SarniaLife t1_je2egf5 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 10:27 PM

As a person actually from Guernsey the book has an odd place here. It was written by an American author who got stuck at our airport one day and the only thing to hand to keep her entertained were books about the occupation in one of the shops.

The movie was filmed in England (because our government did agree to some terms to have it filmed here). The scenery is all wrong.

So it all feels a little off. We can be a little reserved about our history. Being occupied. Having children evacuated. To a lot of people, these don’t feel like things to be writing romance novels about.

We have loads of scars on our landscape and people from the occupation. Concrete German bunkers are visible everywhere. Our local language diminished significantly with the children having been evacuated that it is almost a dead language. There is a lot of sadness about the occupation.

But there is also remembrance here. Every year we celebrate liberation day on the island. We have cavalcades of Second World War uniforms and vehicles. Music from the era. And every local on the island has heard tales from their older relatives about what they got up to during the occupation.

sorry for the long reply. this book does that to most islanders. I once gave a tour to some friends of friends who loved the book and after the second stop it was too much for them. They wanted the happy ending not the grim reality.

carrotwhirl OP t1_je2nqp0 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 11:34 PM

Thank you for this perspective as a person from Guernsey. I understand that Mary Ann Shaffer's interest in Guernsey began, as you said, in an airport bookstore. I also think your point of the scars of the occupation still visible and painful is a very valid one, and I am sorry.

However the book is not only a romance novel — the characters often describe the horrors of the occupation and of course we have Remy, who staggers in emaciated from a long struggle in Ravensbruck. The film fails to include this, and is much more lighthearted than the book, focusing mainly on the romance between Juliet and Dawsey. This was one of the reasons I disliked the film.

The book shows a broken, but healing Guernsey in the aftermath of the war. It also gives glimmers of hope in the future and emphasises how loved ones and chosen family can be the seed of healing.

I'm glad to hear that in Guernsey you have remembrances and celebrate the liberation of the island. I think to properly appreciate the book as more than a happy romance is to face and see the grim reality of it and not adorn it with glitter and ribbons, so to speak.

Again, thank you so much for your reply. It means a lot to me as a student of history; I'm especially passionate about WW2 and the Cold War. My best wishes to you.

SarniaLife t1_je2rask wrote on March 29, 2023 at 12:00 AM

I have read the book but it was a long time ago. I in fact have a signed copy by Shaffers niece who completed the book. I meet her at an event on the island to celebrate the book. I have seen the movie much more recently and it’s tainted my memory.

I don’t dislike the book and it does have more to it than the movie. It’s just one of those things that if you brought it up with any group of people of here you’d get a range of feelings, but everyone would have something to say!

Overall I’m just glad that there are lots more people in the world that won’t give me blank stares when I say I’m from Guernsey. Now I get oh the potato book was from there!

I think you’ve inspired me to pick the book back up and have another read through.

carrotwhirl OP t1_je37n77 wrote on March 29, 2023 at 2:03 AM

Wow, that's so cool that you met Annie Barrows. Yes, I agree with you. Well, it's not a long book, so if you do end up rereading it, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts!