Publication
New York : Emily Bestler Books, 2013.
Collection
Call number
Fiction P
Physical description
460 p.; 21 inches
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Becoming friends with Josef Weber, an old man who is particularly loved in her community, Sage Singer is shocked when one day he asks her to kill him and reveals why he deserves to die, causing her to question her beliefs.
User reviews
LibraryThing member Rascalstar
Powerful story, well told. This is my first Jodi Picoult book and it was excellent. I guessed the twist at the end, quite a bit before nearing the end, but that didn't make it less readable, and perhaps not all readers would guess the same. The story is sufficiently complex to hold one's attention.
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I won't summarize it again, as it has been reviewed many times, I suspect. The setting is modern day with parts of it set during the Holocaust at concentration camps, so we know the background of characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member shazjhb
At least the research was pretty good. Better books about the Holocaust.
LibraryThing member AnnieMod
Is it possible to put a Holocaust story, a vampire story, a love story and a tragic accident in the same novel without it sounding cliched or offensive? Jodi Picoult proves that the answer to this is yes and builds a story about the choices that people make collecting the seemingly mismatching
The middle part of the novel is almost heartbreaking to read - the story of the Holocaust as seen by the eyes of a young girl that survives it. Even though you know it is a novel and that the narrator survives (because she is telling the story), it still is a very powerful piece of prose. And the fact that it is not a real survivor story does not make it less powerful.
And around this middle part is the framing story - the old Nazi officer Josef that decides to ask forgiveness from a Jewish woman. In her introduction to the novel, Picoult points out that this idea is not her, she found it in Simon Wiesenthal's "The Sunflower" and that she built her novel around the idea. Except that the case in "The Storyteller" is a little different - Josef does not seek one of his victims but Sage - a 20-something baker which is Jewish by birth but claims not to be and that lives in the 21st century. Sage has her own story and secrets - while Josef had lived his life hidden because of what he had done and had built himself a new identity and won the respect of the whole town, Sage had her face marked from an accidents and hides behind her profession and the weird hours that bakers keep.
Add to this Sage's grandmother Minka (who is the survivor that the middle part of the book belong to), a married man that Sage believes to be the best she deserves and a Nazi hunter who is ready to discount the whole story when he first hears it but then realizes that there is something in it, a retired Nun, interesting face showing in a bread (and I still do not see how that connected to the whole story...) and a few other secondary characters that allow the story to flow nicely.
And the main thread in the whole novel is choices - the choices that Josef made as a boy and then as a young man, the choices Minka hd to make in order to survive, the choices that Sage made in her own life and for the story of Josef, the choice that Josef had made when deciding to confess to Sage; choices of death and life (in more than one way); choices of belonging and staying away; of betrayal and honesty. Even the last act of the novel was a choice.
The turning point of the novel is hinted at very early in it and is fully shown long before Sage catches up on it - and that's one of the weak points of the novel. She should have seen it earlier - should have managed to process that information. But then should would not have made the same choice most likely - although I am not so sure that this would have been a bad thing.
And where are the vampires? In a story, where they belong. Between the chapters of the novel in the same way in which they had been written between the hard days of Minka. A story that saves her life and that plays a significant role in her narrative... and as unfinished as the life of a person can be. And a lot of the choices in that fictional story mirror the choices in the lives of the characters - and repeating some of the parts during the novel narration itself serves to show how close is life to an unreal imaginary story... and how powerful a story can be.
At one point, at the final part of the book Picoult defines history: "History isn't about dates and places and wars. It's about the people who fill the spaces between them." And that's one of the best definition I had heard. Because at the end of the day, history is the story of the choices made by people for people about people. And novels can relate these possible stories - because even if that one did not happen, millions of stories did happen in the ghettos and camps of WWII - and most of them cannot be told because noone survived to tell them. But "The Storyteller" is not just a Holocaust story even if it contains one; nor is it a vampire story - it just contains one. It is about memories, forgiveness, choices and hope.
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threads into a rich tapestry. The middle part of the novel is almost heartbreaking to read - the story of the Holocaust as seen by the eyes of a young girl that survives it. Even though you know it is a novel and that the narrator survives (because she is telling the story), it still is a very powerful piece of prose. And the fact that it is not a real survivor story does not make it less powerful.
And around this middle part is the framing story - the old Nazi officer Josef that decides to ask forgiveness from a Jewish woman. In her introduction to the novel, Picoult points out that this idea is not her, she found it in Simon Wiesenthal's "The Sunflower" and that she built her novel around the idea. Except that the case in "The Storyteller" is a little different - Josef does not seek one of his victims but Sage - a 20-something baker which is Jewish by birth but claims not to be and that lives in the 21st century. Sage has her own story and secrets - while Josef had lived his life hidden because of what he had done and had built himself a new identity and won the respect of the whole town, Sage had her face marked from an accidents and hides behind her profession and the weird hours that bakers keep.
Add to this Sage's grandmother Minka (who is the survivor that the middle part of the book belong to), a married man that Sage believes to be the best she deserves and a Nazi hunter who is ready to discount the whole story when he first hears it but then realizes that there is something in it, a retired Nun, interesting face showing in a bread (and I still do not see how that connected to the whole story...) and a few other secondary characters that allow the story to flow nicely.
And the main thread in the whole novel is choices - the choices that Josef made as a boy and then as a young man, the choices Minka hd to make in order to survive, the choices that Sage made in her own life and for the story of Josef, the choice that Josef had made when deciding to confess to Sage; choices of death and life (in more than one way); choices of belonging and staying away; of betrayal and honesty. Even the last act of the novel was a choice.
The turning point of the novel is hinted at very early in it and is fully shown long before Sage catches up on it - and that's one of the weak points of the novel. She should have seen it earlier - should have managed to process that information. But then should would not have made the same choice most likely - although I am not so sure that this would have been a bad thing.
