Very deliberately paced and lovely to watch.
The story begins in London in 1946. Now that the war is over, Juliet Ashton is a best-selling author and she should be happy now that she’s become engaged to a rich and handsome American soldier. But she seems a bit lost despite her success. One thing that piques her interest is a letter she’s received from Guernsey (one of the Channel Islands off the coast of France). It’s from a man who is looking for a book and who is part of the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society…a book club consisting of about a half dozen members. Instead of just sending the man the book, she decides to go to Guernsey and meet this book club. However, although they loved hosting her, there is some sort of secret about this group…a secret that Juliet is determined to find out for herself.
The biggest praise in this film probably goes to the director, as the story is simple but Mike Newell manages to make the most of it. Some lovely performances, great pacing and a lovely script all work together to tell a story that really hook you…and if you like romances, you’re sure to enjoy this movie.
By the way, one of the best parts about story is its setting. Few Americans know anything about Guernsey and I enjoyed learning about the German occupation of the island during the war. Very interesting.