'Literary' aspirations

Author Juliet Ashton is famous for her series of articles that ran in the Times during World War II. But to Dawsey Adams, she's famous because her name is written in a copy of Charles Lamb essays that he owns. Juliet is delighted with the letter she receives from Dawsey and begs to know more about the book club he mentioned that was hastily formed by his neighbors. In a flurry of letter-writing, Juliet gets to know Dawsey and his quirky neighbors and the bravery they displayed while living on the German-occupied island of Guernsey. Soon she feels as though she knows Dawsey, Elizabeth, Isola, Eben, and little Kit as well as she ever could - certainly moreso than her socialite boyfriend, Mark. The writer-blocked Juliet feels that there is a story to tell, especially once she learns that one of the island's inhabitants has been missing for months. And she has a great fondness for the quiet, unassuming Dawsey. When given the opportunity to meet them face-to-face, she doesn't have to think twice. Even so, she can't begin to imagine just how much the Guernsey Society will end up meaning to her.

This is a nice little breather book - light without being fluffy, open-hearted without being sickly-sweet. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a comfort read, and this is largely because of the solemn reflections of living in a post-WWII world. It never overwhelms the reader, but it does make the impression that the authors wanted to honor the feelings of the time. There are plenty of small heroic stories, funny stories, and a handful of really sad stories, but the book doesn't dwell on those. It's this juxtaposition that readers may take issue with. I'm not sure if the balance is perfect, but this book aims to uplift, and it accomplishes the task with ease. 

The characters are all a lot of fun to read. Juliet is a witty, tenacious main character that most readers would probably love as a best friend. The Guernsey inhabitants are likewise lovable, notable for their desire to do good and protect the integrity of their cobbled-together book club. One character stands out as almost impossibly good and forthright, and her fate leaves me a little puzzled. There is a quasi-obvious love subplot that sneaks around in the background of Part One, and I enjoyed how it threw me off track. There's a silly plot about a sneaky reporter that neither adds to nor detracts from the charm of the real story. As to the subject of books and literature, it's sort of shuffled to one side in order to leave room for the dynamics between Juliet and the islanders. To be fair, their interactions - and Juliet's growing fondness for her penpals - are the book's biggest appeal. It's a relatively quick read, with sparkly and funny and sad observations on the love of books, human endurance during wartime, and falling in love.

Rating: 4 Anne Bronte biographies out of 5.