The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

Synopsis

Sage Singer has a past that makes her want to hide from the world. Sleeping by day and working in a bakery by night, she kneads her emotion into the beautiful bread she bakes.But when she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Josef Weber, a quiet man old enough to be her grandfather, and respected pillar of the community, she feels that finally, she may have found someone she can open up to.

Until Josef tells her the evil secret he's kept for sixty years.Caught between Josef's search for redemption and her shattered illusions, Sage turns to her family history and her own life for answers. 

As she uncovers the truth from the darkest horrors of war, she must follow a twisting trail between betrayal and forgiveness, love and revenge. And ask herself the most difficult question she has ever faced - can murder ever be justice? Or mercy?

Review

I’ve read quite a few of Jodi Picoult’s books, and generally have really enjoyed them, the last few however I have been slightly disappointed with. Jodi is right back on track with this one though, it definitely shares the thought provoking, often moral situations that is a common theme throughout her books.

This story had 4 different viewpoints, and two different time periods. I really liked this aspect, and while, personally I could have done without Leo’s perspective (and the predictable relationship with Sage), the others were done really well, especially Minka’s account of what had happened to her and her family. It was very harrowing, and really made me think about the atrocities that happened in World War 2.

I thought this book was very moving at times, and could never quite guess how Sage was going to react, and as a consequence her reaction did shock me. I feel I should talk more about Sage, but I didn’t really connect with her, which actually suits her self-conscious character well.

As I said above, Jodi’s books mostly involve some sort of moral/thought provoking themes, and most of them, I know where I would stand, however this one has me flummoxed. I really hope this gets chosen at my bookclub at some point, it would be interesting to hear other people’s views on it.

Published by: Hodder & Stoughton