The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by

Ann Shaffer

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Part 1: 18 Apr, 1946 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Juliet responds to Dawsey; she's thrilled to be able to talk about Charles Lamb with him. She writes that she believes Lamb's sorrow made him a better writer and commends Lamb's love for other people.
Juliet's insistence that Lamb's love of people made him a better writer reinforces the novel's assertion that writing helps people connect with others, both as readers and as writers.
Themes
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Isola writes to Juliet with some "highly personal" questions. She says that Dawsey told her not to ask them, but she believes that being a man, Dawsey has different ideas of what makes a question rude. Isola's questions have to do with Juliet's appearance—how old she is and what color her hair is—and where Juliet lives. She also asks if Juliet has a serious suitor and if she would like to visit Guernsey.
The invitation to Guernsey is proof that Juliet's strong relationships with her pen pals are indeed as strong as she'd like to think they are. Similarly, Isola's shift to personal questions means that she's now interested in Juliet as a person after speaking to her about books.
Themes
Family, Parenting, and Legitimacy Theme Icon