Potato Peel Society authoress gains Guernsey Lily bookmark
Monday 7th December 2009, 2:29PM GMT.
Martyn Guille sent a silver bookmark to the author of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and received a signed copy for his effort. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0880968)
WHEN jeweller Martyn Guille was visited by two American tourists at his workshop, they purchased a silver Guernsey Lily bookmark for their friend and author Annie Barrows.
A few weeks later Mr Guille received a thank you from Miss Barrows, who co-wrote the hugely successful The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, in the form of a signed copy of the book.
‘The couple had come to see the Little Chapel in the summer,’ said Mr Guille. ‘They saw the poster [for the book] which I have on sale and I got chatting to them. They wanted to buy her a present, so they bought her a bookmark.
‘She was obviously pleased with it.’
The couple purchased a silver bookmark, made specially at the jewellers, and sent it to Miss Barrows, who lives in California.
Mr Guille said he was thrilled that she had personally thanked him. ‘I was absolutely chuffed to bits,’ he said.
‘It was just nice to have the autographed copy to say that she appreciated it.
‘I think next year we are going to get lots of people coming over because of the book.’
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I know I’m a bit thick; and I know nit’s only a bit of literature;
But I’m afraid I cannot see the idea of that story:;
I daresay had they also been there, it might have been a different story:
No no, I’m not blaming the Author, neither do I wish to always have reminders of that part of my life.
My little moan is about the flippancy.
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Have you read it Eric?
No, apparently not!
I was a little bit cynical when I started it but by the end of this delightful little book I was won over.
And guess what? Both my late parents lived here throughout the Occupation.
Oh, and one more thing Eric.
Never judge a book by its cover!!
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Martino,
Why are you so arrogant as to say I apparently hadn’t read the book?
Then to say further never judge a book etc,
sounds a bit daft to me,
1 I could hardly have made a statement such as I did without having read the book
2 I also admit that all I have heard from loved the book: I simply put my views forward. isn’t that the meaning of life: according to Brian?
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Apologies Eric, for presuming you hadn’t read it. I guess I assumed that because I couldn’t see an iota of ‘flippancy’ there. As to its merits as a piece of literature we will just have to agree to disagree!
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I’m one of what must be the very small number who found this book so poorly written as to be almost unreadable. I give my opinion in this instance only to say, for once, I stand up for Eric’s opinion. I think this is a first for me.
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Ted;
because of a bad beak in my leg I’m a little wonky on my pins.
But your reply toppled me: However, and just for medicinal needs, mind you; I took a stiff Cognac, and things seemed to alter considerably.
So much so >I said to myself
“Well things are looking up: however I’ve never minded people saying things; I’ve done my share, at one time, I paid dearly for it; but being a bit thick, it never stopped me.
So Ted you carry on; there is far too much of this yer brow-beating, so carry on ‘lon’er Ted
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I too found this book very dissapointing.I found it lacked integrity and was obviously written by someone who had very little real knowledge of Guernsey and the occupation..apart from the statistics..
I was born in Guernsey during the occupation and was brought up on the stories of what went on..couldn’t compare in any way to “The book of Ebenezer Le Page”..
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Well seawitch:
I’m happy to know that I wasn’t the only one:
I will say no more; but I had a thought of those days now and then; Nothing tallied with my Knowledge of Potato peels or any other ‘Peals’
But there you are; people hear then build on it, problem of course is like the Robin Hood story;
Not true of course, the worlds biggest propaganda ever.
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I wasn’t impressed by the book either. I only enjoyed reading it because of the Guernsey link, if I knew nothing about the island then I would have given up reading this book after the first or second chapter as I thought it was really quite poor. A potentially interesting subject was given mediocre treatment by the author(s).
Incidentally the lady whose name is shown on the book’s cover as the author is now deceased and is not the lady who received the bookmark.
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It just goes to show you cannot please everyone. My wife has read the book and enjoyed it very much because it reminds her of the stories her mother and grandmother used to tell her of what they went through during the occupation.
This book has literally been a worldwide success making people around the world aware of Guernsey for all the right reasons for a change and some people are still not happy.
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To throw some light on the positive interest this has generated for the island is an initiative we recently created using Google Maps. All of the localities mentioned in the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society book are pinned along with the excerpt and some commentary.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100914396836643406446.0004770085524a485bbdb&z=12
In two weeks this has been viewed 4300 times. The free marketing and interest in our Island this little book has created is something to be welcomed.
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I suppose, it would be very difficult to be in agreement with all of the posters on this blog-
That said;
why do those who loved the story try to influence or use scathing remarks about those who openly say they didn’t think it was either interesting, or even a good read.
One man’s poison etc.
Please try a little moderation; you like the book, fine enjoy it.
You didn’t like the book; then you should have the right to say so.
I said in the beginning it was too flippant for my taste; It ( and here I say MY thinking) had nothing to do with a very serious part of our Islands history.
I have some photos of people who opposed the Hun; they suffered.
So please understand when we say we didn’t like it; wounds were opened again; and therefore we have the right to say our meaning. As you who liked it have the right to your meaning; But being nasty helps not one iota.
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