netflix, I had to see it.

One of the reasons I first became interested in the book, is the name of the place where it’s set: Guernsey. You see, I live on a farm near a smaller-than-a-hamlet settlement in Saskatchewan named Guernsey. That’s where I pick up my mail. The latest google information on population in my Guernsey is a grand total of…wait for it…88.

The streets in my prairie village mirror some of the island names: St. Peter Street, St. Sampson Street, St. Martin Street, D’lcart Street, Pacific Avenue, Cobo Avenue. That’s about all the streets there are in my Guernsey. I’m hoping that in the future when I’m asked to state my mailing address, people will recognize the name and not call it Gerz-nee, or give me a blank look. I used to say “Guernsey, like the cow,” but most folks these days don’t know anything about cows either.

The setting for this story takes place on the German-occupied Island of Guernsey, in the English Channel, during the second world war.

A young British writer has been corresponding with a Guernsey resident about books and writing, and decides to make a surprise visit to find the story behind the literary society. When she arrives, she has another surprise coming when the people in the society are opposed to her snooping around in their lives. They firmly close her out.

As the story progresses, the writer finds out a few key answers to her many questions and gradually uncovers the whole story.

I love this movie because the characters are well-acted, the story seems true to the book, as much as I remember from several years ago, the setting is convincing, and the mystery of the story fascinates me. I was especially intrigued by the way the hidden facts are revealed piece by piece, like putting together a puzzle.

I will watch this movie again, soon, and maybe even pick up the book for another read.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend you take time to watch it—and read the book—before or after. A truly excellent portrayal of life in a remote occupied zone during WWII, told with integrity and charm.