Hello
all, and Happy Sunday!
I hope
you’re having a lovely Bank Holiday weekend so far and, if you live in the
same part of the country as I do and have, therefore, been forced to take
shelter from the elements this weekend, then I hope you’ve enjoyed this rather
wet and windy day in the same way as me: tucked up on the sofa with a cup of tea and
a great book.
This
afternoon, as I snuggled up in my pyjamas with a tea and a home-cooked scone (thanks,
Mum!), I was reminded of the promise I made a few weeks ago, to write a Book Club blog post
every month, and since this month is almost over, I thought I’d better get a
move on!
So,
after much deliberation, I decided that August’s Book Club would centre around The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, a book I recently finished and adored. This
novel is, in my humble opinion, criminally underrated. In fact, I’d never even heard
of it until a family friend passed it on to Mum who, in turn, passed it on to me. I suppose any book written
by an author who has experienced great success from another one of their
publications will inevitably be cast into its shadows to follow loyally behind.
In this case, Picoult’s most famous novel, My
Sister’s Keeper, is the caster of said shadow, having sold thousands of
copies and being adapted into a critically acclaimed film.
I would
never deny the brilliance of My Sister’s
Keeper. I would – however – unapologetically admit that I liked The Storyteller a whole lot more.
That’s
not to say I didn’t enjoy the aforementioned title (if a novel about childhood
cancer can be enjoyed). But The Storyteller
roused emotions within me that had never been achieved by a book before.
The term “gripped” is thrown around somewhat carelessly these days, being quoted
on the front covers of books from almost every genre, but The Storyteller truly gripped me, so much so that – come the last
few chapters – I literally couldn’t put it down.
The book
is split between modern day and World War II, and revolves around an introverted
character called Sage, who was left both emotionally and physically scarred
following an accident in her early childhood. Sage begins to break down the
protective walls she has built around herself when she befriends an elderly man
called Josef, who she soon begins to confide in and consider a friend.
This,
however, doesn’t come without consequence. Having discovered that Sage is from
a Jewish family, Josef takes the opportunity he has waited for for many years,
revealing to her his sinister past and deepest, darkest secret. Josef was an SS
officer during the Holocaust, and has lived his life so consumed by guilt that
he now wishes to die, and wants Sage’s help.
This
already dizzying notion only gets worse as Sage discovers that her history and
Josef’s past may have more to do with each other than it first seemed. As their
stories intertwine, Sage faces a personal battle, having to choose between justice
and mercy in her quest to uncover what is right and what is true, and whether this is any difference between the two.
There’s
not a lot more I can divulge without dishing out some serious spoilers, but I hope I’ve
done a decent job in setting the scene for this fantastic book. I’ve always
been oddly drawn to books about the tragedy of the Holocaust, having studied both
World War II in History at school and The
Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in English. This book manages to authentically portray
the unfathomable struggle of Jewish people at that time, while simultaneously creating
an utterly absorbing story full of twists and turns that even the most seasoned
Picoult reader could never predict. I finished the book with such a mixture of
emotions that left me unsure of what to do with myself. I found that I was
angry the book had come to end: not because I was unsatisfied with the
(admittedly surprising) ending, but because I simply didn’t want to stop
reading it.
Whether
you’re a fan of Picoult or not, I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough. The
juxtaposition of the entirely-relatable Sage with the entirely-unrelatable tragedy
of the Holocaust makes for a truly enthralling read, and I’d encourage anyone
to make it next on their list.
As ever,
if you do take on this recommendation, or if you have any recommendations of
your own, please get involved and leave your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love
to know your thoughts!
Until
next time, Happy Reading!
E x
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