And where are the vampires? In a story, where they belong. Between the chapters of the novel in the same way in which they had been written between the hard days of Minka. A story that saves her life and that plays a significant role in her narrative... and as unfinished as the life of a person can be. And a lot of the choices in that fictional story mirror the choices in the lives of the characters - and repeating some of the parts during the novel narration itself serves to show how close is life to an unreal imaginary story... and how powerful a story can be.
At one point, at the final part of the book Picoult defines history: "History isn't about dates and places and wars. It's about the people who fill the spaces between them." And that's one of the best definition I had heard. Because at the end of the day, history is the story of the choices made by people for people about people. And novels can relate these possible stories - because even if that one did not happen, millions of stories did happen in the ghettos and camps of WWII - and most of them cannot be told because noone survived to tell them. But "The Storyteller" is not just a Holocaust story even if it contains one; nor is it a vampire story - it just contains one. It is about memories, forgiveness, choices and hope.
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LibraryThing member StarrReina
“The Storyteller” by Jodi Picoult
How does one explain a story full of a tortuous accounting of monstrous acts? Picoult manages to weave this tale with extraordinary, but too true, data from an era gone but never forgotten.
Sage Singer is just a baker, or at least that’s what we initially see
Sage—with the help of DOJ Leo Stein—digs out what she believes to be the real facts about Weber, who he really is. She is faced with a decision that will affect the rest of her life. After everything she unearths about Weber, can she really kill him? Will it haunt her as Weber’s life haunted him?
Thrown into the mix is Sage’s love affair with a married man, Adam. Not only does she have to deal with Weber’s deceit and murderous actions, she also has to face up to what her relationship with Adam really is and choose to move on.
Although very well-written, “The Storyteller” is emotionally disturbing in many parts. It made me cry then smile then cry again. Picoult’s words are nothing less than mesmeric and when you read the last page, you will shut the book and cry again.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “The Other Side: Melinda’s Story”
How does one explain a story full of a tortuous accounting of monstrous acts? Picoult manages to weave this tale with extraordinary, but too true, data from an era gone but never forgotten.
Sage Singer is just a baker, or at least that’s what we initially see
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her as. She becomes more, a confidant, a granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, and Josef Weber’s last hope of redemption. But even Weber isn’t who he originally appears to be. He asks Sage to do something abhorrent: he wants her to both forgive him and kill him. Sage—with the help of DOJ Leo Stein—digs out what she believes to be the real facts about Weber, who he really is. She is faced with a decision that will affect the rest of her life. After everything she unearths about Weber, can she really kill him? Will it haunt her as Weber’s life haunted him?
Thrown into the mix is Sage’s love affair with a married man, Adam. Not only does she have to deal with Weber’s deceit and murderous actions, she also has to face up to what her relationship with Adam really is and choose to move on.
Although very well-written, “The Storyteller” is emotionally disturbing in many parts. It made me cry then smile then cry again. Picoult’s words are nothing less than mesmeric and when you read the last page, you will shut the book and cry again.
Reviewed by Starr Gardinier Reina, author of “The Other Side: Melinda’s Story”
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LibraryThing member wortklauberlein
This book came highly recommended and at first it appeared to be an earnest and well-intentioned attempt to keep alive the memories of an indescribably cruel and unbelievably terrible era in human history.
Jodi Picoult's story of an Auschwitz survivor includes the usual cast of characters, among
Her survival also largely hinged on her storytelling ability; she kept a Nazi officer spellbound with her story about an upior, or one of the undead, his brother, and the charming young daughter of the village baker. This story, interspersed throughout "The Storyteller," is not so well written as to keep the reader gasping for more, but the tale is a handy multipurpose allegory to thread the rest of the stories together. And how else could an author manage to put a vampire character into a book about the Holocaust?
Bracketing the account of the storyteller's life in Poland are first-person chapters by the survivor's granddaughter, Sage, a physically scarred baker whose amorality is betokened by her affair with a married undertaker, of all people, and who is sort of vampiric in that she hides her deformity and mostly comes out only at night.
Then she meets an old German who confesses to her that he was a Nazi and asks her to 1. forgive him and 2. kill him. This leads her to Leo Stein, a lawyer/Nazi hunter in D.C. (No spoiler to say they quickly become romantically involved, as the reader can see that 300 pages away.)
Moral dilemma time: Should Sage kill "Josef"? Does he deserve forgiveness? Can she forgive herself for accidentally or purposely killing someone else? What would a priest do if someone confessed crimes against humanity? (This actually was one of the more interesting lines of inquiry, but it unfortunately lasted about one page.)
I didn't see the final plot twists coming and was truly shocked by the ending. But the book provided no insight into the nature of evil, no solace to those who lived through hell, no sense of justice, just a distaste that was only compounded when I closed the back cover to see the broadly smiling author in a coy pose.
I often wondered why we need fiction about the Holocaust. How can anyone write a story to compare with any of the many memoirs by survivors, starting, of course, with Elie Wiesel's "Night"? Yet good fiction can help answer some of those questions that Jodi Picoult apparently was striving to at least raise in "The Storyteller." And it can convey the sense of unreality and fear confronting Europe's Jews in the 1930s and 1940s. I'd recommend two such books: Joseph Skibell's "A Blessing On the Moon," and Ramona Ausubel's "No One Is Here Except All of Us."
Jodi Picoult's story of an Auschwitz survivor includes the usual cast of characters, among
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them a Schindler-type factory owner who attempts to save Jewish children, a sensitive "good" German, and his intrinsically evil Nazi brother, the gutsy Jewish girl whose spirit is unbroken. This portion of the book might serve as a introduction to the horrors of life in Nazi Europe, but it adds nothing to understanding of it. The survivor's account lacks depth and emotion and is distractingly filled with anachronistic colloquialisms. Her survival also largely hinged on her storytelling ability; she kept a Nazi officer spellbound with her story about an upior, or one of the undead, his brother, and the charming young daughter of the village baker. This story, interspersed throughout "The Storyteller," is not so well written as to keep the reader gasping for more, but the tale is a handy multipurpose allegory to thread the rest of the stories together. And how else could an author manage to put a vampire character into a book about the Holocaust?
