SeniorLearn Q&A with Co-Author Annie Barrows about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
February 2009
______________________________________
From Bellamarie in Ohio: Is it possible Mary Ann fashioned many of the characters after some of her favorite or not necessary favorite classical authors?
Annie Barrows wrote: I must tell you, in answer to your question, that the characters came from many sources, and since all three of the authors you mentioned--Elizabeth von Arnim, Dos Passos, and Hemingway--were supplied by me, I can tell you why they were chosen. Elizabeth von Arnim, I'm ashamed to say, was selected for no other reason than that hers was the only book I thought would be likely to pop into a British mind that a German officer would also know. Hemingway and Dos Passos I chose because they reveal Markham's tastes and character. I also got a kick out of making him a Wilkie Collins scholar--Collins was such a smoke and mirror type of writer and personally so disreputable that I thought he reflected Mark's true self.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Pedln in Missouri: We understand that you and your aunt both read widely about Guernsey and World War II, and that Ms Shaffer visited Guernsey in 1976. Did either of you visit again? Also, one of our members, spurred on by your book, has borrowed Madeleine Bunting's Model Occupation from her library and noted one of the sources included there was a diary kept by a school teacher. She would like to know if you were able to get hold of primary source material like diaries, letters, or even participate in interviews with Guernsey residents.
Annie wrote: Actually, the family consensus is that Mary Ann visited Guernsey in 1980. She never put the year on her letters, so we thought for a while she had been to the Channel Islands during her first English trip, in 76. She only went there that once. I went to Guernsey last summer, primarily to see if all the stuff I made up was correct. As for primary sources, I read a collection of interviews in a book called Liberation! and The Diary of the German Occupation of Guernsey by JC Sauvery. The other books I used were secondary (Island Madness). The Occupation government did not allow letters to leave or enter the island, so there are only a few of the Red Cross postcards from the period. I didn't interview any Islanders.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Could you tell me what kind of research went into the Holocaust details put into the book? I found the details startling and horrifying! Just when I think I could not imagine any more horrid things that occurred, I am introduced to a few more, as I was in this book.
Annie wrote: Both Mary Ann and I read a fair amount about the Holocaust. I think Mary Ann was particularly affected by the story of a Danish resistance fighter named Kim Malthe-Brunn, who was one of the inspirations for Elizabeth. Of course, the details of what Elizabeth, Remy, and Booker experienced were invented, but the scenario at the Women's Block in Ravensbruck is historically accurate, as is the description of the treatment of the prisoners. Likewise, Booker's experiences at Neuengamme, including that bit about clearing unexploded bombs during air-raids and his transfer to Belsen, are based on memoirs of people who were there. What occured during the last days at Belsen seems impossible, but every bit of that is documented (on film, even). If you're interested in further research, I'd recommend beginning at the website of the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.
_________________________________________________________________________
From JoanP in Virginia: We see Mary Ann in Juliet and now are wondering about Elizabeth McKenna. Are both Elizabeth and Juliet both representing Mary Ann?
Annie wrote: I believe that the character of Elizabeth was in some ways an homage to a Resistance fighter whom Mary Ann admired deeply, Kim Malthe-Bruun.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Did you make up the names as you went along or did you have an ongoing list of names to some day include in a book? I think the names are just darling and found myself looking forward to meeting a new character just to see what the name would be. I think you should consider another book in letter form for some time in the future.
Annie wrote: I adore naming characters, and so did Mary Ann. Some of those names come from our family--poor Edwin Mulliss, upon whose tombstone Juliet sits, is a third cousin of mine. And Juliet herself is an homage to a dear friend of Mary Ann's, plus a passing reference to another J. A., Jane Austen. Some of the wackier names are pure invention. I know that Clara Saussey is related to sausage. I don't think that Mary Ann had a list of names to work from, and I know I didn't--when I needed a name, I just stalked around the house until a good one appeared in my brain.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Were all the characters invented from the onset or did they come along as the novel progressed?
