Author took 'imaginative leaps' with wartime novel

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was made into a film

The author of a best-selling book set in Guernsey said she had to take "imaginative leaps" to finish it after the original writer could not complete the story.

Annie Barrows completed the novel The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society after her aunt Mary Ann Shaffer became ill.

Ms Barrows said her aunt took inspiration after she learned about the occupation of the Channel Islands during World War Two.

The novel, also made into a film starring Lily James, tells the story of a writer from London who bonds with the members of a book club formed during the German occupation.

Annie Barrows helped her aunt finish the book

Germany forces occupied the Channel Islands from 1940 until 1945 - hundreds of islanders were deported to prisons in Europe and many who remained on the islands nearly starved.

The occupation lasted until 9 May 1945, when Guernsey and Jersey were liberated.

Ms Barrows said her aunt read books about the occupation and felt "deep sympathy" with the islanders.

She finished the book however her editor said it needed to be a lot longer.

Ms Shaffer became ill and was not able to continue the novel, so she asked her niece to complete it.

Ms Barrows had never visited Guernsey or the Channel Islands before.

"It was so hard," she said.

"This was back in 2007 so now it would be a little bit easier but back then I used to look at the Guernsey island weather camera sadly and wistfully trying to get a sense of what it felt like.

"It required several imaginative leaps which I'm very proud to say did not turn out to be completely wrong."

Ms Barrows continued: "What Guernsey experienced was some tremendous suffering and in the book, there are ways to survive and there are ways to recall who you are inside.

"I think that has been very inspiring to a lot of people across the world."

Her aunt died before the book was published, which she said "fills her with sorrow".

Ms Barrows visited Guernsey after completing the book.

She said: "I was so nervous that some of those imaginative things I had done would be wrong such as what you could see when you get to the ferry dock, but I wasn't wrong."