Bracketing the account of the storyteller's life in Poland are first-person chapters by the survivor's granddaughter, Sage, a physically scarred baker whose amorality is betokened by her affair with a married undertaker, of all people, and who is sort of vampiric in that she hides her deformity and mostly comes out only at night.
Then she meets an old German who confesses to her that he was a Nazi and asks her to 1. forgive him and 2. kill him. This leads her to Leo Stein, a lawyer/Nazi hunter in D.C. (No spoiler to say they quickly become romantically involved, as the reader can see that 300 pages away.)
Moral dilemma time: Should Sage kill "Josef"? Does he deserve forgiveness? Can she forgive herself for accidentally or purposely killing someone else? What would a priest do if someone confessed crimes against humanity? (This actually was one of the more interesting lines of inquiry, but it unfortunately lasted about one page.)
I didn't see the final plot twists coming and was truly shocked by the ending. But the book provided no insight into the nature of evil, no solace to those who lived through hell, no sense of justice, just a distaste that was only compounded when I closed the back cover to see the broadly smiling author in a coy pose.
I often wondered why we need fiction about the Holocaust. How can anyone write a story to compare with any of the many memoirs by survivors, starting, of course, with Elie Wiesel's "Night"? Yet good fiction can help answer some of those questions that Jodi Picoult apparently was striving to at least raise in "The Storyteller." And it can convey the sense of unreality and fear confronting Europe's Jews in the 1930s and 1940s. I'd recommend two such books: Joseph Skibell's "A Blessing On the Moon," and Ramona Ausubel's "No One Is Here Except All of Us."
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LibraryThing member LonelyReader
I have read all of Picoult's books and will admit this was one of the most difficult to read. Her details of the Holocaust were captivating but so emotional that I could only read for short periods of time. Like always, I love Picoult's research that goes into her books that allow her to completely
My only criticism of the book is that I found a big disconnect between Part I and Part III because Part II was so long. By the time I got to Part III I had a hard time remembering all the main characters and small details. Part II was beautiful written and I became very attached to Minka, but I wonder if there was another way to weave the story throughout the book to make it easier to also become attached to the other main characters.
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immerse the readers into a controversial topic - in this case the Holocaust, assisted suicide, and forgiveness. My only criticism of the book is that I found a big disconnect between Part I and Part III because Part II was so long. By the time I got to Part III I had a hard time remembering all the main characters and small details. Part II was beautiful written and I became very attached to Minka, but I wonder if there was another way to weave the story throughout the book to make it easier to also become attached to the other main characters.
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LibraryThing member bookappeal
Picoult's story begins with Sage Singer, a baker who is scarred physically and emotionally from an accident and the death of her parents. An elderly man she meets in a grief support group becomes her friend and confesses a secret that causes Sage to delve into her grandmother's past as a Holocaust
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survivor. The middle of the book describes the Holocaust in unflinching terms from the perspectives of a Jewish girl and a German officer. The writing is smooth and these sections are vivid and heartbreaking, but they are also exhausting and, at times, feel more like an attempt to tell the entire emotional story of the Holocaust rather than of the two characters experiencing it. When Picoult returns to Sage's story (184 pages later), it comes to a predictable ending. Sage's preoccupation with her scars (which are barely noticeable to any other character) is annoying and unnecessary and the metaphorical story within the story only partially succeeds. Good, not great. Show Less
LibraryThing member birdsam0610
I finished this book a couple of days ago, but I’m only sitting down now to write my review because I’ve been busy. So what else is new, you might ask? Well, I’ve actually been busy recommending this book to all and sundry – work colleagues, people at the library, people in bookshops and
The Storyteller starts off innocently enough with Sage Singer (yes, she does have a sister called Pepper), a baker who prefers to work alone at night after an accident left her scarred and feeling guilty. She’s in a going-nowhere relationship with a married man and her only confidante is her boss and former nun. Her colleague only speaks in Haikus. So when she strikes up a friendship with elderly Josef Weber, it’s a little strange. But she and Josef get along well until he asks her a favour – to kill him. Josef’s reasoning Is that he was a Nazi SS soldier in Auschwitz during World War II and doesn’t deserve to live. But he also wants Sage’s forgiveness.
Sage’s grandmother, Minka, was a prisoner at Auschwitz – something Josef doesn’t know. She has never wanted to talk about her ordeal and hides her tattooed number under shirts and jumpers. So when Sage gets the government involved to bring Josef to justice, Minka tells her story. This is where the most powerful part of the book comes. Minka’s story as a Jewish girl growing up in Poland, forced into the ghetto and then to Auschwitz is incredibly well researched, emotive and humbling reading. Picoult makes the whole thing come to life, and although it can be uncomfortable at times, it is very powerful. It was almost a letdown when the story returned to present day and Sage as the main character.
It is also during Minka’s story that we find out what the snippets of story about Ania (a girl with some similarities to Minka) and her adventures with an upior (a kind of vampire like creature). The story was written by Minka, first as a carefree student and then continued in Auschwitz. We learn that this story has links with Minka’s fate.
Like any Jodi Picoult book, there is a big twist and shock at the end. As I was reading an ARC, I honestly thought that there was a mistake because the characters hadn’t worked out the glaring inconsistency with only a few pages to go! Fortunately, the conclusion I’d leapt to turn out to be true but the question that had been asked about forgiveness (Who can give it? If it didn’t happen to you personally, can you still forgive? Can you redeem yourself after the event?) is left up to the reader to ponder over.