Annie wrote: Juliet and Elizabeth were always the center of the story, and the other major characters came in very early. Many of the later arrivals were those folks on the Island who wrote to Juliet about their wartime experiences--Sally Ann Frobisher and Micah Daniels, for example. Many characters grew enormously in importance as we went on.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Kit and Juliet are a beautiful match being that Juliet has such insight of the challenges Kit has faced (and maybe will face as she matures) regarding losing her parents. Additionally, Juliet and Kit have many similarities in character and disposition. Was the little girl developed while the book was being written or was she planned to be a character before the actual book writing began? Please explain the idea behind developing the character of Kit.
Annie wrote: Kit was part of the earliest concept of the book. From a plot perspective, she serves as evidence of Elizabeth's life and her relationship with Christian. Perhaps Kit is, in some ways, the letter that Elizabeth never wrote. But aside from plot, I think Mary Ann included Kit because she just loved children. My mother believes that Mary Ann based Kit on my younger daughter (and it's true that they both decline spinach in the same way). Juliet has a natural sympathy with children--witness Dominic--but she and Kit are a special match.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Did you make up the names as you went along or did you have an ongoing list of names to some day include in a book? I think the names are just darling and found myself looking forward to meeting a new character just to see what the name would be. I think you should consider another book in letter form for some time in the future.
Annie wrote: I adore naming characters, and so did Mary Ann. Some of those names come from our family--poor Edwin Mulliss, upon whose tombstone Juliet sits, is a third cousin of mine. And Juliet herself is an homage to a dear friend of Mary Ann's, plus a passing reference to another J. A., Jane Austen. Some of the wackier names are pure invention. I know that Clara Saussey is related to sausage. I don't think that Mary Ann had a list of names to work from, and I know I didn't--when I needed a name, I just stalked around the house until a good one appeared in my brain.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Jean in New Jersey - At some point while reading "Dawsey" my mind went to "Dorsey." Depending on your accent the two words sound very much alike and the love story between he and Juliet has similarities to Austen's story." Is she close? From Laura* in Maine:Where did Dawsey’s name came from? It’s unusual. Has anyone heard it before?
Annie wrote: - Yes, Dawsey's name is related to Mr. Darcy's, and Juliet's initials aren't J. A. by accident.
_________________________________________________________________________
From JoanP in Virginia: Another question about unusal names. In reading the bio of Charles Lamb we learned that he adopted a little orphan girl - Emma Isola. Can you tell us about the source of Eben Ramsey's name and character?
Annie wrote: Eben was named after the hero of a wonderful book about Guernsey called The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, though the two men have very different characters.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: I am amazed as to how easy it is to read a book of letters. I've always had trouble with such books in the past. It is very much to the writer's skill that makes this book so easy to follow, and enjoy. It is very imaginable to figure how lonely these people were, and how much they felt it was them vs. the Germans, and the rest of the world didn't exist or care about them. Isolation will do this. That's why any outside communicator was such a miracle to them.
Annie wrote: I think the problem with most epistolery novels is too few narrators. It's very difficult to believe in a story that's told through forty-page letters by one character (who writes forty-page letters, much less forty-page letters complete with dialogue, descriptions, and background?). I believe the solution is not to bag the epistolery novel, but to have so many characters that no single one is responsible for all the story-telling. I have to say, it was tremendous fun to tell a story through so many voices. Each one gives the story a separate little charge, and each one has his or her own quirks and ideas. I don't know how I'm going to return to regular narrative again.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Who was your favorite character of the Literary Society?
Annie wrote: Hmm.Characters really are like your children--you love them all, even when they misbehave. However, I have to admit that I'm especially fond of Clovis Fossey because he is a true lover of poetry. But I also love Booker, and Isola, and Thompson Stubbins and Will Thisbee and . . . you see the problem. If I was able to attend one meeting, though, I think I would choose one in which Dawsey spoke--I can imagine how everyone would lean forward to hear him, because he talks so little, and I can imagine how much he would care about his book. I adore Dawsey.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Why did you decide to add Mark into the mix?
