The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietyThe Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Score Modern
What it's about
January 1946: London is emerging from the war, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next subject. She finds it in a letter from a stranger on the island of Guernsey, who found her name inside a secondhand book. Through letters, she gets to know the members of the island's book club, formed on the spur of the moment during the German occupation, and their stories.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 140 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's warm, funny and moving, a love letter to books, friendship and resilience.
You'll love it if you liked
The Thursday Murder Club
The Book Thief
The NightingaleGood to know
It's told entirely in letters and reads quickly. The occupation of the Channel Islands is a little-known chapter of the war.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller69 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #58 of the 116 historical novels we rank
- #355 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #700 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society worth reading?
Yes. It spent 140 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #700 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society about?
January 1946: London is emerging from the war, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next subject. She finds it in a letter from a stranger on the island of Guernsey, who found her name inside a secondhand book. Through letters, she gets to know the members of the island's book club, formed on the spur of the moment during the German occupation, and their stories.
How long does it take to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?
About 8 hours (305 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society?
If you liked it, try The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak or The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.