I would say this is easily the best Jodi Picoult book since My Sister’s Keeper – actually, better. This is haunting, interesting and full of emotion. I’d love to see her try her hand at historical fiction; Minka’s story proves she has the talent.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin and The Reading Room for the ARC.
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family. We all know that a new Jodi Picoult book is good, but The Storyteller is fantastic. Edge of your seat, crying, gaspingly fantastic. You don’t want to miss this one. The Storyteller starts off innocently enough with Sage Singer (yes, she does have a sister called Pepper), a baker who prefers to work alone at night after an accident left her scarred and feeling guilty. She’s in a going-nowhere relationship with a married man and her only confidante is her boss and former nun. Her colleague only speaks in Haikus. So when she strikes up a friendship with elderly Josef Weber, it’s a little strange. But she and Josef get along well until he asks her a favour – to kill him. Josef’s reasoning Is that he was a Nazi SS soldier in Auschwitz during World War II and doesn’t deserve to live. But he also wants Sage’s forgiveness.
Sage’s grandmother, Minka, was a prisoner at Auschwitz – something Josef doesn’t know. She has never wanted to talk about her ordeal and hides her tattooed number under shirts and jumpers. So when Sage gets the government involved to bring Josef to justice, Minka tells her story. This is where the most powerful part of the book comes. Minka’s story as a Jewish girl growing up in Poland, forced into the ghetto and then to Auschwitz is incredibly well researched, emotive and humbling reading. Picoult makes the whole thing come to life, and although it can be uncomfortable at times, it is very powerful. It was almost a letdown when the story returned to present day and Sage as the main character.
It is also during Minka’s story that we find out what the snippets of story about Ania (a girl with some similarities to Minka) and her adventures with an upior (a kind of vampire like creature). The story was written by Minka, first as a carefree student and then continued in Auschwitz. We learn that this story has links with Minka’s fate.
Like any Jodi Picoult book, there is a big twist and shock at the end. As I was reading an ARC, I honestly thought that there was a mistake because the characters hadn’t worked out the glaring inconsistency with only a few pages to go! Fortunately, the conclusion I’d leapt to turn out to be true but the question that had been asked about forgiveness (Who can give it? If it didn’t happen to you personally, can you still forgive? Can you redeem yourself after the event?) is left up to the reader to ponder over.
I would say this is easily the best Jodi Picoult book since My Sister’s Keeper – actually, better. This is haunting, interesting and full of emotion. I’d love to see her try her hand at historical fiction; Minka’s story proves she has the talent.
Thank you to Allen and Unwin and The Reading Room for the ARC.
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LibraryThing member SenoraG163
I have mixed feelings about this book. I am a big Picoult fan though I have to admit at times she is hit or miss with me. I think this one sorta fell into the middle.
The story was interesting and quite hard to hear a lot of times. I read tons of true crime and bloody books but even for me the
I have to say I did not care too much for Sage or Minka. I know I am in the minority but Sage was a bit too pompous for me and Minka, while I agree that what she endured and lived though was terrible, to me, she seemed a bit too full of herself, the hero, the story writer who could save herself with her stories. I did enjoy the friendship between her and Daria, in that relationship she was much more likeable.
My favorite character was Leo. He was the most honest one in the book. I wish he had a tad more sympathy but it is understandable why he did not. I would have liked more information on how his relationship with Sage wound up.
The ending while predictable was also a wee bit confusing for me as to the why of the whole thing. I guess it sounds like I didn't enjoy the book but I did. The narration was good and the plot definitely holds your attention. It is worth reading.
The story was interesting and quite hard to hear a lot of times. I read tons of true crime and bloody books but even for me the
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descriptions in this book were very graphic. I think it affected me so deeply because it happened, written in a fiction book but still true, horrid, unbelievable facts that happened to human beings. Impossible to wrap your mind around. I have to say I did not care too much for Sage or Minka. I know I am in the minority but Sage was a bit too pompous for me and Minka, while I agree that what she endured and lived though was terrible, to me, she seemed a bit too full of herself, the hero, the story writer who could save herself with her stories. I did enjoy the friendship between her and Daria, in that relationship she was much more likeable.
My favorite character was Leo. He was the most honest one in the book. I wish he had a tad more sympathy but it is understandable why he did not. I would have liked more information on how his relationship with Sage wound up.
The ending while predictable was also a wee bit confusing for me as to the why of the whole thing. I guess it sounds like I didn't enjoy the book but I did. The narration was good and the plot definitely holds your attention. It is worth reading.
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LibraryThing member BevFuller
Wonderful story about a horrible time in our world.
LibraryThing member pinkcrayon99
Sage never asks her grandmother, Minka, about the tattoo on her wrist. When Sage meets Josef Weber and learns about his past, she knows it's time to hear her grandmother's story. Sage soon realizes that Minka has two stories to tell both of which she has carried for a lifetime. One story saved her
Josef Weber is seeking forgiveness. Minka is struggling to forgive. Sage is trying to come to terms with of all the issues being thrown at her. Sage is an emotionally and physically scarred recluse who happens to be an amazing baker. While dealing with her own insecurities and trying her best to be invisible, life pushes her into the spotlight.
When Minka begins telling her story of how she survived the Holocaust, Picoult made you feel present in every scene. The weaving of this story is flawless. This narrative was made up of several stories. There is a fictional story being developed within the main narrative but no story bumps into another. The writing though taking place in two different eras was seamless. Picoult never loses the reader. I never had to go back and re-read a section.
During Minka's narratives, she describes quite vividly day to day life in the Jewish ghetto and later Auschwitz. One passage where a young girl was shot in front of her particularly stood out:
"The ones who were shot in the head left behind a mess, runnels of gray matter and foamy pink tissue, and now it was on my boot, caught in the treads, and I wondered what part of her mind that was---the power of language? Of movement? The memory of her first kiss or her favorite pet or the day she moved to the ghetto?"