Annie wrote: Mark does serve the purpose of making Juliet understand who she truly is and what she truly values, and he throws the Islanders into high relief, with his sense of entitlement, his demands, and his terse messages. Also, to be honest, he plays such a large role because he was such fun to write--and because he allowed me to write the date in the proper order for once!
_________________________________________________________________________
From bellamarie in Ohio: "I don't know how the book ends as of today, but, what is the possibility of you writing Juliet's book, and bring Elizabeth's memorial to us readers?" I was a bit melancholy after reading Elizabeth was killed, and the thought of a sequel cheered me up.
Annie wrote: I'm so sorry to disappoint a melancholy reader, but I'm afraid there won't be a sequel to Guernsey. As the story originated with my aunt, I feel that a sequel would be an invasion. I am, however, writing another novel for grown-ups. It's not set in the Channel Islands during the war, but West Virginia in 1938.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Laura* in Maine: Annie, would you comment on how and why the journal format was used?
Annie wrote: The only other way for the climax to play out would be in a letter (or letters) from Juliet to Sidney or Sophie, and I think this would have mired us right smack in the middle of the episistolery problem. It's just not natural for someone in the throes of love to sit down and write a twenty-page letter telling how it all shook down. There was no precedent--or rationale--for the members of the Society to write to one another, and for one of them to do so would again have been counter-intuitive. It didn't seem to us that consistency of format was terrifically important. So the solution was to switch to the journal, and who better to rely upon than Isola, who is utterly likely to be in the center of the action and utterly unlikely to interpret the action correctly. Plus, I have to admit, Isola's voice is a pleasure to write.
_________________________________________________________________________
From Bellamarie in Ohio: Is it possible Mary Ann fashioned many of the characters after some of her favorite or not necessary favorite classical authors?
Annie Barrows wrote: I must tell you, in answer to your question, that the characters came from many sources, and since all three of the authors you mentioned--Elizabeth von Arnim, Dos Passos, and Hemingway--were supplied by me, I can tell you why they were chosen. Elizabeth von Arnim, I'm ashamed to say, was selected for no other reason than that hers was the only book I thought would be likely to pop into a British mind that a German officer would also know. Hemingway and Dos Passos I chose because they reveal Markham's tastes and character. I also got a kick out of making him a Wilkie Collins scholar--Collins was such a smoke and mirror type of writer and personally so disreputable that I thought he reflected Mark's true self.
From Pedln in Missouri: We understand that you and your aunt both read widely about Guernsey and World War II, and that Ms Shaffer visited Guernsey in 1976. Did either of you visit again? Also, one of our members, spurred on by your book, has borrowed Madeleine Bunting's Model Occupation from her library and noted one of the sources included there was a diary kept by a school teacher. She would like to know if you were able to get hold of primary source material like diaries, letters, or even participate in interviews with Guernsey residents.
Annie wrote: Actually, the family consensus is that Mary Ann visited Guernsey in 1980. She never put the year on her letters, so we thought for a while she had been to the Channel Islands during her first English trip, in 76. She only went there that once. I went to Guernsey last summer, primarily to see if all the stuff I made up was correct. As for primary sources, I read a collection of interviews in a book called Liberation! and The Diary of the German Occupation of Guernsey by JC Sauvery. The other books I used were secondary (Island Madness). The Occupation government did not allow letters to leave or enter the island, so there are only a few of the Red Cross postcards from the period. I didn't interview any Islanders.
From Laura* in Maine: Could you tell me what kind of research went into the Holocaust details put into the book? I found the details startling and horrifying! Just when I think I could not imagine any more horrid things that occurred, I am introduced to a few more, as I was in this book.
