this is easily one of the most beautiful books i have ever read. of course, it's set in my favorite time period and place, so it was easy to get lost in this series of letters that unfolded into a gorgeous story about books, the German Occupation of the Channel Islands (Guernsey), the powerful binds of friends and a unexpected romance.
i may be slightly ignorant of history, but i had no idea that the germans occupied these islands, and that the people living there were cut off from the world. did you? actually don’t say if you did, it would just make me feel bad.
i think that one of the things i really loved about this book is that people who weren’t necessarily book people, but they became book-lovers out of necessity of precarious situations. a community is built because of one person has a pig and tells a fib to a german officer…
it’s preposterous to even contemplate a situation that would be similar for today—the world was such a different place. we’re sometimes over-scheduled, we often don’t know our neighbors, and we may not be comfortable into a group of strangers. and what are the odds of being cut off from the rest of the world (although, I sometimes feel that way in Idaho) when we have many more devices for communication than letters and telegrams? and why don't we write more letters? i love the thought of getting something other than dish bill in my mail box!
i suppose, it’s a romantic time to think about… the end of war, rebuilding and freedoms won. such a hopeful time. this is probably why I love books from this point in history. and i know that i’ve idealized the times, but it’s nice to look back and see how a world ravaged by war turned itself around. i suppose it also gives me hope for the future.
if you also like this slice of history, have I told you how much I love Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher? it’s my all-time favorite book! it's about a girl who is left to attend school in england, while her family (mom, dad and sister) live in singapore right before the war. judith is one of my favorite characters because she wasn't a milquetoasty girl who wallowed in self-pity about being left behind, nor did she sap on and on about needing a man. she pulled herself together and relied on herself to get her thru. she inspires me to be a stronger woman!
i may be slightly ignorant of history, but i had no idea that the germans occupied these islands, and that the people living there were cut off from the world. did you? actually don’t say if you did, it would just make me feel bad.
i think that one of the things i really loved about this book is that people who weren’t necessarily book people, but they became book-lovers out of necessity of precarious situations. a community is built because of one person has a pig and tells a fib to a german officer…
it’s preposterous to even contemplate a situation that would be similar for today—the world was such a different place. we’re sometimes over-scheduled, we often don’t know our neighbors, and we may not be comfortable into a group of strangers. and what are the odds of being cut off from the rest of the world (although, I sometimes feel that way in Idaho) when we have many more devices for communication than letters and telegrams? and why don't we write more letters? i love the thought of getting something other than dish bill in my mail box!
i suppose, it’s a romantic time to think about… the end of war, rebuilding and freedoms won. such a hopeful time. this is probably why I love books from this point in history. and i know that i’ve idealized the times, but it’s nice to look back and see how a world ravaged by war turned itself around. i suppose it also gives me hope for the future.
if you also like this slice of history, have I told you how much I love Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher? it’s my all-time favorite book! it's about a girl who is left to attend school in england, while her family (mom, dad and sister) live in singapore right before the war. judith is one of my favorite characters because she wasn't a milquetoasty girl who wallowed in self-pity about being left behind, nor did she sap on and on about needing a man. she pulled herself together and relied on herself to get her thru. she inspires me to be a stronger woman!
so that's my favorite book … what’s yours?
