The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by

Ann Shaffer

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Part 1: 15 Apr, 1946 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Dawsey returns Juliet's letter and says he doesn't know why Adelaide is so horrible. He says the Charles Lamb biography arrived. Dawsey has already read it once, but is going to read it again. He feels as though Lamb's words making him feel more at home in London than he does on Guernsey. Dawsey says he cannot imagine Lamb's experience of caring for his sister Mary after her mental break. Dawsey wonders at how anxiety-inducing caring for her must've been. Dawsey says he writes like this to show Juliet how thankful he is that she procured him the book. He closes by asking Juliet about her childhood on a farm and mentions that Kit is now interested in snakes.
The comment that Lamb's writing makes Dawsey feel at home in London suggests another way in which literature acts as a connecting force: people can develop relationships with places they read about, not just people. Juliet also proves this true through her letters with Guernsey's residents—which pique her interest in the island—and the travel book she read about Guernsey.
Themes
Literature and Connection Theme Icon
Family, Parenting, and Legitimacy Theme Icon