Book review: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow

Back of the book says:
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of WWII, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her new book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis. He'd come across her name on the flyleaf of a secondhand volume by Charles Lamb. Perhaps she could tell him where he might find more books by this author.

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed in a unique-spur-of-the-moment way: as an alibi to protect members from arrest by the Germans.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the Society's charming, deeply human members, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Through their letters, she learns about their island, their taste in books and the powerful, transformative impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their lives, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her life forever.

Quite a title, eh? My first thought after looking at the title was what-the-heck is Guernsey and how-the-heck can a literary society have the words ‘potato peel pie’ in its title? But when I read the book, I must admit- I loved, loved, loved it!

Here’s one book that is witty, genuine and totally heart-warming all at the same time. The entire book is based only on letters exchanged between Juliet, her publisher, her friends and yes, members of the Guernsey L&PPP Society. And as their lives unravel in the letters, you can’t help but fall in love with these characters - well, at least I did!

For those of you in my league i.e. the ignorant, Guernsey (spelled as GURN-zee) is a small island south of England and west of France. The island is part of neither the British nor the French territory but (if I got my facts right) pledged allegiance to the British Empire. The book talks about the experiences of all the characters as they go on with their lives after the Second World War: London (where Juliet lives) – a victim to German bombing, and Guernsey –to German occupation.

The biggest appeal to me was the simplicity and realness of the book, and of its characters. They don’t pretend to be too-goody or too-baddy, which is such a welcome relief! Here’s one of the few WWII books I have come across which is sane enough to admit that the Hitler and Nazism legacy doesn’t automatically mean that all Germans were bad. Nor does it discount the traitors and betrayals in the Allied forces. I guess there is never a black and white in real life.. it’s just important to recognize this and not generalize things, don’t you agree?

I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it is to resurrect your life from ashes (forget one as big as the WWII) but the book astonished me about how people seemed to have gone ahead with their lives on this tiny island- all based on love, goodwill and yes, books! I know the book is fictional and the characters are merely that- characters, but I don’t think it’s ever a bad idea to draw some inspiration from something so nice - fictional or otherwise!

My absolute fav line in the book? Perhaps there is a secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. Well, this book definitely has its instinct bang on !

Finally, if I have to say something not-so-nice about the book, all I will admit is that it is a little girly but if you live with that, go for it!

A big thumbs–up from me anyways,
V

Lazy lamhe: Eggless rawa cake

Its Olympics time in Vancouver..the city is buzzing with excitement and energy since last Friday as the gracious host for the 2010 Winter Olympics. I have this whole week off from work (can you believe my luck??) and plan to do a big NOTHING these 5 days!!!I have put my foot down and told N that I will be doing no things he wants and only things I want (didn't go too well at first, but when he remembered how heavy my foot is and how flimsy these wooden North American houses are- he yielded). We have a deal- I give him food three times a day and he lets me be by myself (thinking back, I think a little more foot thumping from me and maybe he would have been the one making the meals- now that would be a supergood vacation, I say!).

Anywho, the last 3 days have been pure bliss. For the first time in last 4 years, I have vacation just to spend by myself. I have slept, cooked, read, watched the games, and some movies, gone out, cleaned some parts of the house- all at my leisure!! When N gets back from his lab, I actually have time to sit and talk with him (something we just don't have the energy to do on workdays) -so all in all, vacation's going fab so far!

Today, I am going to share a recipe of egg less rawa (semolina) cake I made yesterday. The cake is lovely substitute for the regular flour cakes and is one I totally enjoy. I have passed on this recipe to few of my friends, who have become loyal fans ever since. I remember making this for my in-laws when they were here last summer for vacation- they enjoyed it so much that they put in request for one to take with them on their journey back home!



Here's the recipe (from Hamkhaas Pakshiddhi by Mrs. Jayashree Deshpande)
Ingredients:
1.5 cups rawa (semolina)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup yogurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 pinch baking soda
1 tsp (leveled) baking powder

Procedure:
- Grease an 8" round cake pan. Preheat oven to 350C.
- In a mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar gradually until it gets well-blended with the butter.
- Add the yogurt in small batches and mix well.
- Add the vanilla essence, baking powder and baking soda and mix thoroughly.
- Now add the rawa, followed by milk.
- Stir just enough to combine the ingredients without beating - don't
overstir - and immediately pour into the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or till the cake tests done and is golden brown on
top.

Super-easy, eh? Yup, it is! just make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature before you begin and the end result should be pretty good!



Goes superbly with a cuppa chai and a good book! Reminds me, got to go back to my lazy moments now :)

More in the next couple days, until then...Go Canada go!
V

Book review: 'The death of Vishnu' by Manil Suri

Back of the book says:
'At the opening of this masterful debut novel, Vishnu, the resident odd-job man, lies dying on the staircase he inhabits, while his neighbours the Pathaks and the Asranis squabble over who will pay for an ambulance. as the action spirals up through the floors of their building, the drama of the residents' lives unfold. Mr. Jalal's obsessive search for higher meaning; Vinod Taneja's longing for a wife he has lost, the comic elopement of Kavita Asrani, who fancies herself the heroine of a Bollywood movie.

Suffused with Hindu mythology and the exuberance of Bollywood, this story of one apartment building becomes a metaphor for social and religious divisions of the contemporary India, and Vishnu's ascent of the staircase parallels the soul's progress through the various stages of existence. As Vishnu closes in on the riddle of his own mortality, he begins to wonder whether he might not be the god Vishnu, guardian not only of the fate of the building and its occupants but also of the entire universe'.

Pretty interesting premise, wont you agree? I thought so too- which I why I picked it up the library to read it. The book starts off great; the building setting just like any other you would typically see in Mumbai- too little space, too many people, too many dreams, a fair dose of selfishness - nothing extraordinary. But Suri does really well in painting the picture. Vishnu's anguish as he lies dying and his recollections of his sweeter memories (of Padmini, a pretty prostitute who was the love of Vishnu's life or those of his mother telling him the story of Vishnu-the-God) are nicely portrayed. The constant friction between the Asranis and Pathaks over money, space and other petty issues is seriously funny. The lives of Jalals and Taneja as the upper floor occupants unravels nicely as well. So all in all, Suri does really well setting up his characters.

And while I found the book really good in a quite few places, I must admit I was a little lost in others. Especially the ones where Suri treads on the fine line between philosophy, religion and real life. And then there is a constant undertone of sexuality and lust throughout the book. I understand the sensuality is a big part of life but there were times when I found it a bit too much, sometimes even unnecessary. The story's okay, Suri's writing style is excellent but most importantly, his attempt of braiding mythology and religion with real life deserves a read. So in spite of those little bumps, I will still give the book a thumbs-up.

After I finished reading the book, I was wondering what will happen to 'me' after I die! Trust me, I couldn't go on thinking for more than 5 mins!! I mean, who knows where I will end up? and what about N, my family, my loved ones? If I don't meet them in my after-life, I will be lost, wont I?? So I told N, whatever happens to me, I am never-ever-ever going to leave him ('mera saaya saath hoga' type)..freaked him out completely..hehe!

Besides, N and I have this constant argument- I keep telling him that in our next births, I will be husband, he will be the wife and as revenge for this life, I will boss him like crazy! Sweet dreams, he tells me! His counter-argument? Maybe I was the husband is our last birth and its his revenge this time (yikes, don't like that..makes me look bad!) and more importantly, how do I know this one isn't the last of the mythological seven births of us together?? (double yikes, no more chances of revenge for me??)!

See what a book can do to you?

Enjoy,
V