This is the kind of writing that will make you give pause and consider the magnitude of such an event. No matter how horrible or tragic the event Picoult did not allow the reader to hold on to any grief she moves you along.
As Picoult juxtaposes the life of a former Nazi and a Holocaust survivor, Sage is trying to come to terms with her own life which seems to be unraveling. Sage's personal and emotional struggles are rising like the dough she works with so comfortably. As she makes some hard decisions things begin to settle. She becomes brave.
This book has a wide variety of things going on from religion to vampires (do not let the vampires turn you off, trust me). The tapestry of this book is exquisite. You can smell the bread baking as well as the death in the air at Auschwitz. The characters are eccentric and well developed. Sage's boss Mary is a former nun. Her co-worker the barista, Rocco, only speaks in iambic pentameter. There are plenty more that make the story interesting.
This was my first book by Picoult and now I wonder have I been missing out. Undoubtedly, the author wanted the reader to ponder the complexity of forgiveness but there is also the idea of how redemption can be found in telling or writing a story. The narrative is emotional but not overwhelming. The ending is stunning.
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life. The other story is her life. Josef Weber is seeking forgiveness. Minka is struggling to forgive. Sage is trying to come to terms with of all the issues being thrown at her. Sage is an emotionally and physically scarred recluse who happens to be an amazing baker. While dealing with her own insecurities and trying her best to be invisible, life pushes her into the spotlight.
When Minka begins telling her story of how she survived the Holocaust, Picoult made you feel present in every scene. The weaving of this story is flawless. This narrative was made up of several stories. There is a fictional story being developed within the main narrative but no story bumps into another. The writing though taking place in two different eras was seamless. Picoult never loses the reader. I never had to go back and re-read a section.
During Minka's narratives, she describes quite vividly day to day life in the Jewish ghetto and later Auschwitz. One passage where a young girl was shot in front of her particularly stood out:
"The ones who were shot in the head left behind a mess, runnels of gray matter and foamy pink tissue, and now it was on my boot, caught in the treads, and I wondered what part of her mind that was---the power of language? Of movement? The memory of her first kiss or her favorite pet or the day she moved to the ghetto?"
This is the kind of writing that will make you give pause and consider the magnitude of such an event. No matter how horrible or tragic the event Picoult did not allow the reader to hold on to any grief she moves you along.
As Picoult juxtaposes the life of a former Nazi and a Holocaust survivor, Sage is trying to come to terms with her own life which seems to be unraveling. Sage's personal and emotional struggles are rising like the dough she works with so comfortably. As she makes some hard decisions things begin to settle. She becomes brave.
This book has a wide variety of things going on from religion to vampires (do not let the vampires turn you off, trust me). The tapestry of this book is exquisite. You can smell the bread baking as well as the death in the air at Auschwitz. The characters are eccentric and well developed. Sage's boss Mary is a former nun. Her co-worker the barista, Rocco, only speaks in iambic pentameter. There are plenty more that make the story interesting.
This was my first book by Picoult and now I wonder have I been missing out. Undoubtedly, the author wanted the reader to ponder the complexity of forgiveness but there is also the idea of how redemption can be found in telling or writing a story. The narrative is emotional but not overwhelming. The ending is stunning.
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LibraryThing member Sharn
When I first started this book I had a hard time with it. I felt like I was reading a history lesson that I would be quizzed on later. Then I got to Part II and Jodi decided to play with my mind, twist my heart until it broke. Then I got to Part III, I was so thankful that part II was over that I
This book was fiction but with Jodi's phenomenal writing and research it read like non-fiction especially knowing that this stuff really did happen.
I just knew at any time we would walk into a courtroom but never did... I think that's a first for Jodi.
Yes I cried and I've already recommended it.
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was blind-sided by it all.This book was fiction but with Jodi's phenomenal writing and research it read like non-fiction especially knowing that this stuff really did happen.
I just knew at any time we would walk into a courtroom but never did... I think that's a first for Jodi.
Yes I cried and I've already recommended it.
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LibraryThing member Coletters
This is a 4 to a 4 1/2 for me. I felt like there were two twists...the first one I saw coming but never saw the one at the end...wow. Very well written and unique story.
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
I will admit I was hesitant to read The Storyteller so I was gratified to find myself absorbed in this story about a young woman, Sage Singer, who learns her elderly friend, a respected member of the local community, hides a horrific secret. Sixty years ago Joseph Weber served in the
The Storyteller is a challenging read, raising thought provoking questions about responsibility, forgiveness, justice and redemption. Sage is struggling with her guilt for the accident that led to her mother's death, Josef is desperate for forgiveness for the role he played in mass genocide - what acts can (or cannot) be forgiven and who has the right to forgive them? The ethical conundrum's are underscored by Department of Justice representative, Leo Stein, to whom Sage brings the story of Joseph Weber and with whom Sage becomes personally involved.
Blending historical fact with fiction, Picoult examines the horrors of the Holocaust as the novel unfolds from the perspectives of Josef and Minka - a survivor, and Sage's grandmother. I found Minka's story utterly riveting and desperately tragic. I can not imagine the horror's faced and I found tears slipping down my face on more than one occasion. Josef's story is also illuminating, exploring how it is that an ordinary man can become a mass murderer, indifferent to humanity.
It's the story written by Minka, who aspired to be a novelist before Hitler overan the country, that bothered me. The tale of an upior (a vampire) terrorising a small community has obvious parallels to the main storyline, and is interesting in and of itself, but it's inclusion seems somewhat calculated to me given the popularity of the paranormal genre.
There is no escaping the fact that there is no real subtlety to this story, but I'm not sure that is necessarily a bad thing. It ensures the events and emotions are accessible to a broad audience and the reader is able to immerse them self in the emotions and events of the tale.