Annie wrote: Both Mary Ann and I read a fair amount about the Holocaust. I think Mary Ann was particularly affected by the story of a Danish resistance fighter named Kim Malthe-Brunn, who was one of the inspirations for Elizabeth. Of course, the details of what Elizabeth, Remy, and Booker experienced were invented, but the scenario at the Women's Block in Ravensbruck is historically accurate, as is the description of the treatment of the prisoners. Likewise, Booker's experiences at Neuengamme, including that bit about clearing unexploded bombs during air-raids and his transfer to Belsen, are based on memoirs of people who were there. What occured during the last days at Belsen seems impossible, but every bit of that is documented (on film, even). If you're interested in further research, I'd recommend beginning at the website of the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC.
From JoanP in Virginia: We see Mary Ann in Juliet and now are wondering about Elizabeth McKenna. Are both Elizabeth and Juliet both representing Mary Ann?
Annie wrote: I believe that the character of Elizabeth was in some ways an homage to a Resistance fighter whom Mary Ann admired deeply, Kim Malthe-Bruun.
From Laura* in Maine: Did you make up the names as you went along or did you have an ongoing list of names to some day include in a book? I think the names are just darling and found myself looking forward to meeting a new character just to see what the name would be. I think you should consider another book in letter form for some time in the future.
Annie wrote: I adore naming characters, and so did Mary Ann. Some of those names come from our family--poor Edwin Mulliss, upon whose tombstone Juliet sits, is a third cousin of mine. And Juliet herself is an homage to a dear friend of Mary Ann's, plus a passing reference to another J. A., Jane Austen. Some of the wackier names are pure invention. I know that Clara Saussey is related to sausage. I don't think that Mary Ann had a list of names to work from, and I know I didn't--when I needed a name, I just stalked around the house until a good one appeared in my brain.
From Laura* in Maine: Were all the characters invented from the onset or did they come along as the novel progressed?
Annie wrote: Juliet and Elizabeth were always the center of the story, and the other major characters came in very early. Many of the later arrivals were those folks on the Island who wrote to Juliet about their wartime experiences--Sally Ann Frobisher and Micah Daniels, for example. Many characters grew enormously in importance as we went on.
From Laura* in Maine: Kit and Juliet are a beautiful match being that Juliet has such insight of the challenges Kit has faced (and maybe will face as she matures) regarding losing her parents. Additionally, Juliet and Kit have many similarities in character and disposition. Was the little girl developed while the book was being written or was she planned to be a character before the actual book writing began? Please explain the idea behind developing the character of Kit.
Annie wrote: Kit was part of the earliest concept of the book. From a plot perspective, she serves as evidence of Elizabeth's life and her relationship with Christian. Perhaps Kit is, in some ways, the letter that Elizabeth never wrote. But aside from plot, I think Mary Ann included Kit because she just loved children. My mother believes that Mary Ann based Kit on my younger daughter (and it's true that they both decline spinach in the same way). Juliet has a natural sympathy with children--witness Dominic--but she and Kit are a special match.
From Laura* in Maine: Did you make up the names as you went along or did you have an ongoing list of names to some day include in a book? I think the names are just darling and found myself looking forward to meeting a new character just to see what the name would be. I think you should consider another book in letter form for some time in the future.
Annie wrote: I adore naming characters, and so did Mary Ann. Some of those names come from our family--poor Edwin Mulliss, upon whose tombstone Juliet sits, is a third cousin of mine. And Juliet herself is an homage to a dear friend of Mary Ann's, plus a passing reference to another J. A., Jane Austen. Some of the wackier names are pure invention. I know that Clara Saussey is related to sausage. I don't think that Mary Ann had a list of names to work from, and I know I didn't--when I needed a name, I just stalked around the house until a good one appeared in my brain.
From Jean in New Jersey - At some point while reading "Dawsey" my mind went to "Dorsey." Depending on your accent the two words sound very much alike and the love story between he and Juliet has similarities to Austen's story." Is she close? From Laura* in Maine:Where did Dawsey’s name came from? It’s unusual. Has anyone heard it before?
Annie wrote: - Yes, Dawsey's name is related to Mr. Darcy's, and Juliet's initials aren't J. A. by accident.