The Storyteller is a surprisingly compelling novel that will continue to haunt you long after the last page is turned.
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SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and was once the camp supervisor at Auschwitz. And now he wants Sage's help.The Storyteller is a challenging read, raising thought provoking questions about responsibility, forgiveness, justice and redemption. Sage is struggling with her guilt for the accident that led to her mother's death, Josef is desperate for forgiveness for the role he played in mass genocide - what acts can (or cannot) be forgiven and who has the right to forgive them? The ethical conundrum's are underscored by Department of Justice representative, Leo Stein, to whom Sage brings the story of Joseph Weber and with whom Sage becomes personally involved.
Blending historical fact with fiction, Picoult examines the horrors of the Holocaust as the novel unfolds from the perspectives of Josef and Minka - a survivor, and Sage's grandmother. I found Minka's story utterly riveting and desperately tragic. I can not imagine the horror's faced and I found tears slipping down my face on more than one occasion. Josef's story is also illuminating, exploring how it is that an ordinary man can become a mass murderer, indifferent to humanity.
It's the story written by Minka, who aspired to be a novelist before Hitler overan the country, that bothered me. The tale of an upior (a vampire) terrorising a small community has obvious parallels to the main storyline, and is interesting in and of itself, but it's inclusion seems somewhat calculated to me given the popularity of the paranormal genre.
There is no escaping the fact that there is no real subtlety to this story, but I'm not sure that is necessarily a bad thing. It ensures the events and emotions are accessible to a broad audience and the reader is able to immerse them self in the emotions and events of the tale.
The Storyteller is a surprisingly compelling novel that will continue to haunt you long after the last page is turned.
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LibraryThing member passengercreek2
Excellent choice of words to paint a story; creative way to meld three stories into one.
LibraryThing member cyderry
Sage Singer, an atheist of Jewish descent, works at a religious bakery. Having been scarred, she hides in the back and works during the night. One day she is introduced to an old man and they become friends. But here is where the story gets weird. Josef informs Sage that he was a Nazi SS officer
The story is also that of Sage's grandmother and her survival during the Holocaust as well as a story that her grandmother wrote during her youth and incarceration at Auschwitz.
At times, the stories were difficult to follow because they kept jumping back and forth.
The ladies in my book club rave about Jodi Picoult so we selected this one for July. I had read My Sister's Keeper but was not impressed so I was hoping that this one would be better. The story was okay but I felt that the characters were a bit stereotypical and lacked originality.
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and that wants her to kill him.The story is also that of Sage's grandmother and her survival during the Holocaust as well as a story that her grandmother wrote during her youth and incarceration at Auschwitz.
At times, the stories were difficult to follow because they kept jumping back and forth.
The ladies in my book club rave about Jodi Picoult so we selected this one for July. I had read My Sister's Keeper but was not impressed so I was hoping that this one would be better. The story was okay but I felt that the characters were a bit stereotypical and lacked originality.
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LibraryThing member DrApple
The reader becomes immersed in the past and the present
LibraryThing member julia.flyte
Sage is a baker in a small New Hampshire town. She bears the scars from a car accident which make her self-conscious about facing the world, so she largely keeps to herself. Nevertheless, she befriends Josef, an elderly German man who has lived in the town for many years. Josef is well known in the
However Sage also has a very personal reason for her reaction. She considers herself an atheist but she was raised as a Jew and she knows that her grandmother (Minka) was in a concentration camp during the War. Minka has never spoken about what she went through, preferring to leave it firmly in the past. She even keeps her identifying tattoo concealed at all times. Over the course of the book, Minka's story will be told. While I read her account of what she went through, there was a small part of me that felt like Picoult had cobbled together the "greatest hits" from The Pianist/Schindler's List/Night and other prominent accounts of the Holocaust. But as I reminded myself, we only know these stories because survivors have recounted them. Everything that Minka describes happened, if not to her, to many others. And it makes for harrowing reading. What's more, it's a very effective way of removing any doubt or sympathy that the reader may initially have had for kindly old Josef.
This is a compulsively readable book. To me, Minka's voice was so brave and real that the book was slightly diminished after moving on from her story, but it keeps some final twists for the end.
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community, friendly and warm. However he has a secret, one which he chooses to share with Sage: he is a former SS officer. Sage reacts to this pretty much as anyone would: with disbelief followed by revulsion and anger. Her impulse is to report Josef, even after all these years, and make him face justice.However Sage also has a very personal reason for her reaction. She considers herself an atheist but she was raised as a Jew and she knows that her grandmother (Minka) was in a concentration camp during the War. Minka has never spoken about what she went through, preferring to leave it firmly in the past. She even keeps her identifying tattoo concealed at all times. Over the course of the book, Minka's story will be told. While I read her account of what she went through, there was a small part of me that felt like Picoult had cobbled together the "greatest hits" from The Pianist/Schindler's List/Night and other prominent accounts of the Holocaust. But as I reminded myself, we only know these stories because survivors have recounted them. Everything that Minka describes happened, if not to her, to many others. And it makes for harrowing reading. What's more, it's a very effective way of removing any doubt or sympathy that the reader may initially have had for kindly old Josef.
This is a compulsively readable book. To me, Minka's voice was so brave and real that the book was slightly diminished after moving on from her story, but it keeps some final twists for the end.
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LibraryThing member stillwaters12
Sage is a twenty something talented baker. She's been in an accident and has a large scar that handicaps her emotionally. Because of the death of her mother, then her father she is in a support group where she meets an elderly man and they become quiet friends. Eventually, Josef asks Sage to kill
Minka is a Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Her father, a remarkable baker and single father, adores her and she has a nice life. Then the Germans begin to move the Jews into a ghetto and, eventually, onto Auschwitz. Minka's life there is very well developed by Picoult and had me really understanding the Jewish experience better than anything else ever has. It is a story of resilience and loss, at once heartbreaking and painful.
Ania is a young, fictional woman that Minka develops over years with intriguing skill. This fictional story plays a big part in helping many get through the hardest parts of the Holocaust, including Minka herself.
Judi Picoult makes all of these characters come to life and braid into each others' stories in a remarkable way. Her trademark talent as an author who unfolds her characters with grace, flaws and strengths combined, is totally present in this story too.
In a way the bread that Minka's father and later Sage make is a character all it's own. The loving way that it is prepared, the smells, the warmth of it, the delicious tastes inform the stories with a richness that a human character could not.
Don't miss this magnificent tale.
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him and she struggles with wanting to help him and then later not wanting to.Minka is a Jewish girl during the Holocaust. Her father, a remarkable baker and single father, adores her and she has a nice life. Then the Germans begin to move the Jews into a ghetto and, eventually, onto Auschwitz. Minka's life there is very well developed by Picoult and had me really understanding the Jewish experience better than anything else ever has. It is a story of resilience and loss, at once heartbreaking and painful.
Ania is a young, fictional woman that Minka develops over years with intriguing skill. This fictional story plays a big part in helping many get through the hardest parts of the Holocaust, including Minka herself.
Judi Picoult makes all of these characters come to life and braid into each others' stories in a remarkable way. Her trademark talent as an author who unfolds her characters with grace, flaws and strengths combined, is totally present in this story too.
In a way the bread that Minka's father and later Sage make is a character all it's own. The loving way that it is prepared, the smells, the warmth of it, the delicious tastes inform the stories with a richness that a human character could not.
Don't miss this magnificent tale.
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LibraryThing member MarkMeg
Not just another holocaust book. It seems to have picked up the best of many that I have read. Sage is the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Her grandmother Minka is a survivor. Sage meets Josef, who is Reiner and an ex SS officer who is responsible for the death of Minka's best friend. Sage
Picoult brings the entire Holocaust to life--making it too real and almost unbearable.
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has a relationship with Adam, a married man, until she enlists the help of Leo, the office of Special Investigations--investigating the Holocaust, and they fall in love. Minka passes away from old age before the story is resolved, but she has identified Josef. Picoult brings the entire Holocaust to life--making it too real and almost unbearable.
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LibraryThing member nicx27
The Storyteller is a many faceted story. It starts with Sage Singer, a 25 year old woman with a tragic past. She meets Josef Weber at her grief group and after they become friends he tells her that he was an SS officer. This especially resonates with Sage because her beloved grandmother was a
This is easily the best Jodi Picoult book I have read. I was absolutely engrossed in the story, and even though I guessed the twist at the end I still didn't work out how she would wind up the story. It's a moving and emotional read and it certainly made me think about revenge and redemption and how nothing is ever clear cut. Can you forgive and is it your place to forgive on behalf of someone else?
Not many books grab me to the point where I almost forget everything else, but this was one of them and I'd highly recommend it.
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survivor of the holocaust. There is then a long section in which her grandmother tells her story of the concentration camps that she was in, before the book returns to the stories of Sage and Josef.This is easily the best Jodi Picoult book I have read. I was absolutely engrossed in the story, and even though I guessed the twist at the end I still didn't work out how she would wind up the story. It's a moving and emotional read and it certainly made me think about revenge and redemption and how nothing is ever clear cut. Can you forgive and is it your place to forgive on behalf of someone else?
Not many books grab me to the point where I almost forget everything else, but this was one of them and I'd highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Read straight through. Fantastic!
LibraryThing member dennisonjill
This is a story within a story within a story. In this book, many questions are asked, still more are implied, yet few are answered, mainly because some questions quite simply have no answers. You will either love or hate this book; there will be no middle ground. But either way, it will make you
The story, then, is a modern-day tale of a young woman, Sage, and an old man, Josef, she scarred by her recent past, he by his distant past. The old man has lived in this small town in New Hampshire for more than sixty years and is well-liked, a retired school teacher, former kids’ coach, “everyone’s adoptive, cuddly grandfather”. Not long into their friendship, the old man asks Sage to help him die. There is a catch, though … she must forgive him for his past before he dies. His past as an officer in the Third Reich, a Nazi, a participant in the killing of more than six million Jews during the Holocaust in World War II. That is the story within the story. And then there is the story within the story within the story, which follows a young Jewish girl from a town in Poland through the labor camps and ultimately through Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.
It is important to make the distinction that this is not, per se, a book about the Holocaust, but about the question of forgiveness. The Holocaust, the most heinous crime in modern history, is simply the background, but as such it gives this book significant historical value it could not have otherwise achieved. Is it possible to forgive someone for an act that was not committed directly against you, or must forgiveness come directly from the victim? If that is the case, can there ever be forgiveness for murder or wrongful death? Are there some acts that cannot possibly be forgiven? Are there varying degrees of guilt? Are there levels of guilt and an imaginary “line in the sand” where forgiveness is no longer possible? For example, everyone may agree that killing six million Jews is unforgiveable. Would a lesser number be easier to forgive? Say, three million? Or how about a half-million? Or was killing just one Jew unforgiveable? If that is the case, how does that differ from any other killing? Is there a difference between actually being the person to commit the act, being an accessory to the act, being an observer and not trying to stop the act? So many questions, so few answers. These and others kept me awake pondering for hours during the time I was reading this book and I concluded that if there are answers to these questions, I do not know what they are.
The Storyteller is an excellent book, one of the few works of fiction to which I will give a five-star rating. There is conflict, both internal and external, the major characters are well-drawn and highly believable, and there are enough plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about some things until the final pages. Oh yes, and there is just a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, though that part seemed a bit contrived to me. If you are looking for some light summer reading, put this book down now and move on. It is anything but light reading. However if you are looking for something to challenge your mind and cause you to search your own soul, question your own beliefs and values, please do yourself a favor and read this book! I would like to add here that I do not recommend The Storyteller for most children under about the age of seventeen, as there are some fairly graphic descriptions.