From JoanP in Virginia: Another question about unusal names. In reading the bio of Charles Lamb we learned that he adopted a little orphan girl - Emma Isola. Can you tell us about the source of Eben Ramsey's name and character?
Annie wrote: Eben was named after the hero of a wonderful book about Guernsey called The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, though the two men have very different characters.
From Laura* in Maine: I am amazed as to how easy it is to read a book of letters. I've always had trouble with such books in the past. It is very much to the writer's skill that makes this book so easy to follow, and enjoy. It is very imaginable to figure how lonely these people were, and how much they felt it was them vs. the Germans, and the rest of the world didn't exist or care about them. Isolation will do this. That's why any outside communicator was such a miracle to them.
Annie wrote: I think the problem with most epistolery novels is too few narrators. It's very difficult to believe in a story that's told through forty-page letters by one character (who writes forty-page letters, much less forty-page letters complete with dialogue, descriptions, and background?). I believe the solution is not to bag the epistolery novel, but to have so many characters that no single one is responsible for all the story-telling. I have to say, it was tremendous fun to tell a story through so many voices. Each one gives the story a separate little charge, and each one has his or her own quirks and ideas. I don't know how I'm going to return to regular narrative again.
From Laura* in Maine: Who was your favorite character of the Literary Society?
Annie wrote: Hmm.Characters really are like your children--you love them all, even when they misbehave. However, I have to admit that I'm especially fond of Clovis Fossey because he is a true lover of poetry. But I also love Booker, and Isola, and Thompson Stubbins and Will Thisbee and . . . you see the problem. If I was able to attend one meeting, though, I think I would choose one in which Dawsey spoke--I can imagine how everyone would lean forward to hear him, because he talks so little, and I can imagine how much he would care about his book. I adore Dawsey.
From Laura* in Maine: Why did you decide to add Mark into the mix?
Annie wrote: Mark does serve the purpose of making Juliet understand who she truly is and what she truly values, and he throws the Islanders into high relief, with his sense of entitlement, his demands, and his terse messages. Also, to be honest, he plays such a large role because he was such fun to write--and because he allowed me to write the date in the proper order for once!
From bellamarie in Ohio: "I don't know how the book ends as of today, but, what is the possibility of you writing Juliet's book, and bring Elizabeth's memorial to us readers?" I was a bit melancholy after reading Elizabeth was killed, and the thought of a sequel cheered me up.
Annie wrote: I'm so sorry to disappoint a melancholy reader, but I'm afraid there won't be a sequel to Guernsey. As the story originated with my aunt, I feel that a sequel would be an invasion. I am, however, writing another novel for grown-ups. It's not set in the Channel Islands during the war, but West Virginia in 1938.
From Laura* in Maine: Annie, would you comment on how and why the journal format was used?
Annie wrote: The only other way for the climax to play out would be in a letter (or letters) from Juliet to Sidney or Sophie, and I think this would have mired us right smack in the middle of the episistolery problem. It's just not natural for someone in the throes of love to sit down and write a twenty-page letter telling how it all shook down. There was no precedent--or rationale--for the members of the Society to write to one another, and for one of them to do so would again have been counter-intuitive. It didn't seem to us that consistency of format was terrifically important. So the solution was to switch to the journal, and who better to rely upon than Isola, who is utterly likely to be in the center of the action and utterly unlikely to interpret the action correctly. Plus, I have to admit, Isola's voice is a pleasure to write.
*We wish to thank Annie Barrows for her generous response to our questions throughout the discussion. We are grateful to all of our participants who made this such a rewarding discussion, to our own LauraD for bringing us some of Annie's responses to her questions previously posted in a B&N discussion, and finally, we are grateful for Annie's permission to publish all of her responses here as well as her essay, which will be included in an Afterword to the upcoming paperback edition.A Bonus Essay: An Afterword by Annie Barrows to appear in the paperback edition
Read our archived discussion of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - by Shaffer & Barrows.
and any purchase you make from Amazon will contribute to SeniorLearn's website.