Disclaimer: I am an independent, unpaid reviewer. My reviews are entirely my own works and I only review books that I have actually read. I welcome all comments, whether you agree or disagree with me, however, inappropriate content in comments is not acceptable and will be removed.
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think about things in ways that you may never have thought about them before; you will ask yourself tough questions that you may never have asked before. That is Jodi Picoult’s trademark. The questions are important questions, questions about forgiveness, redemption, retribution and conscience. The story, then, is a modern-day tale of a young woman, Sage, and an old man, Josef, she scarred by her recent past, he by his distant past. The old man has lived in this small town in New Hampshire for more than sixty years and is well-liked, a retired school teacher, former kids’ coach, “everyone’s adoptive, cuddly grandfather”. Not long into their friendship, the old man asks Sage to help him die. There is a catch, though … she must forgive him for his past before he dies. His past as an officer in the Third Reich, a Nazi, a participant in the killing of more than six million Jews during the Holocaust in World War II. That is the story within the story. And then there is the story within the story within the story, which follows a young Jewish girl from a town in Poland through the labor camps and ultimately through Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.
It is important to make the distinction that this is not, per se, a book about the Holocaust, but about the question of forgiveness. The Holocaust, the most heinous crime in modern history, is simply the background, but as such it gives this book significant historical value it could not have otherwise achieved. Is it possible to forgive someone for an act that was not committed directly against you, or must forgiveness come directly from the victim? If that is the case, can there ever be forgiveness for murder or wrongful death? Are there some acts that cannot possibly be forgiven? Are there varying degrees of guilt? Are there levels of guilt and an imaginary “line in the sand” where forgiveness is no longer possible? For example, everyone may agree that killing six million Jews is unforgiveable. Would a lesser number be easier to forgive? Say, three million? Or how about a half-million? Or was killing just one Jew unforgiveable? If that is the case, how does that differ from any other killing? Is there a difference between actually being the person to commit the act, being an accessory to the act, being an observer and not trying to stop the act? So many questions, so few answers. These and others kept me awake pondering for hours during the time I was reading this book and I concluded that if there are answers to these questions, I do not know what they are.
The Storyteller is an excellent book, one of the few works of fiction to which I will give a five-star rating. There is conflict, both internal and external, the major characters are well-drawn and highly believable, and there are enough plot twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about some things until the final pages. Oh yes, and there is just a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, though that part seemed a bit contrived to me. If you are looking for some light summer reading, put this book down now and move on. It is anything but light reading. However if you are looking for something to challenge your mind and cause you to search your own soul, question your own beliefs and values, please do yourself a favor and read this book! I would like to add here that I do not recommend The Storyteller for most children under about the age of seventeen, as there are some fairly graphic descriptions.
Disclaimer: I am an independent, unpaid reviewer. My reviews are entirely my own works and I only review books that I have actually read. I welcome all comments, whether you agree or disagree with me, however, inappropriate content in comments is not acceptable and will be removed.
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Probably a good story, but I found the Nazi atrocities written in too much detail. It detracted from the story for this reader who prides herself on her strong stomach. Picoult is still one of my favorite authors.
LibraryThing member slanger89
Jodi Picoult hasn’t fascinated me in the past, but the WWII theme does and is what drew me to this story (and the cover being gorgeous doesn’t hurt either). The Storyteller tells the stories of an ex-Nazi, a depressed recluse, and a Holocaust survivor by weaving their tales together into a
But forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, “You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.” It’s saying, “You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.”
Sage, the modern day main character, carries guilt with her everywhere she goes and she hides behind it like it is a shield. Her life is currently a hot mess and then everything becomes even more turned around when a supposed friend of hers decides to divulge his life-altering secret of having once been a Nazi. Honestly, Sage annoyed me and the part I liked best about her was her bread making, which invariably made me extremely hungry every time I picked up the book!
What made this story for me though, was when it shifted characters and time periods to the Holocaust survivor during WWII. This part, I felt, was well written, if hard to stomach at times. It was fascinating and seemed well researched. I also enjoyed the fairytale which was weaved throughout the story tying everything together and giving some added depth.
Despite the fact I enjoyed parts of the story so much, it definitely isn’t my favorite WWII novel. Some of the situations were just so coincidental I almost wanted to slam the book shut at parts. However, it’s worth reading for the messages and at the end I wanted to go back and re-read some of it…but not on the top of my WWII fiction stories.
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rather heart wrenching novel.But forgiving isn’t something you do for someone else. It’s something you do for yourself. It’s saying, “You’re not important enough to have a stranglehold on me.” It’s saying, “You don’t get to trap me in the past. I am worthy of a future.”
Sage, the modern day main character, carries guilt with her everywhere she goes and she hides behind it like it is a shield. Her life is currently a hot mess and then everything becomes even more turned around when a supposed friend of hers decides to divulge his life-altering secret of having once been a Nazi. Honestly, Sage annoyed me and the part I liked best about her was her bread making, which invariably made me extremely hungry every time I picked up the book!
What made this story for me though, was when it shifted characters and time periods to the Holocaust survivor during WWII. This part, I felt, was well written, if hard to stomach at times. It was fascinating and seemed well researched. I also enjoyed the fairytale which was weaved throughout the story tying everything together and giving some added depth.
Despite the fact I enjoyed parts of the story so much, it definitely isn’t my favorite WWII novel. Some of the situations were just so coincidental I almost wanted to slam the book shut at parts. However, it’s worth reading for the messages and at the end I wanted to go back and re-read some of it…but not on the top of my WWII fiction stories.
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Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2015)
RUSA CODES Reading List (Shortlist — Women's Fiction — 2014)
Language
Original publication date
2013-02
ISBN
9781439102770